recommended

Best movie ever!

A brilliant film that helped define a genre

It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

A down-on-his-luck American, David Frazer (Cliff Robertson), is recruited by a British fellow he knew during the war to assist with mission. It seems that a Middle Eastern Prince will assume power in just a few weeks. Until then, the boy's uncle is in power. The British government is worried that the uncle will attempt to assassinate the Prince to keep power. And, the British government can't have that. The young Prince seems likely to grant Britain oil concessions in his country. Anyway, Frazier is recruited as part of a plot to kidnap the Prince and hide him in Spain until he comes of age. Quite naturally, there are any number of people who would like to get their hands on the Prince - whether to kill him or for ransom. Can Frazier keep the boy alive?After writing that rather lengthy plot summary, I realize that I should have just said that Masquerade is the story of a man who is double crossed at every turn. That's what makes this thing so fun. Just when you think Frazier has found someone he can trust, they double cross him. At times, it's hard to tell who is on who's side. Frazier finds himself in all sorts of predicaments - bonked on the head and dumped in a wine truck, scaling the narrow ledges of a castle, part of a clown show in a circus where he is rolled in a carpet and kidnapped, and locked in an animal cage with the beautiful Marisa Mell (tough job). There's just so much going on.Another big plus for Masquerade is the cast. In addition to Robertson and Mell, Jack Hawkins, Michel Piccoli, Bill Fraser, Charles Gray, and John Le Mesurier are on hand to lend their considerable talents. I was especially impressed with Hawkins. What a great actor.I'm amazed that Masquerade only has 217 votes on IMDb. I can't believe more people haven't seen this. It seems to me it would appeal to fans of 60s comedies, Eurospy fans, or anyone looking for a bit of fun. It's got plenty of action, comedy, espionage, and other good stuff. It's even got a dangling rope bridge that looks suspiciously like the one in Indiana Jones. I enjoy Masquerade more and more each time I see it. I'm giving it a very strong 7/10.

Masquerade is an interesting film considering the energy situation today and the political atmosphere in those Moslem oil producing countries. The United Kingdom has been seeing country after country slip out from under their influence and this little country in North Africa is not going to be another if they can help it.Young Christopher Witty is the king of said country, but as he is not 14 yet the country has been ruled by his uncle who has been cozying up to the Communist bloc. The uncle will rule in name as well as fact if the young king does not ascend the throne by whatever means.Knowing that the UK government dispatches Lawrence Of Arabis type war hero from the second World War, Jack Hawkins to kidnap the young king and hold him until his majority. Hawkins in turn selects Cliff Robertson an American who worked for him during World War II.Seems straightforward enough, but in the end everybody's got their own ideas of what to do with the kidnapped king. The only one not in it for anything is Robertson other than the salary he's been promised. All this intrigue going on around him and Robertson's just trying to stay alive and collect his dough.Masquerade is a stylish little caper film that one can readily get into and doesn't tax us too much with too many unexpected twists. Hawkins is particularly good in this. Imagine Lawrence Of Arabis with back alimony problems. Casting Hawkins himself who was in Lawrence Of Arabia was someone's idea of an inside joke.I'd check this out if you're a fan of Hawkins or Robertson.

I love this film. It was sold as yet another Bond-spoof (like Bond NEEDED spoofing) but was so much more.In addition to more location work than was usual at the time, it boasted a roster of stars that was incredible.Cliff Robertson was young then and had STYLE, Marisa Mell was all leggy and gorgeous, Jack Hawkins was in his element, Michel Piccoli was bizarrely menacing, Bill Fraser was normally associated with British sitcoms, but excelled here in a dramatic role. Then you had British stalwarts Charles Gray, John Le Mesurier, Felix Aylmer and Ernest Clark, all topped off with Tutte Lemkow.Philip Green's music was fantastic and Basil Dearden's direction quirky and atmospheric.The film takes a whole reel to lift off, but when it does, it's a classic.But since seeing it at the cinema and couple of times on the telly in the Seventies, this minor epic has VANISHED. And to add salt to the wound, there are other, LESSER films with the same title (which is annoying if your satellite listings magazine only lists films' TITLES).So where the hell IS IT??? I can find no trace of a DVD - or even a VHS. There is scant mention of it anywhere and even THIS esteemed service has little additional info.Is it a "lost film"? Anyone?

Lots of intrigue in this plot about kidnapping a ruling dignitary in the Near East. My main reason for watching is to see Jack Hawkins whom I always admired. There's some violence of course, and a shootout, but it's to be expected in this kind of movie. A good show.