Libel (1959): Cast & Plot
Libel is a 1959 mystery thriller directed by Anthony Asquith, starring Dirk Bogarde as Sir Mark Loddon / Frank Welney / Number Fifteen, Paul Massie and Olivia de Havilland. It runs 1 hour 40 minutes.
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 40m (100 min)
- Director
- Anthony Asquith
- Original language
-
English - Studio
- De Grunwald Productions
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is Libel About?
The premise of Libel without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
An unsettling series of clues—unexpected witness, relentless questioning, false testimony, accusations, and a devastating revelation—unfolds when a California commercial pilot watches a London broadcast of an interview with Sir Mark Lodden at his estate. Convinced the aristocrat is an impostor, the pilot believes the baronet is actually a look‑alike actor, Frank Welney.
Libel Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- courtroom drama
- impersonation
- pow camp
- whistling
- missing finger
- hair turned gray
- betrayal in court
- surprise witness
- last minute evidence
- reference to world war two
- reference to benjamin franklin
- reference to benjamin disraeli
+38 more Show fewer
- reference to queen elizabeth i
- reference to king charles ii
- character's photograph appears in a newspaper
- prison camp
- betrayal
- wife betrays husband
- medallion
- jacket
- court
- lawyer
- attorney
- law
- prosecution
- justice
- based on a stage play
- soldier
- actor playing dual role
- baronet
- actor
- accusation
- look alike
- escape
- libel
- reporter
- doctor
- newspaper
- cousin
- disfigured man
- year 1945
- witness
- jury
- judge
- trial
- defamation
- american wife
- murder
- canadian pilot
- british prisoner of war
Libel Cast & Characters
Dirk Bogarde leads the cast as Sir Mark Loddon / Frank Welney / Number Fifteen, with Paul Massie as Jeffrey Buckenham and Olivia de Havilland as Lady Margaret Anne Loddon. Directed by Anthony Asquith; 29 actors are credited in all.
- Director Anthony Asquith
- Dirk Bogarde as Sir Mark Loddon / Frank Welney / Number Fifteen
- Paul Massie as Jeffrey Buckenham
-
Olivia de Havilland as Lady Margaret Anne Loddon - Ivan Samson as Admiral Loddon
Also Starring in Libel
· 25 more- Sebastian Saville Michael Loddon
- Anthony Dawson Gerald Loddon
- Robert Morley Sir Wilfred
- Robert Shaw First Photographer
- Joyce Carey Miss Sykes
- Sam Kydd Newspaper Vendor (uncredited)
- Wilfrid Hyde-White Hubert Foxley
- Richard Wattis The Judge
- Kenneth Griffith Fitch
- Victor Harrington Barrister (uncredited)
- Bill Shine The Guide
- Geoffrey Bayldon Second Photographer
- Reg Thomason Barrister (uncredited)
- Arthur Howard Car Salesman
- Richard Pearson The Butler
- Martin Miller Dr. Schrott
Show all 29 cast members Show fewer cast members
- Toke Townley Associate
- Barbara Archer Barmaid
- Millicent Martin Maisie
- Gordon Sterne Maddox
- Tony Doonan Man at Bar
- Vanda Hudson Girl in Street
- Josephine Middleton Mrs. Squire
- Deering Wells Editor
- Richard Dimbleby Themselves
Libel Plot Summary
What happens in Libel from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 13 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 2-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
While traveling in London, the Canadian World War II veteran and pilot Jeffrey Buckenham, Paul Massie, sees on television baronet Sir Mark Loddon, Dirk Bogarde, leading a tour of his ancestral home in England. Buckenham recalls that he was held in a German POW camp with Loddon during the Dunkirk evacuation, and he becomes convinced that Loddon is Frank Wellney, a British actor who bore a striking resemblance to him. This suspicion sets off a dangerous game of identity, memory, and deception that tests Buckenham’s resolve and the truth behind wartime bonds.
Full summary
The whole story of Libel, scene by scene
Libel Trailers & Videos
The trailer of Libel.
How Well Do You Know Libel?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
What is the profession of Jeffrey Buckenham before the events of the film?
Cars in Libel
6 cars on screen, including the 1955 Humber Hawk Mk.VI and the 1948 AEC RT.
-
1955 Humber Hawk Mk.VI Minor role -
1948 AEC RT Background role -
1958 Aston Martin DB Mark III Background role -
1957 Bedford SB Background role
Libel Also Known As
6 alternative titles, including “Die Nacht ist mein Feind” and “Il diavolo nello specchio”.
- Also known as
-
- Die Nacht ist mein Feind
- Il diavolo nello specchio
- Клевета
- La noche es mi enemiga
- A Noite é Minha Inimiga
- 诽谤罪
Seen Libel?
Movies Like Libel
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including Sued for Libel, Sleuth and Libeled Lady.
Libel FAQ: Cast, Runtime & Release Date
Runtime, release date, director, cast and post-credit scenes of Libel, each answered in a sentence.
How long is Libel?
Libel runs 1 hour 40 minutes (100 minutes).
When was Libel released?
Libel was released on October 23, 1959.
Who directed Libel?
Libel was directed by Anthony Asquith.
More films by Anthony Asquith Who is in the cast of Libel?
Libel stars Dirk Bogarde as Sir Mark Loddon / Frank Welney / Number Fifteen, Paul Massie as Jeffrey Buckenham and Olivia de Havilland as Lady Margaret Anne Loddon, among 29 credited actors.
Does Libel have a post-credit scene?
No. Libel has no extra scene during or after the credits.
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