The Secret Ways (1961)

Interesting facts

The Secret Ways is a 1961 American neo noir mystery thriller film based on Alistair MacLean's 1959 novel The Last Frontier. It was directed by Phil Karlson and stars Richard Widmark.

Production

The film was based on Alistair MacLean's novel The Last Frontier which was published in the US as The Secret Ways.

Actor Richard Widmark moved into producing in the 1950s while making Time Limit. His production company, Heath Films, bought the screen rights in March 1959. Widmark called it "an anti-Communist thing" which "had nothing to do with my [personal] politics."

In August 1959 Heath Films signed a two-picture deal with Universal, the first of which was to be The Secret Ways. Other books Widmark wanted to film were The Wounds of Hunger and The Seven File.

Widmark visited Austria with his wife Jean Hazlewood, who would write the script. They did considerable research and made a significant number of changes to the novel.

In May 1960 Phil Karlson signed to direct. Karlson went to Vienna on June 1, and filming began in August. Many local Austrian actors were cast in support roles.

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