Triple Cross: La fantastique histoire vraie d'Eddie Chapman

Triple Cross tells the story of professional thief Eddie Chapman who worked as a double agent for the Germans and the British during World War II. He's charmingly played by Christopher Plummer who was at the height of his career with The Sound of Music on the horizon for him.

Chapman was some piece of work and he was only able to accomplish this whole thing by dint of the fact that he was operating on the Channel islands when World War II broke out. By that time he'd eschewed opening safes by cracking combinations, he was using controlled amounts of gelignite in his work.

Sent to prison on the Isle of Jersey, Plummer is there when the Germans take over those islands and promptly offers his services to the Nazis. After taking him up on the offer despite the stern objections of Gert Frobe, Plummer gets an assignment back in the United Kingdom. Of course upon landing there he promptly offers his services to the British and they take him up on it as well.

I love to watch Christopher Plummer on screen. He's so suave and professional in everything he does whether it's the Duke of Wellington in the film Waterloo, to Baron Von Trapp in The Sound of Music, to even the villainous hypocritical reverend in Dragnet. He's never anything, but at his best for his audience.

His handlers at the British and German ends are Trevor Howard and Yul Brynner. Howard is in the stiff upper lip tradition of his country and Brynner provides an air of melancholia for his part. It ends in tragedy for him as he's part of the bomb plot to kill Hitler in 1944.

By the way it is just that somehow Plummer was conned biggest of all in the end. To see what I'm talking about by all means catch Triple Cross.

What seems sometimes like an incredible tale of how a con man easily convinces the British and the Germans that he's working for them during WWII, with very little effort, is given rather routine treatment under the direction of Terence Young.

Christopher Plummer, fresh from playing the Captain in "The Sound of Music," lends a polished air of humor and sarcasm to the role of Eddie Chapman, a safe cracker who makes himself useful to both the British and the German armies by acting as a go between who uses his skills to thwart Germany's war plans for bombing London. Based on a true story, I'm sure it embellishes the truth with lots of fictional twists and turns that serve the purpose of keeping a viewer tuned in to find out what happens next.

A shorter running time would have helped, but the performances are all on a good level with special nods to Yul Brynner, Trevor Howard, Gert Frobe and Romy Schneider. Much of the story seems unconvincing despite the fact that the basic ingredients are based on a true story.

Somehow, Plummer's casting seems slightly off for this kind of material. Gert Frobe is a standout as a doubting Nazi who suspects Plummer is not quite what he pretends to be. Brynner is more low key than usual as an anti-Nazi German officer who knows the end of the war is near. Romy Schneider is excellent as Plummer's love interest.

Could have been a much tighter, more suspenseful tale than it is.

ok, it has its flaws...and it's too long but nevermind that. 'fantastique histoire..' features a stellar international cast with christopher plummer playing the amoral eddie chapman playing the enemies against each other. it's dialogue and style is quite 'tongue-in-the-cheek', quite humorous at times. one of the more light-headed yet very entertaining WW2/spy-movies. definitely worth seeing, but don't take it too seriously.

Quite right, it is definitely not a German plane. The aircraft is a 1946 French SNCAC Martinet.

This was enjoyable to watch on a quiet evening at home. It was particularly interesting for me because I knew nothing of Edward Chapman's charmed life and wartime exploits so now I would like to know more about him and I'll be tempted to read up a bit and do some research about him.

The film was well made with good production values and direction. My complaint is with the editing which was off kilter at times. The story line was abrupt and frequently resulted in too many fast changes. For instance we needed to see how Edward Chapman got passage on the vessel to Lisbon.

This espionage-Flic based on fact concerns an astute safe-cracker named David Chapman (Christopher Plummer) who encounters himself working for both contenders in the 40s , as the German secret service commanded by a baron (Yul Brynner) and a colonel (Get Frobe) , and British military (led by Trevor Howard and Jess Hahn) . Meanwhile , he falls in love with a gorgeous resistance fighter (Claudine Auger) and a mysterious German countess (Romy Schneider) . Chapman attempts to cheat both sides and play each other . The he's sent a dangerous mission and parachuted in England with objective to reconnaissance and factory's sabotages . He's even decorated by General Von Runstedt (Marcel Journet).

Based on real events starred by a true bank robber named Eddie Chapman , this film packs action , suspense , warlike feats and being quite entertaining. First-rate main cast as Christopher Plummer as an amoral but sympathetic double agent adding a bemusing touch , Yul Brynner as a disillusioned German officer, Von Stauffemberg-alike , and a splendid Get Frobe as a cunning Colonel . Ample and stunning supporting cast with a magnificent Trevor Howard , and the beautiful Claudine Auger and Romy Schneider, among others . Here appears uncredited prestigious secondaries , such as Gordon Jackson , Howard Vernon , Bernard Fresson and Gordon Jackson . Colorful and evocative cinematography by Henry Alekan , Terence Young's usual cameraman (Mayerling , Poppies are also flowers) . Enjoyable musical score by George Garvarentz in a James Bond style . The motion picture was professionaly directed by Terence Young , but contains some flaws and gaps , though tension at times, as well . The film was realized in his best period when he made the classic Bonds films (Dr No, From Russia with love and Thunderball). In fact Young directed actors who played in James Bond movies as Claudine Auger-Thunderball and Anthony Dawson-Dr. No and also performed Gert Frobe who made Goldfinger and Terence wanted his Dr. No leading lady Ursula Andress to star opposite Christopher Plummer . Rating : 6/10 : Acceptable and passable.