The Man Who Never Was Details

A lacklustre Second World War espionage caper about a plan to fool the Nazis into believing that the Allies had no interest in invading Sicily from North Africa. Scripted by Nigel Balchin the plan hinges on a corpse, a British one, washed ashore with secret papers marking Greece as the invasion site. But the Germans aren't so easily convinced and send Irish agent Stephen Boyd to London to investigate, which naturally enough calls for the presence of a local love interest (Gloria Grahame). Stodgily directed by Ronald Neame, the picture trades on all the stereotypes of Whitehall pomposity and is less a thriller than a game of wartime charades.

British Naval Intelligence (Webb, contained and stoat-like, and Flemyng, the straightman) cook up a plan to hoodwink... read more on Time Out