The Secret War of Harry Frigg (1968 Jack Smight)

Newman, James Gregory and Norman Fell (who seems to play the same deadpan miserable in every film)

Escapee private Paul Newman is promoted to help rescue band of nice brigadiers from luxury Italian prison:

Nice brigadiers: Charles Gray, Andrew Duggan, Tom Bosley, John Williams (who I'd watch in anything) and Jacques Roux

Luckily, the Northern Italian castle (actually in California, unconfirmed) is presided over by Contessa Sylva Koscina:

There doesn't seem to be much chemistry between the two however. In seduction scene, Sylva looks bored (Q was admiring her socks):

 There are also rather too many obviously contrived group shots like this one:

Quite fun though. You can't help but warm to the brigadiers. Newman himself doesn't quite bring it off, though he's fun in scenes where he's learning all about Chateau Lafitte 1932, metaphysical poetry etc. Written by Peter Stone (with Frank Tarloff) - again, nowhere near as well written as Charade making me wonder if that was a bit of a fluke?

We watched the Czech Magic Box DVD which is of a rather grubby print and thus doesn't show off Russell Metty's photography to its best. Quite amusingly it is titled "Tajná Válka Harryho Frigga". Farrizio Moni is the Italian colonel, with Johnny Haymer as his sergeant, and the German commandant is nicely played by Buck Henry. Suitably Italian score provided by Carlo Rusticelli (Avanti).