‘Hell, Heaven or Hoboken:’ Stagecraft on the Battlefield

A Gen. Montgomery look-alike deceives the enemy in this comedic take on WWII’s Operation Copperhead.

Lt. M.E. Clifton James (as himself) is all decked out as Gen. Montgomery, in “Hell, Heaven or Hoboken.” Associated British-Pathe Limited

NR | 1h 41m | Drama, History, War | 1958

Films about wartime deception tend to be grim and full of stoic officers plotting in smoky, dimly lit rooms. “Hell, Heaven or Hoboken” (original British title: “I Was Monty’s Double”) takes that setup and fills it with disarming dollops of comedy. What begins as a cloak-and-dagger affair about a real-life D-Day ruse turns into something closer to a military farce.