A California commercial pilot sees a telecast in London of an interview with Sir Mark Lodden at his home. The Canadian is convinced that the baronet is a fraud, and he is actually a look-alike actor named Frank Welney.
Acting
Bogarde's triple-threat performance is masterclass in controlled ambiguity.
Direction
Asquith's camera treats the courtroom like a pressure cooker.
Writing
The libel suit structure keeps you guessing who's conning whom.
Director
Anthony Asquith
Dirk Bogarde
Sir Mark Loddon / Frank Welney / Number Fifteen
Olivia de Havilland
Lady Margaret Anne Loddon
Paul Massie
Jeffrey Buckenham
Robert Morley
Sir Wilfred
Wilfrid Hyde-White
Hubert Foxley
Anthony Dawson
Gerald Loddon
Richard Wattis
The Judge
Martin Miller
Dr. Schrott
Millicent Martin
Maisie
Toke Townley
Associate
Bill Shine
The Guide
Ivan Samson
Admiral Loddon
Sebastian Saville
Michael Loddon
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Bogarde reportedly found the triple role exhausting and briefly considered turning it down—then realized no other actor could pull off the specific brand of wounded aristocrat he invented.
The film adapts a West End play that ran for two years, and Asquith deliberately kept the theatrical claustrophobia intact—notice how rarely we leave enclosed spaces.
GB
