Information
- BFI identifier37146
- Date1955 (Copyright)
1956-03-19 (Release) - Production countryUnited Kingdom, USA
- Production company
- SynopsisSecond World War spy drama based on true events. Prior to the Allies' assault on Sicily, British Intelligence attempts to convince the Nazis that their aim is really to land in Greece, thereby diverting many German troops to the wrong place and saving the lives of up to 30,000 Allied soldiers. The task is given to Lieutenant-Commander Ewen Montagu, of the Navy, who hatches a plan, codename Operation Mincemeat, to float ashore in Spain the dead body of a supposedly drowned officer carrying top secret documents about a planned landing in Greece. With little time, Montagu and his team set about ingeniously making the hoax as convincing as possible (not the least obstacle being the finding of a recently dead body they may use which the Germans will believe was drowned after crash-landing in the sea). Once the plan is underway, the Germans, suspicious, send an Irish man, Patrick O'Reilly, to London to follow some clues to establish whether this officer really existed. The Irish spy's findings will cement or destroy the success of the operation. (Synopsis)
- Work historyThe following statement appears after the opening credits: 'Military security and respect for a solemn promise have made it necessary to disguise the identity of some of the characters in this film: but in all other essentials this is the true story of "Major William Martin".'
- Genre
- Subject
- CreditsDirected by: Ronald Neame
©: Sumar Film Productions Ltd.
Production Company: Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation [uncredited]
view all - CastClifton Webb (Lieutenant-Commander Ewen Montagu)
Gloria Grahame (Lucy Sherwood)
Robert Flemyng (Lieutenant George Acres)
view full cast
Title
The Man Who Never Was (Original)
EIDR identifier
10.5240/B60B-9530-9F7B-85B7-2B47-NCategory
FictionThis work is included in the BFI Filmography.
- Collections
- Film / Video
35mm Magenta Separation Promaster - Safety - Mute - Status pending
35mm Cyan Separation Promaster - Safety - Mute - Status pending
35mm Yellow Separation Promaster - Safety - Mute - Status pending
35mm Re-recorded Negative - Safety - Sound - Master
35mm Colour Internegative - Safety - Mute - Master
35mm Colour Internegative - Safety - Mute - Master
35mm Colour Internegative - Safety - Mute - Master
35mm Colour Internegative - Safety - Mute - Master
35mm Colour Internegative - Safety - Mute - Master
35mm Re-recorded Negative - Safety - Sound - Master
Dupe Negative - Safety - Sound - Master
35mm Colour Positive - Safety - Combined - Master
view all - Scripts / DocumentsScript - Original story: Based on the book by Ewen Montagu - SCR-12011
Ephemera: publicity - PBM-37146
For example of programme see CINEMA EPHEMERA: REGIONS (Aylesbury Odeon). Medium pressbook held.
view all - StillsPhotograph: film still - Landscape - SPD-947162
Photograph: film still - Landscape - SPD-947163
Photograph: film still - Portrait - SPD-947164
Photograph: film still - Portrait - SPD-947165
Photograph: print - Portrait - Black and White - bfi-00n-ubx
view all - Articles
- +The Man Who Never Was
Work - 37146 - 1955 (Copyright)
United Kingdom - Film - Fiction
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