The Man with My Face (film)

Infobox Film | name = The Man with My Face


caption =
director = Edward Montagne
producer = Ed Gardner
writer = Vin Bogert
Tom McGowan
Edward Montagne
Samuel W. Taylor
starring =Barry Nelson
Carole Mathews
Lynn Ainley
music =
cinematography =
editing =
distributor = United Artists
released = June 14, 1951 (U.S. release)
runtime = 79 min
language = English
budget =
imdb_id = 0121515

"The Man with My Face" is a 1951 United Artists film noir crime/thriller motion picture starring Barry Nelson, Carole Mathews, Lynn Ainley, John Harvey, Jim Boles, and Jack Warden. The film marks Jack Warden's movie debut.

Directed by Edward Montagne, and produced by Ed Gardner for his company, Edward F. Gardner Productions, the script was by Vin Bogert, Tom McGowan, Edward Montagne and Samuel W. Taylor, based on Taylor's 1948 novel "The Man with My Face". Original music was by Robert McBride. Cinematography was by Fred Jackman, Jr.

Though the movie takes place in Puerto Rico, the original novel is set in California. However, "The Man with My Face" holds the distinction of being the only film noir shot on location in that country.

ynopsis

Set in Puerto Rico, where Charles "Chick" Graham (played by Nelson) settled down after the war to run a small business with his old Army buddy, now his brother-in-law, Buster Cox (played by Harvey), Graham comes home one evening to find his wife, Cora (played by Ainley), acting as if he is an insane stranger.

He finds that a double has taken his place. There is a man who looks exactly like him, Albert "Bert" Rand (also played by Nelson), playing cards and drinking in his living room. Cora and Buster, and even Graham's dog, do not recognize him and think the double is him.

Meanwhile, Graham's face has shown up on the front page of newspapers as a bank robber in Miama who made away with half a million dollars.

As he runs from the police, he attempts to solve the mystery with the help of an old girlfriend, Mary Davis (played by Mathews), who he jilted to marry Cora. Mary's protective brother, Walt Davis (played by Warden), is wary, but soon joins in trying to figure out the puzzle.

Graham's criminal double attempts to have him killed by hiring an attack dog specialist to have a Dobermann go after him. The evil double has been in on this sinister plan with Cora and her brother, Buster, since before Graham married her.

Intriguingly, Barry Nelson was the first actor to portray James Bond, starring in a 1954 television version of "Casino Royale" opposite Peter Lorre.

External links

*imdb title|id=0121515|title=The Man with My Face
* [http://movies.go.com/movies/movie?name=manwithmyfacethe_1951&genre=mystery&studio=TBA "The Man with My Face" at Movies.com]
* [http://movies2.nytimes.com/gst/movies/movie.html?v_id=101439 "The Man with My Face" at NewYorkTimes.com]