The Counterfeit Traitor

Adapted from Alexander Klein's book about the true-life exploits of a Swedish undercover agent, this is a slickly made espionage story, but with too few moments of nail-biting tension to justify its excessive running time. As the oil importer posing as a Nazi sympathiser, William Holden hurtles across northern Europe with some conviction, and is well supported in his endeavours by the likes of Lilli Palmer, Eva Dahlbeck and Klaus Kinski. But while writer/director George Seaton makes glossy use of his locations and keeps the dialogue terse and credible, he too often dawdles when the action demands a bit of dash.