This is a well-crafted movie adaptation of a very interesting story of intrigue from World War II, adapting the historical events enough so as to make them work cinematically without changing the most important aspects of what actually happened. The wealth of detail is interesting in itself, and it is also used well in enhancing the realism of the story.
Clifton Webb stars as the British officer who comes up with the scheme of using "The Man Who Never Was" to trick the Germans into weakening their defenses in Sicily before the planned Allied invasion there. Webb gets to show flashes of his well-known screen sarcasm, but in general he gives a good low-key, all-business performance.
The story divides fairly equally into two parts, first showing the careful development and implementation of the plan, and then following a Nazi investigator (played with believable coldness by Stephen Boyd) as he tries to determine the truth about 'Major Martin'.
The first part is particularly filled with interesting details, and the script very nicely fits them all in without seeming slow or boring. The second part gradually builds up tension, and combines it with the seemingly unrelated tensions in the life of Gloria Grahame's character, bringing things together in a good sequence that sets up the finale while also bringing out some worthwhile thoughts that go beyond the story itself. It all works quite well, both as a historical dramatization and as a story of deception and intrigue.
