The Man with My Face

1951 ""This guy was my double...and my wife was in on the double cross!""
The Man with My Face
6| 1h19m| NR| en| More Info
Released: 14 June 1951 Released
Producted By: Edward F. Gardner Productions
Country: United States of America
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
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Synopsis

A man discovers that an evil twin has taken over his life.

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Edward F. Gardner Productions

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Reviews

hrkepler This is one of those films where premise is intriguing but execution is sloppy. Chick Graham (Barry Nelson) comes home on one day to find out his doppelganger has taken his place. The police shows up and his wife Cora (Lynn Ainley) and business partner Buster (John Harvey) confirm that doppelganger is real Chick and Chick is fake. Chick escapes and tries to prove his identity. The plot turns more and more ridiculous and implausible, but energetic direction, fast pace action and enjoyable double performance by Barry Nelson turn 'The Man with My Face' passable time waster entertainment.
bnwfilmbuff When the whole issue of identity theft began getting increased visibility several years ago, this is where my pre-cyber world mind went. You come home one day from work and there's somebody that's you in your place. We get some hints that Nelson suspects that things aren't perfect at home as he leaves for work on that fateful morning. This initially plays out like a good Twilight Zone episode. The cops are called in to arrest the good guy, he's carted off, he somehow escapes; but then it's all ruined as the nefarious plot is disclosed. The remainder of the movie becomes a manhunt and an explanation of how and why. Nice shots of Puerto Rico help to relieve the routine. Nelson is very good in the dual roles. This is an okay time waster.
dougdoepke The premise, as others point out, is wildly improbable, yet the visuals, direction, and acting prove enough to compensate. Poor Chick Graham (Nelson, in a dual role). On an utterly routine work day he returns home, only to find an exact double has taken his place in the household. Even his wife (Ainley) says the real Chick is an impostor, and the officials believe her, not Chick. In fact everything he does to verify his identity backfires, including fingerprints. So what's going on since Chick's just an ordinary working stiff.Frankly, I wish the screenplay hadn't tipped its hand so soon by explaining the reason behind the impersonation. Withholding the key would have set up a good mystery. Nonetheless, Nelson's dual role is well handled. Catch the vertical line created by door-frames that indicates where the split screen divides when the two Nelsons appear in the same shot. The split screens are well done without being obtrusive. Also, the climactic chase through the old Spanish coastal fort is excitingly picturesque. In fact, the movie makes good use of the Puerto Rico locations, even if in b&w. These lend an exotic flavor to an exotic story.All in all, the movie certainly doesn't lack for imagination, including the assassin canine and its scary handler (Jim Boles). Speaking of the Doberman, I'm glad the besieged Chick finally figures out the tactical use of a door. Anyway, with some basic work on the screenplay, this could have been a B-film that's more than novel entertainment, which it is.
MartinHafer The plot for "The Man With My Face" is 100% ridiculous--there's no better way to describe it. It's so ridiculous, you'll probably have a hard time suspending disbelief in order to enjoy the film. It's mildly enjoyable...but stupid.The setting for the film is very unusual--Puerto Rico. I can't recall another film set there other than "Mr. Moto in Danger Island" and for some odd reason the island hasn't been used as a setting very often. Barry Nelson plays two roles. One is a cold-blooded crook who has stolen a HUGE amount of money in a robbery in Miami. The other is married and has a business partner. Unfortunately, this nice Barry Nelson doesn't realize that the wife and 'friend' are working with the crook--and are more than happy to let the evil Barry assume the nice Barry's life. And so, when nice Barry returns home, the wife throws him out and calls the police--saying evil Barry is her husband. The setup is pretty complete and they are able to convince everyone amazingly quickly that the phony Barry is the real McCoy. This doesn't make sense for two reasons. First, you do NOT have 100% exact duplicates out there--not completely like you in every freaking way. Second, you'd think the police would take BOTH men in to headquarters and take better efforts to ascertain the truth. It just doesn't make any sense. For the rest of the film, nice Barry runs about trying to get help from friends and family as well as tracking down people who know the evil Barry. The film does have some snappy dialog--as well as a ridiculous doggy that seems A LOT smarter than nice Barry! Is the film worth seeing? Well, if you are crazy like me and watch a bazillion films a year, sure....you could do a lot worse. It is oddly watchable despite the silly plot and flat acting. But for the average person, this is an imminently forgettable and VERY flawed film--one that just isn't worth your time unless you are a family member of Barry Nelson or if you are a Puerto Rican living in the continental US and want to see a glimpse of home.By the way, although the film was made in Puerto Rico, it was VERY odd--as NO ONE seemed to speak Spanish and the accents were minimal. I've spent time in Puerto Rico and I sure would have loved it if everyone spoke English and had very slight accents--but instead, I mostly had to speak Spanish (very poorly) because fluency in English is not all that common in this part of the United States.