mcat0

I recently saw a film where the identity of a British serviceman was created to convey misinformation to the Nazis. A Nazi spy is sent to England (covering as a Scandinavian, I believe) to check on the identity of this person. The ruse is almost uncovered when the dashing spy visits two young ladies who were possibly unaware of the scheme. The British undercover agents do not interfere with the Nazi spy and allow him to send misinformation from a boarding house via a transmitter. It was a well-made film, probably made sometime in the '50's. Any help with the title will be most appreciated.

Steve Crook

He was Irish, not Scandanavian. It's The Man Who Never Was (1956). Based (loosely) on a true story about a deception plan to get the Nazis away from Crete

Steve

maturin

Nobody can be sure as Ewen Montagu took the secret to his grave, but there's a good deal of evidence to suggest that the Man was Welsh. The gravestone at the Cemetario Soledad Huelva is unequivocal:




The Michael family have an interesting website on the subject:
The Man Who Never Was - The True Story of Glyndwr Michael

The deception was in support of the landing on Sicily and the aim was to trick the Nazis into believing the attack would be against Sardinia and Greece.

dpgmel

One of my favourite British WW2 films and a good performance from Clifton Webb.

maturin

I agree - a great story, well told. And excellent cinematography and colour. I must confess though that I found Gloria Grahame a bit over the top as well as over made-up: she looks as if she's been dipped in Japanese lacquer.

Maybe I'm being a bit tough on the lady - I'll watch it again and check.
Richard

dpgmel

I think you're right there Richard, IMHO GG is the one weak part in an otherwise excellent production.

Steve Crook

Surely not, Gloria Graham gives one of the great performances. When she faces the Irishman just after hearing that her own boyfriend has been shot down. Sure it's an emotional performance, but wouldn't you be emotional in a situation like that. You can't always keep the stiff upper lip. And she is playing an American girl, working at the American library in London.

As for her make-up, that wasn't too unusual for the time

Steve

wadsy

The "Irishman" played excellently by real life Irishman Stephen Boyd ( his first

major role)!!

CaptainWaggett

I'm shocked at the suggestion that a librarian wouldn't look her best even under the most difficult circumstances

batman

Those libraries are dangerous places .... imagine all those dusty shelves to have to worry about.

"Do you know why fattries are called fattries .... it's because they are big and people make things in them."

CaptainWaggett

You may mock but one of my colleagues recently got £7,000 compensation after an Incident with a Book Trolley that did involve him needing an operation (not to mention the Emotional Distress)!

batman

I am mocking but only in an affectionate way, however you are talking to the wrong person when you say your colleague got seven grand for buggering about with a trolley.

That is more money than I or my colleagues have received for a smack in the face. That must have been one violent trolley.

I am awaiting an operation which is the result of a kicking I took in 2002. I got some cash for the 'emotional distress' but sod all for the injury, which was deemed 'not of suitable severity'. Now that it's got worse and I need the operation too much time has passed for me to claim again. They also take into account that my job is 'dangerous' and downgrade any payments because of the 'expectancy' that such events will occur, and that ' danger money' is included in our wages. Bollocks, I get the same wages as an equivalent grade who wipes old people's arses for a living.

What on Earth did that trolley do to your colleage, break his/her f-----g neck?

While having sympathy for anyone who has been injured at work, the compensation sysytem is grossly unfair to people working in the forensic services.

"Do you know why fattries are called fattries .... it's because they are big and people make things in them."

CaptainWaggett

I don't disagree with that. The emotional distress was a joke but he did break a lot of bones and need a major operation. So although it sounds amusing to be injured by a broken trolley, it wasn't much fun for him (one issue was that he could no longer cycle which meant a fair amount of extra expense). Personally I don't think the compensation was unreasonable - the problem is not people who do get compo but those who don't.

Incidentally my mother used to work in an establisment much like yours a few years back and IIRC she got quite a bit extra as danger money which turned out to be basically hush money because no sympathy/compensation was ever forthcoming when she was knocked about. Which she was fairly regularlay. And she was only teaching basketwork... So I do have every respect for people who work somewhere like that - it's certainly not something I could do, however urgently my cataloguing skills might be needed...

batman

I wasn't having a go at your colleague, good luck to him for getting it.

Your mother wouldn't get it now. Under Agenda for Change the so-called 'Secure Unit Allowance' was scrapped and absorbed in the wage structure. So while everyone else got more money .... we got the same with no 'danger money'. It is still frowned upon to claim compensation, especially if it concerns 'contributary negligence' by management. The new Foundation Trust status gives NHS Trusts even more power to 'make it up as they go along' with regard to contracts.

My injury causes me mobility problems, so what did they do when I informed them that I needed the operation. Moved me to a unit 15 miles further away so that I had a lot more painful driving to do, but didn't pay my mileage 'cos it was part of the same clinic. Whe I complained they moved me back pronto!

I am now on the re-deployment list (with others who have injuries) but there is no way they will want to pay me my current wages to do a 'lesser' job. They have to leave me where I am or get rid of me, and as mine is an 'industrial injury' they will have to pay through the nose to do that!

"Do you know why fattries are called fattries .... it's because they are big and people make things in them."

CaptainWaggett

Bloody NHS. I do have every admiration for those who stick it (my mother found the extra money - which was pretty good, IIRC, back in late 1980s) didn't make up for, literally, having her hair torn out. That's something Michael Moore didn't put in his documentary!

Meanwhile, back at The Man Who Never Was. Worth seeking out? Lots of hot library scenes?