GenreCrime, Drama ProducerSteven Pallos LanguageEnglish
WriterBridget Boland, Patrick Kirwan Release date25 November 1953 CastDennis O'Keefe (Paul Mitchell), Coleen Gray (Mary Mason), Hugh Williams (Sir Richard Aldingham), Guy Middleton (Smith), John Laurie (Henry Mason), Gerald Case (Randall) Similar moviesImpact, Snake Island, The Final Alliance, Tokolosh, The Third Man, Rhino
The Fake is a 1953 British crime film directed by Godfrey Grayson and starring Dennis O'Keefe, Coleen Gray and Hugh Williams. Its plot concerns an American detective who tries to solve the theft of a priceless painting from the Tate Gallery in London.
When Leonardo da Vinci's "Madonna and Child" arrives at London's Tate Gallery for a special exhibition, American Paul Mitchell (Dennis O'Keefe) is assigned to guard it. However, on examination, Paul realizes the painting has been replaced with a fake. Joining forces with Tate employee Mary Mason (Coleen Gray), Paul attempts to find the original and collect the museum's $50,000 reward for its recovery.
Cast
Dennis O'Keefe - Paul Mitchell
Coleen Gray - Mary Mason
Hugh Williams - Sir Richard Aldingham
Guy Middleton - Smith
John Laurie - Henry Mason
Eliot Makeham - Pavement Artist
Gerald Case - Peter Randall
Seymour Green - Weston
Stanley Van Beers - Cartwright
Dora Bryan - Barmaid
Ellen Pollock - Miss Fossett
Philip Ray - Bearded Tramp
Morris Sweden - Pettigrew
Michael Ward - Art Salesman
Arnold Bell - Police Inspector
Clifford Buckton - Lodging House Keeper
Marianne Noelle - Girl Student
Leslie Phillips - Boy Student
Billie Whitelaw - Waitress
Tom Clegg - 1st Thug
Guy Deghy - Stranger
John Wadham - Thug
Frank Atkinson - Tate Gallery Attendant
Johnnie Schofield - Tate Gallery Attendant
Leonard Sharp - Tate Gallery Attendants
Critical reception
Leonard Maltin called the film an "OK crime drama," rating it two out of four stars, while The Hollywood Reporter found it "fairly diverting."
