''The Counterfeit Traitor'' is a

1962 Events January * January 1 – Western Samoa becomes independent from New Zealand. * January 3 – Pope John XXIII excommunicates Fidel Castro for preaching communism. * January 8 – Harmelen train disaster: 93 die in the wor ...

espionage Espionage, spying, or intelligence gathering is the act of obtaining secret or confidential information ( intelligence) from non-disclosed sources or divulging of the same without the permission of the holder of the information for a tang ...

thriller film Thriller film, also known as suspense film or suspense thriller, is a broad film genre that evokes excitement and suspense in the audience. The suspense element found in most films' plots is particularly exploited by the filmmaker in this genre. ...

starring

William Holden William Holden (born William Franklin Beedle Jr.; April 17, 1918 – November 12, 1981) was an American actor, and one of the biggest box-office draws of the 1950s. Holden won the Academy Award for Best Actor for the film ''Stalag 17'' (1953) ...

Hugh Griffith Hugh Emrys Griffith (30 May 1912 – 14 May 1980) was a Welsh film, stage, and television actor. He is best remembered for his role in the film '' Ben-Hur'' (1959), which earned him critical acclaim and an Academy Award for Best Supporting Acto ...

, and

Lilli Palmer Lilli Palmer (; born Lilli Marie Peiser; 24 May 1914 – 27 January 1986) was a German actress and writer. After beginning her career in British films in the 1930s, she would later transition to major Hollywood productions, earning a Golden Glob ...

. Holden plays an American-born Swedish citizen who agrees to spy on the

Nazis Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in N ...

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

. It was based on a nonfiction book of the same name by Alexander Klein. The film was directed by

George Seaton George Seaton (April 17, 1911 – July 28, 1979) was an American screenwriter, playwright, film director and producer, and theatre director. Life and career Early life Seaton was born George Edward Stenius in South Bend, Indiana, of Swedish des ...

Plot

Erickson (Holden) is an American-born Swedish oil man who is pressured by Allied intelligence agents, led by a British agent (Griffith), to spy for the Allies. Erickson begins his job reluctantly, as it causes marital discord and forces him to pose as a Nazi. He agrees because otherwise his business would be destroyed by the Allies, but over time, realizes it is the right thing to do. He is influenced in making this moral decision by one of his contacts in Germany, a religious woman (Lilli Palmer) who gives him guidance on the meaning of life and right and wrong. Erickson has a number of close calls, but eventually escapes to Sweden in a harrowing sea voyage.

Cast

- Eric Erickson *

- Frau Marianne Möllendorf *

- Collins *

Carl Raddatz Carl Raddatz (13 March 1912 – 19 May 2004) was a German stage and film actor. Raddatz was a leading man of German cinema during the Nazi era appearing in a number of propaganda films and romances. Later in his career he developed a reputation f ...

- Otto Holtz *

Ulf Palme Ulf Henrik Palme (18 October 1920 – 12 May 1993) was a Swedish film actor. He was born in Stockholm and died in Ingarö. Partial filmography * '' Black Roses'' (1945) - Gunnar Bergström * '' The Serious Game'' (1945) - Ture Törne * '' ...

Max Gumpel Leonard Max Gumpel (23 April 1890 – 3 August 1965) was a Swedish building contractor and Olympic swimmer and water polo player. Gumpel was born in a rich family, and in 1906 was one of the founders and early sponsors of the Stockholm swimmin ...

* Ernst Schröder - Baron Gerhard von Oldenburg *

Charles Régnier Karl Friedrich Anton Hermann 'Charles' Regnier (Régnier)"Wedekind aus Horst Kreis Neustadt am Rübenberge in Niedersachsen". In: ''Niedersächsisches Geschlechterbuch''. (Genealogical studies). Limburg an der Lahn: Verlag C. A. Starke Volume 1 ...

- Wilhelm Kortner *

Ingrid van Bergen Ingrid van Bergen (; born 15 June 1931) is a German film actress. She has appeared in 100 films since 1954. She was born in Free City of Danzig, today Gdańsk, Poland. Career Since 1954, Ingrid van Bergen appeared in more than 170 film and tele ...

- Hulda Windler * Helo Gutschwager - Hans Holtz *

Wolfgang Preiss Wolfgang Preiss (27 February 1910 – 27 November 2002) was a German theatre, film and television actor. The son of a teacher, Preiss studied philosophy, German, and drama in the early 1930s. He also took private acting classes with Hans Schlen ...

- Colonel Nordoff *

Werner Peters Werner Peters (7 July 1918 – 30 March 1971) was a German film actor. He appeared in 102 films between 1947 and 1971. Biography Peters was born in Werlitzsch, Kreis Delitzsch, Prussian Saxony, and died of a heart attack on a promotion tou ...

- Bruno Ulrich *

Erica Beer Erica Beer (19 January 1925 – 27 December 2013) was a German film actress. She was born in Munich. Selected filmography * ''Captive Soul'' (1952) * ''The Last Waltz'' (1953) * ''Heartbroken on the Moselle'' (1953) * ''They Were So Young'' ( ...

- Klara Holtz *

Stefan Schnabel Stefan Artur Schnabel (February 2, 1912 – March 11, 1999) was a German-born American actor who worked in theatre, radio, films and television. After moving to the United States in 1937 he became one of the original members of Orson Welles's M ...

- Gestapo agent at funeral *

Klaus Kinski Klaus Kinski (, born Klaus Günter Karl Nakszynski 18 October 1926 – 23 November 1991) was a German actor, equally renowned for his intense performance style and notorious for his volatile personality. He appeared in over 130 film roles in a c ...

- Kindler, Jewish Refugee * Jochen Blume - Dr. Jacob Karp *

Erik Schumann Erik Schumann (15 February 1925 – 9 February 2007) was a German actor. He appeared in 100 films and television shows between 1942 and 1997. He was most successful during the 1950s and 1960s, when he played leading roles in several German f ...

- Nazi Gunboat Officer * Dirk Hansen - Lieutenant Nagler *

Poul Reichhardt Poul David Reichhardt (2 February 1913 – 31 October 1985) was a Danish actor, well known for his roles in Danish 1940s/1950s comedies. Later on, he also played more serious and varied roles; he has also starred in '' Huset på Christians ...

- Fishing Boat Skipper * Ludwig Naybert - Stationmaster *

Louis Miehe-Renard Louis Miehe-Renard (11 April 1919 – 21 January 1997) was a Danish film actor. He appeared in 70 films between 1948 and 1988. He was born in Copenhagen, Denmark and died in Denmark. Filmography *'' Det hændte i København'' - 1949 *'' ...

- Poul *

Kai Holm Kai Holm (4 March 1896 – 10 July 1985) was a Danish film actor. He appeared in 41 films between 1927 and 1979. He was born in Lemvig, Denmark and died in Denmark. Filmography *'' Vester Vov-Vov'' - 1927 *'' Tordenstenene'' - 1927 *'' Ha ...

- Gunnar *

Jens Østerholm Jens Østerholm (25 April 1928 – 13 November 2006) was a Danish film actor. He appeared in 27 films between 1959 and 1994. He was born in Denmark and was married to actress Birgitte Federspiel, but the couple divorced. Selected filmogra ...

- Lars *

Eva Dahlbeck Eva Elisabet Dahlbeck (8 March 1920 – 8 February 2008) was a Swedish stage, film, and television actress. She received a Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actress for her performance in the film ''Brink of Life'' (1958). Dahlbeck retired ...

- Ingrid Erickson

References

External links

* * 1962 films 1960s war drama films 1960s spy films 1960s thriller drama films American spy films American thriller drama films American war drama films Films about Nazi Germany Films based on biographies Films scored by Alfred Newman Films directed by George Seaton Films set in the Baltic Sea Films set in Denmark Paramount Pictures films World War II spy films 1962 drama films Films produced by William Perlberg Films produced by George Seaton 1960s English-language films 1960s American films {{1960s-thriller-film-stub

Plot

Cast

See also

References

External links