American agent faces an engrossing moral dilemma when he is parachuted into France to eliminate a suspected traitor in the French Resistance.American agent faces an engrossing moral dilemma when he is parachuted into France to eliminate a suspected traitor in the French Resistance.American agent faces an engrossing moral dilemma when he is parachuted into France to eliminate a suspected traitor in the French Resistance.
- Won 3 BAFTA Awards
- 3 wins & 4 nominations total
Jacques B. Brunius
- Cmndt. Morand
- (as Jacques Brunius)
Lillie Bea Gifford
- Mauricette
- (as Lillabea Gifford)
Denyse Alexander
- Pat
- (as Denyse Macpherson)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaEddie Albert's part in this film (as a US Air Force major) is one of several military roles he played in his earlier career. These were satirised in 'Green Acres', when it is explained that Oliver served as US pilot in WWII and was shot down over Hungary, where he was rescued by his future wife Lisa.
- GoofsThe psychiatrist eye glass frames have no lenses in them.
- Quotes
Gene Summers: Couldn't I just strangle him like this, with my thumbs?
Naval Commander: Well, you could try, but I've found it takes absolutely hours.
- Crazy creditsThe central story on which this film is based is true (before opening credits begin).
- ConnectionsFeatured in Viewpoint: We the Violent: Part 2 (1961)
- SoundtracksCadet Rousselle
(traditional)
Featured review
Gripping 'moral dilemma' thriller
ORDERS TO KILL looks and feels like a straightforward wartime thriller at the outset. It features Paul Massie (the Canadian actor best known for playing the lead in THE TWO FACES OF DR. JEKYLL, a role he no doubt got on the strength of his fine conflicted performance here) as an American agent who is parachuted into occupied France to take down a French traitor whose association with various resistance fighters has seen many of them die.
During his early training scenes with the delightfully gruff James Robertson Justice, Massie seems like the ideal man for the job. Things are a little different in the field: he soon finds himself questioning the man's guilt, and ORDERS TO KILL becomes a very different type of film all of a sudden: an intense 'moral dilemma' movie which puts the protagonist and the viewers through the ringer.
The only fault I can find with this film is that it's slightly overlong and some of the early scenes drag a little. Otherwise, it's a delight, and a surprisingly mature and brutal effort for the era. Some of the scenes are so suspenseful and disturbing that they're almost unwatchable. An exemplary supporting cast really add to the authenticity of the piece, but the whole thing hangs on Massie's shoulders and he doesn't disappoint; I think it's fair to say that he peaked early in his career and was never better than here. ORDERS TO KILL is a fine thriller without a single action scene in it to distract from the storyline.
During his early training scenes with the delightfully gruff James Robertson Justice, Massie seems like the ideal man for the job. Things are a little different in the field: he soon finds himself questioning the man's guilt, and ORDERS TO KILL becomes a very different type of film all of a sudden: an intense 'moral dilemma' movie which puts the protagonist and the viewers through the ringer.
The only fault I can find with this film is that it's slightly overlong and some of the early scenes drag a little. Otherwise, it's a delight, and a surprisingly mature and brutal effort for the era. Some of the scenes are so suspenseful and disturbing that they're almost unwatchable. An exemplary supporting cast really add to the authenticity of the piece, but the whole thing hangs on Massie's shoulders and he doesn't disappoint; I think it's fair to say that he peaked early in his career and was never better than here. ORDERS TO KILL is a fine thriller without a single action scene in it to distract from the storyline.
helpful•40
- Leofwine_draca
- Sep 9, 2016
- How long is Orders to Kill?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Languages
- Also known as
- Der lautlose Krieg
- Filming locations
- Shepperton Studios, Shepperton, Surrey, England, UK(studio: made at Shepperton Studios England)
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime1 hour 33 minutes
- Color
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