The Man with My Face

Doppelganger topic features have always provided much suspense, have always grabbed you, stuck your attention to details, each move, each dialogue. This one is not widely known, it is not an Alfred Hitchcock's film either, but it is enough to be a little gem to discover again, at all costs. The director is totally unknown to me, so are the actors and the Puerto Rico settings are also unusual. It is a performance to shoot such a story, where an actor plays two characters, especially because of the confusion elements that may provoke this scheme for the audience. And above all, it is not long, it is not two hours length, so you can't get bored. Good little gem.

The premise, as others point out, is wildly improbable, yet the visuals, direction, and acting prove enough to compensate. Poor Chick Graham (Nelson, in a dual role). On an utterly routine work day he returns home, only to find an exact double has taken his place in the household. Even his wife (Ainley) says the real Chick is an impostor, and the officials believe her, not Chick. In fact everything he does to verify his identity backfires, including fingerprints. So what's going on since Chick's just an ordinary working stiff.

Frankly, I wish the screenplay hadn't tipped its hand so soon by explaining the reason behind the impersonation. Withholding the key would have set up a good mystery. Nonetheless, Nelson's dual role is well handled. Catch the vertical line created by door-frames that indicates where the split screen divides when the two Nelsons appear in the same shot. The split screens are well done without being obtrusive. Also, the climactic chase through the old Spanish coastal fort is excitingly picturesque. In fact, the movie makes good use of the Puerto Rico locations, even if in b&w. These lend an exotic flavor to an exotic story.

All in all, the movie certainly doesn't lack for imagination, including the assassin canine and its scary handler (Jim Boles). Speaking of the Doberman, I'm glad the besieged Chick finally figures out the tactical use of a door. Anyway, with some basic work on the screenplay, this could have been a B-film that's more than novel entertainment, which it is.

Barry Nelson comes home from a business trip. His wife doesn't pick him up. He calls home, but she does not recognize his voice. He takes a cab, and finds his wife, his brother-in-law (his business partner), his dog (who bites him) and his exact double, who insists he is Nelson. They call a cop, but his ID has the other guy's fingerprints. The cop takes him to the police station, but a Doberman Pinscher attacks him and he flees in the confusion.

It's a very nice done movie version of a novel by Samuel W. Taylor. Director Edward Montagne keeps things going along at a good clip, with the doubling handled by a skilled combination of editing and masking by cinematographer Fred Jackman Jr.; there's also some good location shooting of San Juan, Puerto Rico. It's also Jack Warden's first credited role; he had had uncredited bits in three earlier movies.

This is one of those films where premise is intriguing but execution is sloppy. Chick Graham (Barry Nelson) comes home on one day to find out his doppelganger has taken his place. The police shows up and his wife Cora (Lynn Ainley) and business partner Buster (John Harvey) confirm that doppelganger is real Chick and Chick is fake. Chick escapes and tries to prove his identity. The plot turns more and more ridiculous and implausible, but energetic direction, fast pace action and enjoyable double performance by Barry Nelson turn 'The Man with My Face' passable time waster entertainment.

They say everyone has a double somewhere. This film is a speculation and experiment in the fascinating possibility that two such doubles would meet and one take advantage of the other for their incredible likeness. The story is totally improbable, but the film is efficient, and the last manhunt is quite captivating mainly because of the presence of a dog taking the lead turning the film into a thriller of horror. It is all filmed in Puerto Rico, and the shots of the island are enthralling. The film is ruined by not being convincing at all - this could never happen to anyone, and the calculated evil of the plot is absurd - there is no realism here. Nevertheless, it is worth watching for the excitement, and of course you would want to know how such an impossible intrigue would end.