The Secret War of Harry Frigg (1968)

 

 

            Paul Newman was an established star by 1968.  In between “Cool Hand Luke” and “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid”, he made “The Secret War of Harry Frigg”.  For an actor with such a prolific career, he did not seem to be interested in making war films.  The only other one that I could find was “The Rack”.  That movie was a somber story of a Korean War collaborator.  “Harry Frigg” is the polar opposite and gave Newman the chance to show his comedic chops.  It was directed by Jack Smight, who went on to direct “Midway”.

            The movie opens with Pvt. Frigg in a stockade.  He is a malcontent who is imprisoned often for violating military rules.  But he always escapes. In this case, during a football game, he catches a pass and runs away.  “Friggs done it again!”  This lame opening does not bode well for the rest of the film.  The setup is that five generals (from various Allied forces) are captured in a steambath by the Italians.  They are held in a chateau in Italy.  Since they all rank the same, the escape attempts are foiled by the lack of unanimity.  The powers that be decide they find to have someone who outranks them and who is an expert on escaping.  Calling Pvt. Frigg.  He is promoted Major General even though “he barely has a firm grip on private”. (One odf the few funny lines.)  General Frigg is parachuted into Italy to be captured and linked up with the generals.  Escape plans are complicated by Frigg getting romantically involved with the Countess (Sylva Koscina).

            This movie was a puzzling career move by Newman.  He must have been searching for something light weight.  This movie has the weight of a feather.  Although his agent might be to blame, it does appear that Newman was having fun.  He is joined by a cast of familiar character actors.  Included in the film are Andrew Duggan, Tom Bosley, and John Williams.  Any baby boomer will be comfortable with them in a TVesque comedy.  The buffoonish Italian colonel is played by another familiar face -  Vito Scotti.  The problem is the material is not up to these veteran comedians.  The movie is simply not funny.  Newman gets no good lines and is left to mugging it as he plays Frigg as a hick.  He has to get involved in a lame, cliché romance.  To make it worse, there is no chemistry between Newman and Koscina. 

            “The Secret War of Harry Frigg” was a blip in Paul Newman’s career.  I doubt he bragged on it.  It is mildly entertaining because of the cast, but it is certainly not in the conversation when discussing the great war comedies. 

GRADE  =  C-