This film became notorious not long after it was released because it has a handful of the biggest names in Hollywood -- including Frank Sinatra, Burt Lancaster, and Tony Curtis -- appearing in the film in disguise. This fits with the modus operandi of the chief villain of the piece, played by Kirk Douglas, who has a diabolical plot that George C. Scott, as ex-MI5 agent Anthony Gethryn, is called upon to disentangle.
The film, smartly directed by John Huston, hews closely to Philip Macdonald's 1959 novel, his last to feature the Gethryn character. Gethryn had figured in a number of Macdonald's novels written during the 1930s, and then, after more than 20 years, Macdonald resurrected him for this one last appearance.
Gethryn is initially brought into the case to puzzle over the eponymous list given to him by writer Adrian Messenger, a long-time friend, who asks Gethryn to check up on the men on the list to find out if they still live at the addresses shown on it. Then a spectacular murder occurs, and Gethryn finds himself drawn ever deeper into the mystery. Its unraveling is a tale worthy of Agatha Christie or Dorothy L. Sayers, set against 1960s England, with -- surprisingly -- a heavy element of fox hunting.
That Kirk Douglas is the villain, often slipping into and out of disguises that would fit well into the classic television series "Mission: Impossible," is not really a spoiler, because Douglas' role is revealed relatively early in the film. But as noted in the "Trivia" section on this site, many scenes supposedly featuring Douglas in disguises (using latex masks, bald caps, and wigs -- and in one memorable sequence, contact lenses that nearly covered his entire eye, which he casually plucks out) actually featured uncredited work by character actor Jan Merlin, who bore more than a passing resemblance to Douglas.
Merlin was apparently hired as a stand-in for Douglas to spare the star from having to wear the (undoubtedly very uncomfortable) makeup so often. There are only a couple of scenes where it's clear that it's Douglas on-screen, as his voice is unmistakable. Whatever they paid Merlin for his troubles, it doubtless wasn't enough.
Gethryn gets able support from a Frenchman named Raoul Le Borg, played by a relatively little-known French actolr named Jacques Roux, who -- surprisingly -- also had a long and varied career on American television, appearing numerous times on the series "Combat!" and many other shows, everything from "The Man from U. N. C. L. E." to "Batman." Although many of Roux' lines were clearly in his own voice, some of them were dubbed by voice artist Paul Frees (whose talents were also put to use in some other dubbing during the movie).
Despite having the most prominent role in the film, George C. Scott is sixth-billed, after Douglas and all of the other stars who barely make appearances themselves. He gives a surprisingly subtle, understated performance, with a passable British accent yet still showing, just below the surface, the kind of energy he usually brought to his work. It's a stark contrast to the role he would play next, as eye-popping, fanatical Gen. Buck Turgidson in Stanley Kubrick's "Dr. Strangelove." Scott was only about 35 when this film was made, but for most of his career he played older than his true age, and he's convincing as the supposedly retired former agent called upon to help with one more case.
Director Huston keeps the proceedings moving briskly, and even manages a brief cameo himself as a participant in a fox hunt. The frequent use of the disguises and the often unrecognizable movie stars could have come across as gimmicky, but it actually enhances the charm of the movie, lending it a quirky air that only adds to its enjoyment. The script is also spiced with some delightfully droll humor -- perfectly in keeping with the British setting. It's an endearing film that perfectly encapsulates the early 1960s in an England that still had the long shadow of World War II hanging over it, as the war touches on a number of the plot points in this absorbing tale.
The film, smartly directed by John Huston, hews closely to Philip Macdonald's 1959 novel, his last to feature the Gethryn character. Gethryn had figured in a number of Macdonald's novels written during the 1930s, and then, after more than 20 years, Macdonald resurrected him for this one last appearance.
Gethryn is initially brought into the case to puzzle over the eponymous list given to him by writer Adrian Messenger, a long-time friend, who asks Gethryn to check up on the men on the list to find out if they still live at the addresses shown on it. Then a spectacular murder occurs, and Gethryn finds himself drawn ever deeper into the mystery. Its unraveling is a tale worthy of Agatha Christie or Dorothy L. Sayers, set against 1960s England, with -- surprisingly -- a heavy element of fox hunting.
That Kirk Douglas is the villain, often slipping into and out of disguises that would fit well into the classic television series "Mission: Impossible," is not really a spoiler, because Douglas' role is revealed relatively early in the film. But as noted in the "Trivia" section on this site, many scenes supposedly featuring Douglas in disguises (using latex masks, bald caps, and wigs -- and in one memorable sequence, contact lenses that nearly covered his entire eye, which he casually plucks out) actually featured uncredited work by character actor Jan Merlin, who bore more than a passing resemblance to Douglas.
Merlin was apparently hired as a stand-in for Douglas to spare the star from having to wear the (undoubtedly very uncomfortable) makeup so often. There are only a couple of scenes where it's clear that it's Douglas on-screen, as his voice is unmistakable. Whatever they paid Merlin for his troubles, it doubtless wasn't enough.
Gethryn gets able support from a Frenchman named Raoul Le Borg, played by a relatively little-known French actolr named Jacques Roux, who -- surprisingly -- also had a long and varied career on American television, appearing numerous times on the series "Combat!" and many other shows, everything from "The Man from U. N. C. L. E." to "Batman." Although many of Roux' lines were clearly in his own voice, some of them were dubbed by voice artist Paul Frees (whose talents were also put to use in some other dubbing during the movie).
Despite having the most prominent role in the film, George C. Scott is sixth-billed, after Douglas and all of the other stars who barely make appearances themselves. He gives a surprisingly subtle, understated performance, with a passable British accent yet still showing, just below the surface, the kind of energy he usually brought to his work. It's a stark contrast to the role he would play next, as eye-popping, fanatical Gen. Buck Turgidson in Stanley Kubrick's "Dr. Strangelove." Scott was only about 35 when this film was made, but for most of his career he played older than his true age, and he's convincing as the supposedly retired former agent called upon to help with one more case.
Director Huston keeps the proceedings moving briskly, and even manages a brief cameo himself as a participant in a fox hunt. The frequent use of the disguises and the often unrecognizable movie stars could have come across as gimmicky, but it actually enhances the charm of the movie, lending it a quirky air that only adds to its enjoyment. The script is also spiced with some delightfully droll humor -- perfectly in keeping with the British setting. It's an endearing film that perfectly encapsulates the early 1960s in an England that still had the long shadow of World War II hanging over it, as the war touches on a number of the plot points in this absorbing tale.