Masquerade (1965) BQ's always been a big fan of novelist-screenwriter William Goldman......and this movie marked his first screenwriting credit at the start of a long successful scripting career...("Marathon Man", "Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid", "All The President's Men")
We can only presume all the snarky asides in the dialogue came from Goldman's contribution as a co-screenwriter with Michael Relph. (Arab Princeling: "I'm practically divine" Jack Hawkins "Your Majesty, you're irresistible...")
Once again, we have a plot built on a favorite spy novel trope........the mythical Arabian kingdom, overflowing with oil and treacherous leaders who don't have our best interests at heart.....(our best interests being gas aplenty for our big ass cars)
An MI6 spymaster (Jack Hawkins) recruits his wartime cohort, a retired American agent (Cliff Robertson) to spirit away a 12 year old Arab Prince from the mythical Kingdom. Cliff's mission - hold on to the kid til his upcoming ascension to the throne.....and out of the clutches of the child's evil pro-Soviet guardian, who's itching to bump off the young Prince and sell all the oil to Russia.
Well, we can't have that, can we?
Cliff faces a bumpy road ahead, what with almost everyone him around him constantly switching sides, allegiances and identities. This is one movie where you can't tell the spies without a scorecard.......and most of the time, a scorecard won't help much either.
No matter, since director Basil Dearden keeps the whole thing moving at a breezy clip, with lines that sound like a smooth mixture of dry British wit and William Goldman's soon-to-be-trademarked sarcastic snark.
And we couldn't help but love a movie that solidifies its status as a Cliffhanger........by having Cliff Robertson hanging.......by this thumbs on a collapsed rickety bridge overlooking a canyon.........(hence the sub-title of this post)
Pure fun for all.......and one our of our favorite long lost 1960's gems that everyone's forgotten about. Don't forget it, we say......and seize the opportunity, if presented, to check it out. 3 & 1/2 stars........(***1/2)
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