“He ordered a martini, kissed a girl, and was plunged into a nightmare of danger!” September 18, 2006
Posted by jackal in : Films , trackbackOK, you’ve got a tagline. Let’s whisk up something light and fluffy to go with it. Take one of Hollywood’s biggest stars (Paul Newman) and pair him with a radiant leading lady (Elke Sommer). Throw in a screen legend (Edward G. Robinson) and a top-notch supporting cast (Kevin McCarthy, Diane Baker, Leo G. Carroll), mix it to a playful, Hitchcockian script from North by Northwest screenwriter Ernest Lehman, and place the whole thing in the hands of journeyman director Mark Robson. Whaddya get? 130 mins of tongue-in-cheek spy thrills in 1963’s The Prize.
The setting is the Nobel Prize Award Ceremony in Stockholm. Among the winners: novelist Andrew Craig (Newman) and physicist Dr. Max Stratman (Robinson). Against the background of the various tensions and squabbles of the other winners, Craig gradually becomes suspicous of the mysterious Dr. Stratman and his niece Emily (Diane Baker). With the help of his embassy liaison (Elke Sommer), he starts to investigate, only to become embroiled in murder, a cold war spy ring, and a potential international incident …
Newman has a blast in the cracking role of Andrew Craig: womaniser, alcoholic, and perpetual mischief-maker. His light, playful scenes with the smokin’ hot Elke Sommer are fabulous; they have real chemistry together. Ernest Lehman’s script never takes itself too seriously, and romance and humour are never far away from the action.
The only real weak link for me is Mark Robson’s direction. He’s not bad, but he’s no Hitchcock, and doesn’t give the film any kind of distinct visual look. I suppose if you were nitpicking, the film is also a little overlong; some of the subplots could stand a little trimming to bring the movie in under 2 hours. As it is, The Prize remains a fun ride, and my favourite Paul Newman film (yes, really). It’s highly underrated IMO, and often overlooked - not least by Warner Bros., who chose not to include it in their upcoming Paul Newman Collection.
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