Inspired by Cold War paranoia, Graham Greene penned this cynical comedy about vacuum cleaner salesman Jim Wormold (Alec Guinness), whose territory happens to be pre-revolutionary Cuba. Approached by an undercover intelligence agent (Noel Coward) to provide espionage services to the British government, the strapped-for-money Jim accepts, but proves inept at recruiting contacts. On the advice of a friend (Burl Ives), he comes up with a list of made-up characters - and before he knows it, pleased UK bosses send him a secretary (Maureen O'Hara), and rival Soviet agents begin trying to eliminate him. A great, knowing satire about the unreliability of intelligence-gathering, something more prescient today than ever. With the brilliant Ernie Kovacs as the smoothly sinister captain of police.
| Directed by | Carol Reed |
| Written by | Graham Greene |
| Company | Columbia PicturesColumbia PicturesColumbia Pictures |