The Secret War of Harry Frigg [Blu-ray]

Director: Jack Smight Jack Smight

Overview

This World War II comedy finds Harry Frigg (Paul Newman) as the unwilling volunteer slated to rescue five generals from the clutches of the Germans and Italians. Frigg would rather spend his time goofing off than fighting the war, but his superiors make him a fake general and pack him off to retrieve the top brass. He has a romantic interest in the Countess (Sylva Koscina), an Italian beauty who helps Harry locate the missing officers. Tom Bosley, Andrew Duggan, Charles D. Gray, Jacques Roux and John Williams are the five generals who carry most of the comedy. Normal Fell and Buck Henry excel in small roles as well. General Prentiss (James Gregory) is the brains behind the plan that finds the frustrated Frigg rise to the occasion when he reluctantly accepts his assignment.

Product Details

Release Date:	01/05/2021
UPC:	0738329251277
Original Release:	1968
Rating:	NR
Source:	Kl Studio Classics
Language:	English
Time:	1:50:00
Sales rank:	25,191

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Paul Newman	Harry Frigg
Sylva Koscina	Countess Di Montefiore
Andrew Duggan	Gen. Armstrong
Tom Bosley	Gen. Pennypacker
John Williams	Gen. Mayhew,Composer
Vito Scotti	Col. Ferrucci
Jacques Roux	Gen Rochambeau
Werner Peters	Maj. Von Steignitz
James Gregory	Gen. Homer Prentiss
Fabrizio Mioni	Lt. Rossano
Johnny Haymer	Sgt. Pozzallo
Norman Fell	Capt. Stanley
Buck Henry	Stockade Commandant
Horst Ebersberg	Lt. Gruber
Richard X. Slattery	MP Sergeant
George Ives	Major
Charles Gray	Gen. Cox-Roberts
Carlo Rustichelli	Composer

Technical Credits

Peter Stone

Frank Tarloff

Hal E. Chester	Producer
Jack Smight	Director
Peter Stone	Screenwriter
Frank Tarloff	Screenwriter
Ronald Pierce	Sound/Sound Designer
Waldon Watson	Sound/Sound Designer
William Russell	Sound/Sound Designer

Editorial Reviews

Although it certainly doesn't rate as either a great comedy or one of Paul Newman's best films, there's a certain appeal to The Secret War of Harry Frigg. Part of it has to do with the fact that it gives Newman one of his rare opportunities to play straight comedy. Most of the time, Newman's comic moments come in the course of films like The Sting that, while they may have a certain lightness to them, have more than just comedy on their minds. Newman's not a natural comic, and Frigg would probably have worked better with someone to the comedy born in the title role, but he still pulls it off respectably and generates a fair amount of laughter along the way. Not as much as the character actors that litter the supporting cast, especially the quintet that portray the generals Frigg must save, but Newman does just fine. He might have done even better with a more adept director than Jack Smight; his work here is acceptable, but neither as inventive nor as effective as it should have been. Russell Metty's camera is a definite asset, and James Gregory and Buck Henry also deserve credit. The assets aren't enough to make Frigg a "must see" but they do make it a decent way to spend a couple of hours.