Our Man in Havana (1959)

Director:

Carol Reed

Writers:

Graham Greene (novel)
Graham Greene (screenplay)

Release Date:

19 February 1960 (West Germany)

Genre:

Drama | Thriller | Comedy

Plot:

Jim Wormold is an expatriate Englishman living in pre-revolutionary Havana with his teenage daughter Milly...

Plot Keywords:

Spy | Cuba | Havana Cuba | Based On Novel

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 1 nomination

Cast

Alec Guinness	...	Jim Wormold
Burl Ives	...	Dr. Hasselbacher
Maureen O'Hara	...	Beatrice Severn
Ernie Kovacs	...	Capt. Segura
Noel Coward	...	Hawthorne (as Noël Coward)
Ralph Richardson	...	'C'
Jo Morrow	...	Milly Wormold
Grégoire Aslan	...	Cifuentes (as Gregoire Aslan)
Paul Rogers	...	Hubert Carter
Raymond Huntley	...	General
Ferdy Mayne	...	Prof. Sanchez
Maurice Denham	...	Admiral
José Prieto	...	Lopez (as Jose Prieto)
Duncan Macrae	...	MacDougal
Gerik Schjelderup	...	Svenson

Runtime:

USA:111 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG (re-rating) (2005) | Canada:14+ (Ontario) | Finland:K-16

Filming Locations:

Havana, Cuba

Company:

Kingsmead Productions

Trivia:

The comic strip Rock Kent in the newspaper is credited to a Syd Cain. Syd Cain was the movie's assistant art director.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Doctor Who: School Reunion (#2.3)" (2006)

a bit underrated

Although most Americans have little knowledge of his work other than Star Wars, Alec Guinness produced an amazing body of work--particularly in the 1940s-1950s--ranging from dramas to quirky comedies. I particularly love his comedies, as they are so well-done and seem so natural and real on the screen--far different from the usual fare from Hollywood.

This spy farce is about a man who is a paid spy in Cuba during the latter years of the Batista regime. The problem is, he has absolutely no idea what he is doing and is in way over his head because he is NOT a trained spy--just some guy dumped into the role despite his objections. So how do you think he should deal with this dilemma? Of course, make up EVERYTHING and pretend you are doing your job. The problem is, he is too good at it and the lies take on a life of their own! This comedy is a bit silly at times and unbelievable compared to some of his earlier work, but it is still an excellent film. Don't be put off by mediocre reviews that came out since its release--it's well worth your time.