The Man Who Never Was (1956): Cast & Plot
The Man Who Never Was is a 1956 war thriller directed by Ronald Neame, starring Clifton Webb as Lt. Cmdr. Ewen Montagu, Peter Sellers and Stephen Boyd. It runs 1 hour 43 minutes.
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 43m (103 min)
- Director
- Ronald Neame
- Original language
-
English - Studio
- Sumar Productions
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is The Man Who Never Was About?
The premise of The Man Who Never Was without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
The story follows a British deception in 1943 aimed at weakening German defenses of Sicily before the Allied invasion. A dead soldier is dressed as a British officer, given forged papers suggesting an Allied landing in Greece, and his body is set adrift. The papers wash ashore, are seized by German intelligence, and the ruse misleads them.
The Man Who Never Was Themes & Keywords
· 38 tags- dead body
- world war two
- based on true story
- europe
- espionage
- covert operation
- false identity
- corpse
- secret service
- based on book
- air force pilot
- engagement ring
+26 more Show fewer
- forged papers
- movie theatre date
- graveside service
- death of fiance
- personal effects
- war medal
- dead body on a beach
- prologue
- scene during opening credits
- nazi agent
- lie
- sicily
- operation mincemeat
- telegraph
- haberdasher
- bank
- taxi
- salvation army
- spain
- military
- 1940s
- submarine
- love letter
- deception
- air raid
- spy
The Man Who Never Was Cast & Characters
Clifton Webb leads the cast as Lt. Cmdr. Ewen Montagu, with Peter Sellers as Winston Churchill (voice) and Stephen Boyd as Patrick O'Reilly. Directed by Ronald Neame; 26 actors are credited in all.
- Director Ronald Neame
- Clifton Webb as Lt. Cmdr. Ewen Montagu
-
Peter Sellers as Winston Churchill (voice) - Stephen Boyd as Patrick O'Reilly
-
Gloria Grahame as Lucy Sherwood
Also Starring in The Man Who Never Was
· 22 more- Josephine Griffin Pam
- Michael Hordern Gen. Coburn
- Geoffrey Keen Gen. Nye
- Cyril Cusack Taxi Driver
- Allan Cuthbertson Vice-Admiral
- Everley Gregg Club Matron (uncredited)
- Joan Hickson Landlady
- Miles Malleson Scientist
- Laurence Naismith Adm. Cross
- Richard Wattis Shop Assistant
- Ronald Adam Adams
- John Welsh Bank Manager
- William Russell Joe
- Gibb McLaughlin Porter
- Brian Oulton Wills Officer (uncredited)
- André Morell Sir Bernard Spilsbury
Show all 26 cast members Show fewer cast members
- Robert Brown French
- Lloyd Lamble Passport Officer (uncredited)
- Robert Flemyng Lt. George Acres
- Moultrie Kelsall The Father
- Terence Longdon Larry
- William Squire Lt. Jewell
More from Ronald Neame
More films directed by Ronald Neame, best-rated first: The Poseidon Adventure, The Chalk Garden, Scrooge and Meteor.
The Man Who Never Was Plot Summary
What happens in The Man Who Never Was from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 14 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 2-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
In 1943, Lt. Cmdr. Ewen Montagu, Clifton Webb, conceives a bold deception aimed at misdirecting the Nazis about where the Allied invasion would actually begin in Southern Europe. With the backing of Winston Churchill, he pushes forward a plan that will come to be known as Operation Mincemeat.
Full summary
The whole story of The Man Who Never Was, scene by scene
The Man Who Never Was Trailers & Videos
The trailer of The Man Who Never Was.
How Well Do You Know The Man Who Never Was?
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
Which actor portrays Lt. Cmdr. Ewen Montagu in the film?
Cars in The Man Who Never Was
15 cars on screen, including the 1937 Austin 12/4 Taxi and the 1935 Fordson V8 E88W 25/35cwt Van.
-
1937 Austin 12/4 Taxi Important role -
1935 Fordson V8 E88W 25/35cwt Van Important role -
1937 MG TA Important role -
1948 Wolseley 14/60 Important role
The Man Who Never Was Also Known As
18 alternative titles, including “El hombre que nunca existió” and “El espía que nunca existió”.
- Also known as
-
- El hombre que nunca existió
- El espía que nunca existió
- 맨 후 네버 워즈
- 존재하지 않은 사나이
- L'Homme qui n'a jamais existé
- Der Mann, den es nie gab
- L'uomo che non è mai esistito
- O Homem Que Nunca Existiu
- Mannen som ikke fantes
- Человек, которого никогда не было
- 冒充者
- Muž, který nikdy nebyl
+6 more Show fewer
- 존재한 적 없는 사나이
- Ο άνθρωπος που δεν υπήρξε ποτέ
- Omul care n-a fost niciodată
- Людина, якої ніколи не було
- Mannen som inte fanns
- האיש שלא היה מעולם
Seen The Man Who Never Was?
Movies Like The Man Who Never Was
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including Operation Mincemeat, The Man Who Finally Died and A Man Who Never Was.
The Man Who Never Was FAQ: Cast, Runtime & Release Date
Runtime, release date, director, cast and post-credit scenes of The Man Who Never Was, each answered in a sentence.
How long is The Man Who Never Was?
The Man Who Never Was runs 1 hour 43 minutes (103 minutes).
When was The Man Who Never Was released?
The Man Who Never Was was released on March 14, 1956.
Who directed The Man Who Never Was?
The Man Who Never Was was directed by Ronald Neame.
More films by Ronald Neame Who is in the cast of The Man Who Never Was?
The Man Who Never Was stars Clifton Webb as Lt. Cmdr. Ewen Montagu, Peter Sellers as Winston Churchill (voice) and Stephen Boyd as Patrick O'Reilly, among 26 credited actors.
Does The Man Who Never Was have a post-credit scene?
No. The Man Who Never Was has no extra scene during or after the credits.
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