Le miroir au secret

Original title: 5 Steps to Danger

1956
Approved
1h 21m

IMDb RATING

6.3/10

1.3K

YOUR RATING

Sterling Hayden and Ruth Roman in Le miroir au secret (1956)

During the 1950s, a man's car trip from L.A. to Texas turns into a Cold-War espionage drama when his car breaks down and he accepts a lift from a stranger.

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Film Noir Crime Drama Romance Thriller

During the 1950s, a man's car trip from L.A. to Texas turns into a Cold-War espionage drama after his car breaks down and he accepts a lift from a stranger.During the 1950s, a man's car trip from L.A. to Texas turns into a Cold-War espionage drama after his car breaks down and he accepts a lift from a stranger.During the 1950s, a man's car trip from L.A. to Texas turns into a Cold-War espionage drama after his car breaks down and he accepts a lift from a stranger.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.3/10

1.3K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Kissel
(as Karl Lindt)

John Mitchum

Deputy

John Frederick

Sheriff
(as John Merrick)

Leonard Bremen

Collision Shop Owner
(uncredited)

Sidney Clute

Mechanic
(uncredited)

Ken Curtis

FBI Agent Jim Anderson
(uncredited)

Harry Hines

Motel Owner
(uncredited)

Tom McKee

Man from Sanitarium
(uncredited)

Bert Stevens

Motorcycle Cop
(uncredited)

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Trivia
Filmed before, but released after Ruth Roman's fateful trip aboard the luxury liner, Andrea Doria. The ship collided with another and sank on July 26, 1956. Miss Roman and her young son were among the survivors. During their rescue, they became separated and she arrived in New York before her son did. She was hounded by the press and paparazzi while she waited for her son's ship to arrived at the dock.

Goofs
After Ann and John are handcuffed and escape from the sheriff and deputy, John drives the car. John and Ann are handcuffed with her right wrist and his left and so he has to drive with his arm across his body with Ann as passenger. It is Ann's car and she is a capable driver so why would they travel with the awkward seating. Later, when they stop and get out of the car and then get back in John is the driver again with the crossed arms.

User reviews31

Featured review

7/10

Restrained Cold War drama

Low-budget but suspenseful Cold War yarn, with Sterling Hayden & Ruth Roman. Hayden is gruff John Emmett, whose car breaks down in California on his road to nowhere (supposedly en route to visit his folks in Texas). The suspiciously friendly Ann Nicholson (Roman) offers Emmett a lift, as long as he'll drive some. She's going to New Mexico.

Along the way, her psychiatrist (the future Col. Klink, Werner Klemperer) & his nurse pop up; with sundry likewise suspicious characters: cops, a university dean, CIA, FBI (Ken "Festus" Curtis), & hired killers. Ann's carrying missile secrets, which are carved into a ladies' mirror. There's a fine sudden twist to the showdown with the guy for whom the missile secrets are meant.

For a low-budget thriller, the acting's surprisingly low-key. Hayden does restrained bewilderment very well: quite contrary to his lead role in "The Killing," a couple years before. Roman is also restrained in her role as a suspected spy, with secrets of her own culled from both sides of the globe. As our Dad used to say, "A goody to see again!"