The Prize (1963)

68% of users liked it
(669 ratings)

Based on the novel by Irving Wallace, The Prize takes place in Stockholm, where several laureates gather to accept their Nobel Prizes. At first, the film concentrates on iconoclastic novelist Paul Newman, but he is temporarily shunted to the background when physics expert Edward G. Robinson is… More Based on the novel by Irving Wallace, The Prize takes place in Stockholm, where several laureates gather to accept their Nobel Prizes. At first, the film concentrates on iconoclastic novelist Paul Newman, but he is temporarily shunted to the background when physics expert Edward G. Robinson is kidnaped and replaced by his wicked twin brother. The real Robinson is to be spirited behind the Iron Curtain, while the "fake" Robinson is to disrupt the awards ceremony with an anti-American tirade. Newman gets wind of the plot, and with the help of Swedish foreign office functionary Elke Sommer, he endeavors to rescue the real Robinson and expose the phony-who has yet another trick up his sleeve before the film is over. We'll go along with the fantastic plot convolutions of The Prize, provided we don't have to swallow the premise of another man's voice emanating from that familiar Eddie Robinson mug. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 2 hr. 15 min.
Directed By: Mark Robson
Written By: Irving Wallace, Ernest Lehman
Genres: Drama, Action & Adventure, Mystery & Suspense, Classics

In Theaters: Jan 1, 1963 Limited
On DVD: Jun 24, 1992
Studio: MGM

Critic Reviews

Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
Set in Stockholm during the Nobel Prize ceremonies, the film is an unsuccessful blend of politics, international intrigues and romance, but the sight of a semi-naked Paul Newman in a nudist colony might appeal to his fans.
, TV Guide's Movie Guide
Suffers from an unevenness of tone which cannot balance the political turmoil with the sexual playfulness.
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
The only prize this film takes is the booby prize for crudeness.
, Film4
Newman heads the cast of this flawed but enjoyable comedy thriller based on Irving Wallace's spy yarn.

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

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Featured Audience Ratings

jay n

Excellent thriller with a great sense of humor
Doctor S

Few are better at the rascally hero role than Paul Newman, here playing a jaded Nobel Prize novelist who has turned to drink, women, and writing dimestore detective stories. He travels to Stockholm merely to collect the $50,000 prize and meets fellow laureate physicist Edward G.… More
Few are better at the rascally hero role than Paul Newman, here playing a jaded Nobel Prize novelist who has turned to drink, women, and writing dimestore detective stories. He travels to Stockholm merely to collect the $50,000 prize and meets fellow laureate physicist Edward G. Robinson, a German defector before WW II. The next day, his latent curiosity is piqued when he finds the scientist has strangely changed his behavior patterns and seems a couple inches shorter... Entertaining Hitchcockian story that never turns too serious delivers some funny lines and provides engaging subplots and side characters.

Cast

            Paul Newman as Andrew Craig

            Edward G. Robinson as Dr. Max Stratman

            Elke Sommer as Inger Lisa Andersen

            Diane Baker as Emily Stratman

            Micheline Presle as Dr. Denise Marceau

            Gérard Oury as Dr. Claude Marceau

            Sergio Fantoni as Dr. Carlo Farelli

            Kevin McCarthy as Dr. John Garrett

            Leo G Carroll as Count Bertil Jacobssen

            Sacha Pitoëff as Daranyi

            Jacqueline Beer as Monique Souvir

            John Wengraf as Hans Eckart

            Don Dubbins as Ivar Cramer

            Virginia Christine as Mrs. Bergh

            Rudolph Anders as Mr. Bergh

            Martine Bartlett as Saralee Garrett

            Karl Swenson as Hilding

            John Qualen as Oscar

            Ned Wever as Clark Wilson

            John Banner as German correspondent

            Sven Hugo Borg as Oscar Lindbloom

            Peter Bourne
            
            Martin Brandt as Steen Eckberg

            Albert Carrier as French Reporter

            Carl Carlsson as Swedish Visitor

            Peter Coe as Officer

            Noel Drayton as Police Constable Strohm

            Jerry Dunphy as American TV News correspondent

            Sam Edwards as Reporter

            Edith Evanson as Mrs. Ahlquist

            Alice Frost as Swedish woman

            Gregory Gaye as Russian Reporter

            Erik Holland as Photographer

            John Holland
            
            Mauritz Hugo as Speaker

            Anna Lee as American Reporter

            Queenie Leonard as Miss Fawley

            Annalena Lund as Blonde

            Lester Matthews as BBC News correspondent

            Grazia Narciso as Mrs. Farelli

            Gregg Palmer as Swedish Commentator

            Lars Passgård
            
            Sid Raymond as Actor

            Otto Reichow as Seaman

            Gene Roth
            
            Teru Shimada as Tokyo Correspondent

            Ivan Triesault as Hotel porter

            Ben Wright as British Reporter

            Robert Garrett
            
            Paul Busch
            
            Michel Panaieff as French Correspondent

            Harold Dyrenforth
            
            Jill Carson
            
            Ron Nyman as Burly Swede

            Fred Scheiwiller as Deck Hand

            Sigfrid Tor as Swedish Waiter

            Mark Robson
            
See full cast