Man in the Middle * (1964, Robert Mitchum, Trevor Howard, Keenan Wynn, Barry Sullivan, France Nuyen, Alexander Knox, and Sam Wanamaker) – Classic Movie Review 13,582  

Robert Mitchum stars as the lieutenant defending a US Army officer (Keenan Wynn) who killed a British soldier, in the 1964 war film Man in the Middle.

Director Guy Hamilton’s 1964 British-American CinemaScope war film Man in the Middle is written by Keith Waterhouse and Willis Hall, based on Howard Fast’s novel The Winston Affair, and stars Robert Mitchum, Trevor Howard, Keenan Wynn, Barry Sullivan, France Nuyen, Alexander Knox, and Sam Wanamaker.

Keenan Wynn stars as Lieutenant Charles Winston, the American Army officer blamed for the killing of a British staff sergeant (William Mitchell) in World War Two India and stands trial for murder, but his defence counsel Lieutenant Colonel Barney Adams (Robert Mitchum) seems to fight a rather feeble battle in this slow-moving adaptation of Howard Fast’s novel The Winston Affair.

Mitchum believes that Wynn is insane and therefore not responsible for his actions, and if he could prove this it would save Wynn’s life.

The movie never really whips up enough passion or even enough interest in this very middling and none-too-persuasive courtroom drama, but it is boosted by the always excellent Mitchum, a fine performance by Wynn and good work by co- stars Trevor Howard, Barry Sullivan, France Nuyen, Alexander Knox and Sam Wanamaker.

It is scored by John Barry but the main theme is by Lionel Bart.

Also in the cast are Gary Cockrell, Robert Nichols, Michael Goodliffe, Errol John, Paul Maxwell, Lionel Murton, Russell Napier, Jared Allen, David Bauer, Edward Underdown, Howard Marion-Crawford, William Mitchell, Al Waxman, Ed Bishop, Terence Cooper, Graham Skidmore, Terry Skelton, Paul Bromley, Alistair Barr, Brian Vaughan, Julian Burton, Ron Bruce, Bruce Boa, Graeme Bruce, David Randall, David Cargill, Alister Williamson, Robert Bruce, William Dexter, Francis Napier, Baseo Panday, Ishaq Bux, Bill Edwards, Pat Moore, Patrick O’Connor, Peter Porteus, Steve Donahue, and Harold Sanderson.

It flopped at the box office. The film cost $2,800,000 but earned only $1,735,000 worldwide, including just $1,000,000 in US/ Canada.

 It is also known as The Winston Affair, the title of the novel.

© Derek Winnert 2025 – Classic Movie Review 13,582

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