The Secret Ways
"On-the-spot realism!"
Vienna, 1956. After Soviet tanks crush the Hungarian uprising, soldier-of-fortune Michael Reynolds is hired to help a threatened Hungarian scientist escape from Budapest.
"On-the-spot realism!"
Vienna, 1956. After Soviet tanks crush the Hungarian uprising, soldier-of-fortune Michael Reynolds is hired to help a threatened Hungarian scientist escape from Budapest.
Richard Widmark
Michael Reynolds
Sonja Ziemann
Julia
Charles Regnier
The Count
Walter Rilla
Jancsi
Senta Berger
Elsa
Howard Vernon
Colonel Hidas
Heinz Moog
Minister Sakenov
Hubert von Meyerinck
Sheffler
Oskar Wegrostek
The Fat Man
Vienna, 1956. After Soviet tanks crush the Hungarian uprising, soldier-of-fortune Michael Reynolds is hired to help a threatened Hungarian scientist escape from Budapest.
Richard Widmark was quite good in these wartime gun-for-hire stories. In this one, he features well as the slightly smug American "Reynolds" who is drafted in by the Hungarian resistance to try and smuggle a renowned scientist from Soviet-occupied territory to the safety of Vienna. Upon arrival - posing as a journalist - his best laid plans hit one pretty unexpected snag - the old fella "Jansci" (Walter Rilla) doesn't actually want to go. Luckily, the man's daughter "Julia" (Sonja Zieman) is on board but they are still going to have one heck of a job staying one step ahead of the suspicious authorities whilst they persuade the old chap to flee with them. There is quite a decent plot here, a certain degree of chemistry between Widmark and the lively Zieman but some of the escapades are truly far-fetched (especially towards the conclusion with a brave but implausible prison break featuring the "Count" (Charles Regnier)). That said, most of this is a quickly paced and lively action thriller with sparing use of dialogue and a fair degree of menace from the pen of established writer Alistair MacLean. Apparently John Williams was behind some of the effective score, and the photography is suitably dark and grainy adding quite a bit of atmosphere to this decent cold war thriller.
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