The Secret Ways (1961)

At the height of the Hungarian uprising in 1956, a down on his luck American (Richard Widmark, who also produced the movie) is hired to smuggle a noted scholar and revolutionary (Walter Rilla) out of Communist Hungary. But first he needs to find the scholar's daughter (Sonia Ziemann) who resides in Vienna to find out where he is hiding in Hungary. But she insists if he goes, she goes with him. Based on the novel THE LAST FRONTIER by Alistair MacLean (THE GUNS OF NAVARONE) and adapted for the screen by Jean Hazlewood (Widmark's wife) and directed by Phil Karlson. This is a straightforward international thriller that had producer/star Widmark clashing with director Karlson over the film's style with Karlson eventually leaving Widmark to take over the direction toward the end of filming. It's a decent espionage adventure with some rather dull lapses. Outside of Widmark, most of the actors are German and it was often difficult to understand their thick German accents. The fine cinematography by Mutz Greenbaum is often reminiscent of THE THIRD MAN and there's a marvelous score by a young John Williams. With Senta Berger, Charles Regnier and Hubert Von Meyerinck.