Expert: Mel - 6/19/2008

Question
Hi Mel,

I've spent hours googling as many keywords as I can recall, but without success...so now I'm turning to an expert. I'm looking for the name of a B&W 1950s (possibly early '60s) film about a man who "dies" but really bargains with a secret organization to change his identity. The only stipulation is that he may NEVER reveal his secret to anyone. He lives a party life in a beach house and has a blonde girlfriend - who, as it turns out, has been planted by the secret organization to test his secrecy.  At one point, out of curiousity he goes back to his old home and meets with his wife, under the guise of being a friend of her dead husband.  He finds out that he's not really missed that much.  The secret agency waits for him down the street. The end of the film shows a sterile "classroom" of men being monitored / guarded by a member of the secret agency.  A man is being forced to bring in a new recruit or face his own extermination.
Thanks for any help you can offer in naming this film.

Answer
Hello June,

I remember that one well, as it's one of my favourite flms of the 60's and I consider it to be a very overlooked and almost forgotten movie. Directed by John Frankenheimer in 1966, it was called "Seconds" and starred Rock Hudson in what was possibly the best film he ever made.

Here are some links......

http://tinyurl.com/5slb29

http://www.sensesofcinema.com/contents/01/18/seconds.html

http://www.geocities.com/edwartell/seconds.html

http://www.moria.co.nz/sf/seconds.htm


Glad to be of help. Cheers........Mel.