The MacKintosh Man (1973)

56% of critics liked it
(9 reviews)
41% of users liked it
(863 ratings)

John Huston directed this cold war spy thriller (from a script by Walter Hill) concerning a British agent trying infiltrate the organization of a nefarious communist spy. Paul Newman is Joseph Reardon, a British secret agent commissioned by Mackintosh (Harry Andrews) to impersonate a jewel thief.… More John Huston directed this cold war spy thriller (from a script by Walter Hill) concerning a British agent trying infiltrate the organization of a nefarious communist spy. Paul Newman is Joseph Reardon, a British secret agent commissioned by Mackintosh (Harry Andrews) to impersonate a jewel thief. When the police are tipped off about his diamond robbery, Reardon is arrested and shipped off to a high-security prison. At the prison, he meets a convicted Russian spy and the two are involved in a prison break, arranged by a mysterious group called the Scarperers. After the successful breakout, Reardon finds himself drugged and sent to Ireland. It turns out that the escapade was organized by Mackintosh in the hopes Reardon could infiltrate the Scarperers and gather information on the group's leader, Sir George Wheeler (James Mason), and prove him to be a Russian spy. ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: PG, 1 hr. 38 min.
Directed By: John Huston
Genres: Mystery & Suspense, Action & Adventure

In Theaters: Jul 25, 1973 Wide
On DVD: Nov 14, 2006

Critic Reviews

Variety Staff, Variety
There's a whole lot of nothing going on here.
Vincent Canby, New York Times
The screenplay by Walter Hill... has very little to do with character and motivation and everything to do with the incidents and the mechanics of the spy trade.
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
The movie is irritating in its refusal to make things clear; if spy movies are going to work like clockwork, they have to be put together with some care.
, TV Guide's Movie Guide
This is by no means a bad film, but it should have been better considering the names involved.
Douglas Pratt, DVDLaser
For the most part the film is standard fare, with plot discrepancies countered by the film's atmosphere and star appeal.
Steve Crum, Video-Reviewmaster.com
Actioner starring Paul Newman is worth seeing, but marginally.
, Time Out
Reasonably entertaining old-fashioned thriller.
, Film4
This film never risks being realistic or even comprehensible, but it will pass a Sunday afternoon quite pleasantly.

Read all 8 critic reviews

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

Jim H

A "British" intelligence agent sniffs out corruption undercover. John Huston's thriller is slow moving and almost blithe in its action, acting, and direction. it is almost as though all involved - audience and filmmakers - know what is going to happen, so there is… More
A "British" intelligence agent sniffs out corruption undercover. John Huston's thriller is slow moving and almost blithe in its action, acting, and direction. it is almost as though all involved - audience and filmmakers - know what is going to happen, so there is little commitment in the execution. What is more, Paul Newman's "British" accent is so inconsistent that it sounds dubbed in some parts and like Paul Newman in others. There's no real plot-based need for him to be British, but like I said, it doesn't seem like much thought was put in to the story and acting. Overall, this isn't a terrible film, but it certainly doesn't radically engage.
Conner R

It's sort've odd to hear Paul Newman with an Australian accent and not his usual charismatic self, but this is still a very interesting career move for him and it just shows his wide range. I really like the prison/escape scenes and just the overall feel. Even though it… More
It's sort've odd to hear Paul Newman with an Australian accent and not his usual charismatic self, but this is still a very interesting career move for him and it just shows his wide range. I really like the prison/escape scenes and just the overall feel. Even though it doesn't become more than a semi-James Bond, it's fun enough to stand on its own.
jay n

Considering the talent involved a real disappointment.
Burger S

Paul Newman's attempt to do a James Bond movie?

Cast

            Paul Newman as Reardon

            Dominique Sanda as Mrs. Smith

            James Mason as Sir George Wheeler

            Harry Andrews as Mackintosh

            Ian Bannen as Slade

            Michael Hordern as Brown

            Keith Bell as Palmer

            John Bindon as Buster

            Shane Briant as Cox

            Eddie Byrne as Fisherman

            Roland Culver as Judge

            Leo Genn as Rollins

            Percy Herbert as Taafe

            Robert Lang as Jack Summers

            Joe Lynch as 1st Garda

            Niall MacGinnis as Warder

            Hugh Manning as Prosecutor

            Eric Mason as Postman

            Donal McCann as 1st Fireman

            Wolfe Morris as Malta Police Commissioner

            Dinny Powell as Young

            Noel Purcell as O'Donovan

            Jenny Runacre as Gerda

            Peter Vaughan as Brunskill

            Donald Webster as Jervis

            Marc Boyle as 2nd Motorcyclist

            Nigel Patrick as Soames-Trevelyan

            Nosher Powell as Army Guard

            Ronald Clarke as Attendant

            Gerry Alexander as 2nd Guard

            Douglas Robinson as Danahoe

            Joe Cahill as 1st Guard

            Terry Plummer as Dark Man

            Jack Cooper as lst Motorcyclist

            Tom Irwin as 2nd Fireman
See full cast