Ernest Borgnine is the "Man on a String" spy who is persuaded to work for the Central Bureau of Intelligence (which is supposed to be the CIA, of course). He is a movie producer, and is relocated to Berlin, to be close to the Communist enemies. The actors read their lines like they're bored to death. Mr. Borgnine sets the tone - his dialog is mostly, monotone, soft-spoken, and emotionless. Maybe this is how you are supposed to play a Russian spy? A narration relentlessly punctuates the drama with a mostly, monotone, soft-spoken, and emotionless off-screen explanation of the unfolding on-screen events.
It also makes sure we viewers know Communists are very bad people.
Kerwin Mathews plays the friend and partner spy. He has more expression, and tries to liven Borgnine and the others up; but they doggedly resist. Mr. Mathews' performance is not bad, and I wondered, in his scenes with Borgnine, if Mathews was wondering: what happened to the great actor from "Marty" and "From Here to Eternity"?
*** Man on a String (1960) Andre De Toth ~ Ernest Borgnine, Kerwin Mathews, Colleen Dewhurst
