The Double Man (1967)

Dan Slater (Brynner): May I ski with you?

Gina Ericson (Eklund): No.

Dan Slater: Why?

Gina Ericson: Because I prefer to ski alone.

Dan Slater: But, it's safer to ski with someone. It says so in the book.

Gina Ericson: I'm afraid we don't read the same books.

Another one to Catch-up, this one for Franklyn J. Schaffner, whose films I”ve been revisiting lately (Lionheart, The Boys from Brazil, Sphynx). The Double Man is a dark gritty spy thriller that precedes the skiing adventures of James Bond !  It was shot and came out one year before On Her Majesty”s Secret Service (1969). The (aerial) cameraman John Jordan worked on both of them and died tragically during the shoot of Catch 22 in 1969. He was just 44. The skiing is just beautiful and is a major part in the plot, cable car and night skiing and chases, shot of course some on day-for-night.

Filmed in location in Tyrol in Austria, specifically in the St. Anton resort.
Yul Brynner (CIA”s Dan Slater) plays a double part as in title, the effects are well done, they stand even today.
It's Sweed beauty Brit Ekland”s 1st part in an international important studio film (WB), after After the Fox on which she was put by her hubby, Peter Sellers. Her character is also named Gina, this time not Romantica :), but Ericson.
Clive Revill has a nice a secondary straight part and Anton Diffring is the German antagonist working for the Russians.
Also good atmospheric score by Ernie Freeman, unknown composer to me.
7 ******* out of 10 !
3 1/2 out of FIVE !