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The Prize

Play trailer Poster for The Prize 1963 2h 16m Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
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45% Tomatometer 11 Reviews 66% Popcornmeter 500+ Ratings
A group of Nobel laureates descend on Stockholm to accept their awards. Among them is American novelist Andrew Craig (Paul Newman), a former literary luminary now writing pulp detective stories to earn a living. Craig, who is infamous for his drinking and womanizing, formulates a wild theory that physics prize winner Dr. Max Stratman (Edward G. Robinson) has been replaced by an impostor, embroiling Craig and his chaperone (Elke Sommer) in a Cold War kidnapping plot.
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The Prize

Critics Reviews

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Penelope Houston Sight & Sound 03/11/2020
Criticism retreats, disarmed, before a film which hardly even allows itself to become serious about the Nobel prize. Go to Full Review James Powers The Hollywood Reporter 12/26/2018
Mark Robson's direction gives The Prize tension and humor, and a good deal of interesting characterization. The Prize should be a much discussed and popular attraction. Go to Full Review Variety Staff Variety 03/26/2009
The Prize is a suspense melodrama played for laughs. Trouble is the basic comedy approach clashes with the political-topical framework of the story. Go to Full Review David Nusair Reel Film Reviews Nov 10
2/4
...periodically engrossing yet mostly underwhelming... Go to Full Review Sergio Benítez Espinof 09/04/2019
The film doesn't have a single rhythm drop. [Full Review in Spanish] Go to Full Review Raquel Stecher Out of the Past 04/24/2019
The Prize is a Cold War thriller that doesn't take itself too seriously but really should have. It's a convoluted mess of a film. The dramatic and comedic elements clash and on the whole the story feels disjointed. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Russ G Apr 24 Another film featuring Old Blue Eyes of which you've never heard, and with good reason. I'm betting the producers figured that the combination male/female eye candy of Mr. Newman and Miss Sommer would be Boffo Box Office. See more Ted F Apr 19 Saw this on TCM. A real disappointment considering the cast. A terrible, faux Hitchcockian script is the main culprit of this poor film. A nice score by Jerry Goldsmith. See more Jim H @JimHawkins 11/27/2024 Great early 1960s film. Newman in a surprisingly different character as a Nobel winning writer. Cold War thriller in the footsteps of Hitchcock - screenplay by Ernest Lehman (North by Northwest). Elke Sommer is in it. It's fun. Never a dull second. Rare gem. See more Marvin G 08/16/2023 Underrated, I think. Sure, it's flawed and preposterous, but so are lots of adventure films and Alistair MacLean novels, but they're still diverting and pleasurable. Add in the charming performances of Newman (which is pretty much automatic), Elke Sommer, and Diane Baker, and you've got an entertaining romp across dozens of sets that doesn't take itself too seriously. See more 09/05/2020 One of Paul Newman's rare, very forgettable films. Utter baloney: implausible, unrealistic, banal, a waste of Newman and the great Eddie Robinson. Truly boring. See more steve d 07/19/2020 The actors make the strange tone work. See more Read all reviews
The Prize

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Cast & Crew

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Mark Robson

Director

Paul Newman

Andrew Craig

Edward G. Robinson

Dr. Max Stratman

Elke Sommer

Inger Lisa Andersson

Diane Baker

Emily Stratman

Micheline Presle

Dr. Denise Marceau

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The Prize

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Movie Info

Synopsis A group of Nobel laureates descend on Stockholm to accept their awards. Among them is American novelist Andrew Craig (Paul Newman), a former literary luminary now writing pulp detective stories to earn a living. Craig, who is infamous for his drinking and womanizing, formulates a wild theory that physics prize winner Dr. Max Stratman (Edward G. Robinson) has been replaced by an impostor, embroiling Craig and his chaperone (Elke Sommer) in a Cold War kidnapping plot.
Director
Mark Robson
Producer
Pandro S. Berman
Screenwriter
Ernest Lehman
Production Co
Roxbury Productions
Genre
Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
Sep 1, 2009
Runtime
2h 16m
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