The Double Man (1967 film)
| Company type | Film |
|---|---|
| Industry | Film industry |
| Founded | 1967 |
| Headquarters | United Kingdom |
| Products | Espionage thriller film |
The Double Man is a 1967 British espionage thriller directed by Franklin J. Schaffner, featuring Yul Brynner in the lead role, supported by Britt Ekland, Clive Revill, Anton Diffring, Moira Lister, and Lloyd Nolan.
The film draws loose inspiration from the 1958 novel Legacy of a Spy by Henry Maxfield, with much of its narrative set against the backdrop of the Austrian Alps. Brynner portrays a CIA operative delving into the mysterious circumstances surrounding his son's skiing accident, which leads him to uncover a sophisticated Soviet spy scheme.
Plot
During the mid-1960s in East Berlin, a colonel from the Stasi devises a scheme to penetrate the upper echelons of the CIA. Concurrently, at CIA headquarters, Assistant Deputy Director Dan Slater receives news of his teenage son Bobby’s fatal skiing incident in Austria. Skeptical about the official explanation, Slater embarks on a personal inquiry.
At St. Anton, Slater reconnects with Frank Wheatley, a former MI5 agent who now manages the international school Bobby attended. Wheatley remains doubtful of Slater’s suspicions despite Slater’s unease. When Slater discovers Bobby’s blood-stained ski jacket bearing unusual puncture marks, he confronts Wheatley, exposing their differing viewpoints and past tensions.
Slater encounters Gina, an assistant to a wealthy socialite, who offers limited insight into those involved in the fatal cable car journey. After one man from that group pursues Gina, she warns Slater. Together with Wheatley, Slater tracks this individual to a farmhouse where he is ambushed by Stasi agents, resulting in a violent clash.
Slater later accuses Gina of enticing his son into danger; Wheatley steps in to mediate. Meanwhile, Slater’s superior suspects that he may be walking into an ambush and dispatches an agent for extraction—unfortunately arriving too late.
It is revealed that the Stasi engineered Kalmar, a surgically altered double designed to be an exact replica of Slater, intending to convince the CIA that Bobby’s death was part of a broader conspiracy targeting Slater himself. The subsequent events serve as a cover for this impersonation.
Wheatley apologizes to Gina and discloses the truth about Bobby’s fate. Alongside Miller, they locate Slater at the farmhouse and take him into custody.
The real Slater escapes when his transport is delayed by skiers heading to an event. He is pursued to the cable car station and spotted by Gina among onlookers who recognize the masked man from earlier.
As the group ascends via cable car, Slater evades his pursuers by disembarking at a midway stop. He ambushes one Stasi operative; another is accidentally killed. Kalmar eliminates the remaining Stasi agent and incapacitates Miller.
A confrontation ensues between the two versions of "Slater." Wheatley holds them at gunpoint and must determine which one is authentic—he makes his choice with a decisive shot.
The following morning, Miller and the genuine Slater board a train joined by Gina, marking new alliances formed amid layers of espionage intrigue.
Cast
- Yul Brynner as Dan Slater / Kalmar
- Britt Ekland as Gina
- Clive Revill as Frank Wheatley
- Anton Diffring as Berthold
- Moira Lister as Mrs. Carrington
- Lloyd Nolan as Edwards
- George Mikell as Max
- Brandon Brady as Gregori
- Julia Arnall as Anna
- David Bauer as Miller
- Ronald Radd as General
- Kenneth J. Warren as Police Chief
- David Healy as Halstead
- Carl Jaffe as Police Surgeon
- Douglas Muir as Wilfred
Critical reception
In The New York Times, critic Renata Adler characterized the film as "a modest third-rate production" featuring "concise storytelling," and highlighted Brynner's portrayal as sufficiently engaging to sustain audience attention, describing the film's conclusion as a "moderate surprise." A 2019 article in Cinema Retro commended it as "among the superior spy movies of its time," attributing much of its success to director Franklin J. Schaffner's craftsmanship.
External links
- Articles with short description
- 1967 films
- 1960s spy films
- British spy films
- Cold War spy films
- Films shot at Associated British Studios
- Films based on American novels
- Films directed by Franklin J. Schaffner
- Films set in Austria
- Films about the Central Intelligence Agency
- 1960s mystery films
- Films shot in London
- 1960s English-language films
- 1960s British films
- English-language mystery films