Film: The Man Nobody Knew: In Search of My Father, CIA Spymaster William Colby
Director: Carl Colby
Genre: Documentary (2011)
If you’re old enough to remember William Colby, you probably remember the days when his career as Director of the CIA ended spectacularly after intense grilling from the US Congress. Appointed by Richard Nixon in 1973, Colby was fired by Gerald Ford in 1976 (succeeded by George H.W. Bush). In April of 1996, Colby was found dead after a boating accident. In this documentary film, his son Carl Colby sets out to learn about his father, the man at the center of much controversy.
After December 7, 1941, Colby left Columbia to volunteer for the Army. Early on, he was recruited for the OSS and dangerous duty behind enemy lines. Colby had a talent for dangerous and clandestine duty, and after the war ended, he was offered a job with the newly formed CIA and stationed in Rome. In the 1950s it wasn’t at all clear whether Italy would become part of the Communist Bloc. But by 1959, concern about the creeping Communist threat was focused on Southeast Asia. Colby became the CIA’s Deputy Chief, stationed in Saigon, where he served until 1971. After being named CIA head in 1973, Colby and the agency came under blistering attack by Congress for intelligence malfeasance… what we might call “covert activities” today. Instead of stonewalling as directed by the President, Colby gave congress bits of information. And those bits of information opened the door for expanded lines of inquiry. We got a peek into the workings of the CIA, and it shocked the nation.
If you love Cold War thrillers, this film will help put those stories into context. The CIA was new… their methods had not been fully formed. While an examination of the activities of the CIA may have uncovered much that’s distasteful, the story of William Colby and the CIA is complex. As Carl Colby seeks to understand his father, he shows us a lot about the CIA and our complex relationship with it. You may not come away with clear-cut views of CIA tactics or Colby’s involvement. As a nation, we expect the CIA to accomplish the impossible. But we don’t always want to know the dirty details about how it’s done. One has to wonder if anyone can run this agency, accomplish what’s asked for… and answer to congress and/or the American people. But that said… this history has become a rich source of inspiration for a whole genre of fiction. This is the history at the heart of our much-loved Cold War thrillers… warts and all.
3 popped kernels
A must-see documentary for anyone who loves Cold War thrillers
Popcorn Profile
Primary Audience: Grown-ups
Gender Appeal: Any audience
Distribution: Mainstream limited release
Mood: Neither upbeat nor somber
Tempo: Cruises comfortably
Visual Style: Unvarnished realism
Character Development: Not that kind of film
Language: True to life
Social Significance: Informative & Thought provoking
