This week’s mystery movie was the 1957 Warner Bros. film Top Secret Affair, with Susan Hayward, Kirk Douglas, Paul Stewart, Jim Backus, John Cromwell, Roland Winters, A.E. Gould-Porter, Michael Fox, Frank Gerstle and Charles Lane.
Written by Roland Kibbee and Allan Scott.
Based on characters from Melville Goodwin, U.S.A., by John P. Marquand.
Photographed by Stanley Cortez.
Art direction by Malcolm Bert.
Edited by Folmar Blangsted.
Sound by Stanley Jones.
Set decoration by William Wallace.
Costumes by Charles LeMaire.
Technical Adviser Lt. Col. Frederick J. Bremerman.
Makeup by Gordon Bau.
Orchestrations by Gus Levene and Maurice de Packh.
Assistant director Russell Saunders.
Music by Roy Webb.
Supervising producer Milton Sperling.
Produced by Martin Rackin.
Directed by H.C. Potter.
Further information on Top Secret Affair is available from the AFI Catalog.
Top Secret Affair is available on DVD from Critics’ Choice Video.
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I thought I would end the year with a comedy, and in rummaging around the Daily Mirror vault for a decent print of a well-reviewed movie that didn’t have a zillion screen caps on IMDB, I came up with Top Secret Affair. I’m not sure how many Kirk Douglas comedies I’ve seen or even how many exist. But I would say that light comedy was perhaps not Douglas’ forte and he was better off pursuing something with more drama.
All things considered, Top Secret Affair is one of those bland, forgettable 1950s comedies about the military that entertained the Greatest Generation on date night away from their kids – or something.
Be kind, New York Times, be kind. (I envision Bosley Crowther sharpening his pen for this one).
Oh he hated it. And for once I can’t blame him (January 31, 1957):
Apparently John P. Marquand had a difficult time getting his Maj. Gen. Melville Goodwin, U.S.A. to fall into literary line. The general, as you may recall him from the novel that bore his name, was so much bigger and brassier than all the others in the story that he completely overbalanced them.
Now it appears that similar trouble has been had by Roland Kibbee and Allan Scott in getting the general to take a position and hold it in Top Secret Affair. In this considerably altered film version of the novel, which came to the Paramount yesterday, the general is such a brash, eccentric character that he slithers all over the place….
….Melville Goodwin, U.S.A., is still a bore.
We close out the last few days of the year and look forward to the new year with a few mysterious guests. And no, the one on the left isn’t Tom Servo.
Update: This is, from left, a lamp, Susan Hayward, Paul Stewart and Charles Lane.
For Tuesday, we have a mysterious woman. (And no, despite the lighting, it’s not a mysterious TV show).
Update: This is Edna Holland.
For “Hm Wednesday,” we have two mysterious fellows.
Update: This is Paul Stewart, left, and Michael Fox.
Brain Trust roll call: Stacia (Tuesday’s mysterious woman).
For “Aha Thursday,” we have a mysterious colonel and Back of the Head Staff Sergeant.
Update: This is Jim Backus and June Blair.
Brain Trust roll call: Mary Mallory (mystery movie, Monday’s mysterious guests Nos. 1 and 2, Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s mystery guests), Sylvia (mystery movie and all mystery guests), L.C. (mystery movie and mysterious cast), Stacia (mystery movie and Wednesday’s mysterious man No. 1), Mike Hawks (mystery movie and Wednesday’s mystery guests) and B.J. Merholz (Wednesday’s mysterious man No. 1).
For Friday, we have our mysterious leading man and leading lady.
Update: This is Kirk Douglas and Susan Hayward.
Brain Trust roll call: Mary Mallory (Thursday’s mystery guests), Greg (mystery movie, Wednesday’s and Thursday’s mysterious guests), Sylvia (Thursday’s mystery guests), Chrisbo (Thursday’s mystery colonel), Boebert (Thursday’s mystery colonel), B.J. Merholz (mystery movie and Thursday’s mysterious guests), Anne Papineau (mystery movie and all mystery guests) and Mike Hawks (Thursday’s mystery colonel).
ladailymirror.com 
Fail-Safe (1964) with Henry Fonda (far right)
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An excellent guess! But alas, I’m afraid not.
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Godzilla
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Another excellent guess! But alas…..
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Aw… And I was going to guess MST for grins, along with indicating that Mancini’s Sunday Mystery Movie theme song was playing. Oh well, “no Servo” right out of the gate.
Definitely has a “unforseen-bad-things-happen-when-you-drop-atom-bombs” feeling though, just as others have guessed so far. Hmmm ..Thinking cap on.
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No Crow T. Robot, no Gypsy and no Cambot. Well, our mysterious film does involve unforeseen bad things happening, but no atomic bombs are dropped aside from that sequence.
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A wild guess for Tuesday’s mysterious woman: Alma Kruger?
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SPLIT SECOND.
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I’m pretty sure Tuesday is Edna Holland but I don’t know what movie this is.
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Grandma! What are you doing in the Daily Mirror??
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Natalie Schafer
Another excellent guess! But alas…..
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TOP SECRET AFFAIR. Susan Hayward, Kirk Douglas, and Paul Stewart Monday, Edna Holland Tuesday, Stewart snd Michael Fox today.
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Never would have guessed a comedy.
Top Secret Affair 1957
Mon – (BOTH Viewers) Susan Hayward, Paul Stewart and Charles Lane
Tues – Edna Holland
Wed – Paul Stewart and Michael Fox
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Top Secret Affair (1957) w/Kirk Douglas, Susan Hayward, Paul Stewart, Michael Fox, Edna Holland, Jim Backus, June Blair, Frank Gerstle, Roland Winters, Charles Lane…
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That’s Paul Stewart on the left on Wednesday, so apparently this is TOP SECRET AFFAIR (1957) which I have never heard of!
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Herbert Anderson on the right?
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An excellent guess!! But alas, I’m afraid not.
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Paul Stewart and Michael Fox in TOP SECRET AFFAIR.
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Paul Stewart. Kiss me Deadly?
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Is that director John Cromwell on Monday? JIM Backus and June Blair today.
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With Paul Stewart, Michael Fox and Jim Backus the movie has to be “Top Secret Affair”.
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Thur – Jim Backus and June Blair, I think.
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Jim Backus in Above and Beyond?
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Jim Backus in a strange uniform on Thursday? Above and Beyond?
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I can keep a secret: Col .Gooch is not having an affair with Sgt. Ferguson.
Happy New Year!
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Happy New Year! At last the clues lead to “Top Secret Affair.”
Monday, from left, Susan Hayward, Paul Stewart and Charles Lane,.
Tuesday: Edna Holland
Wednesday: Paul Stewart and Michael Fox.
Thursday: Jim Backus and June Blair.
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Jim Backus.
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Kirk Douglas and Susan Hayward.
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Friday – Kirk Douglas and Susan Hayward
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Kirk and Susan.
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“…Generals die in bed” -Kirk Douglas, last line of the movie
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