30 MAY 2023
JBC rating: ***
James Bond Connections (4):
- Featuring Britt Ekland (Bond girl Mary Goodnight in The Man with the Golden Gun) as the heroine Gina Ericson.
- Featuring small roles for David Bauer (uncredited as an American diplomat in You Only Live Twice and as Morton Slumber in Diamonds Are Forever) and David Healy (uncredited as the Vandenburg Launch Director in Diamonds Are Forever).
- Second unit director William P. Cartledge (2nd unit on You Only Live Twice, Producer on The Spy Who Loved Me and Moonraker).
With its Alpine setting, spectacular ski sequences and a storyline involving a spy with a personal agenda, The Double Man anticipates the Bond classic On Her Majesty’s Secret Service by two whole years (ironically, it was released between the spoof Casino Royale [1967] and the tonally opposite Bond extravaganza You Only Live Twice). This British-produced straight thriller follows tough guy CIA agent Dan Slater (played by Hollywood star Yul Brynner, pictured above) as he visits Austria to investigate the suspicious death of his teenage son. This is all part of an incredible Soviet plot – his son was murdered by Russian spies in order to lure Slater out of the USA and replace him with a Communist-trained double – alluded to in the film’s title. However, future Oscar winning American director Franklin J. Schaffer manages to ground a fantastical story by adopting a low-key, realistic directorial style and maintaining naturalistic performances from the cast. The result is an effective and quietly gripping Cold War-era spy thriller.
The Double Man is bolstered by a strong cast. Upon his arrival in Austria, Slater’s movements are closely followed by a team of Russian agents led by Colonel Berthold, played with menacing charm by actor Anton Diffring (who made a career out of playing such villains). Veteran character actor Clive Revill plays Slater’s old intelligence colleague Frank Wheatley, who now runs the international school where Slater’s son was a pupil. Wheatley’s nerves have been shot to pieces from his earlier career and some of the suspense in the film flows from whether Slater can rely on him. Scenes set in CIA headquarters, featuring American actors Lloyd Nolan and Bond-bit part actor David Healy worrying about Slater’s movements, provide some light comic relief.
Slater’s investigations soon lead to Gina (Britt Ekland, above), a quiet but beautiful companion to a wealthy socialite visiting Austria for the season. Gina may have witnessed some key players in the “accident” and part of the mystery is how much she knows about the plot. Ekland’s character is part of the world of the 1960s jet set familiar to any fan of the early Bond films. Gina is somewhat innocent compared to the standard sexually confident 007 love interest, but Ekland’s solid performance and stunning looks clearly qualify her as a potential Bond girl. Ironically, the script allows Ekland to display greater acting range than offered in her later role as Mary Goodnight in The Man with the Golden Gun (1974).
When it arrives, the big twist involving Slater’s double is well handled by director Schaffer and, thanks also to Brynner’s strong performance, many viewers will likely miss when the “switch” occurs. The film then builds to an exciting climax, involving cable cars and a brutal fight in an empty Alpine restaurant. Denys N. Coop’s atmospheric cinematography includes a well-shot scene involving a group of night-time skiers lighting their way through the snow with flares (below). The film closes with a nicely handled coda in which Schaffer subtly suggests the likely fates of the main cast, most impressively with Anton Diffring’s character.
ANTICIPATING OHMSS
The Double Man is a low key but tense and involving late 1960s spy thriller. From the outset, the many aerial shots during the ski sequences anticipate the Alpine-set On Her Majesty’s Secret Service produced a couple of years later. It is possible The Double Man was an influence on director Peter Hunt (the later film would add much excitement by including shots filmed by skiing cameramen). Further anticipating the 1969 Bond movie, there are some dark moments, such as Brynner’s character physically assaulting Gina or the macabre details of how Slater’s son was lured to his death. With a genuine future Bond girl in the cast, stunning Alpine locations, exciting action and (bar some dated back projection) solid production values throughout, The Double Man stands up well for modern audiences and will certainly be enjoyed by any true James Bond fan.