The Ugly American

The Ugly American

The most explosive adventure of our time!

1963 · 115 min · ★ 6.6 · Thriller, Drama

An intelligent, articulate scholar, Harrison MacWhite, survives a hostile Senate confirmation hearing at the hands of conservatives to become ambassador to Sarkan, a southeast Asian country where civil war threatens a tense peace. Despite his knowledge, once he's there, MacWhite sees only a dichotomy between the U.S. and Communism. He can't accept that anti-American sentiment might be a longing for self-determination and nationalism. So, he breaks from his friend Deong, a local opposition leader, ignores a foreman's advice about slowing the building of a road, and tries to muscle ahead. What price must the country and his friends pay for him to get some sense?

Directed by George Englund · Written by Stewart Stern

Your Rating

Where to Watch

Streaming

YouTube TV

Rent or Buy

Amazon VideoApple TV StoreGoogle Play MoviesYouTubeFandango At Home

Cast

Make it a double feature

4h 37m together

The Ugly American

The Shoes of the Fisherman

Both from George Englund.

More from George EnglundSee all →

See How She RunsSee How She Runs · 1978
See How She Runs
★ 8.01978
MovieDramaTV Movie
A middle-aged housewife and mother, after spending a lifetime giving to others, decides to claim a piece for herself and enters the grueling 26-mile Boston Marathon as an obsessive means of self-expression.
A Christmas to RememberA Christmas to Remember · 1978
A Christmas to Remember
★ 7.51978
MovieTV MovieDrama
A city-bred grandson moves to his grandparents' farm during the Great Depression and grows up enough under their tough care to help his grandfather deliver a surprise gift on Christmas Eve to their community church with the help of a phantom stranger.
The Streets of L.A.The Streets of L.A. · 1979
The Streets of L.A.
★ 7.01979
MovieDramaTV Movie
A woman embarks on a lone pursuit of three teenaged hoods in the Los Angeles barrio after becoming incensed at their malicious tire-slashing on parked cars including hers.
Terrorist on Trial: The United States vs. Salim AjamiTerrorist on Trial: The United States vs. Salim Ajami · 1988
Terrorist on Trial: The United States vs. Salim Ajami
★ 7.01988
MovieDramaTV Movie
There is no question that the Arab terrorist portrayed by Robert Davi is guilty of killing five US citizens in Barcelona. Even his lawyers have zero respect for the rabidly sociopathic Davi. But Jewish defence attorney Ron Leibman is obsessed with the concept of Due Process, and has vowed that Davi will receive a scrupulously fair trial when the terrorist is extradited to America. The defence mounted by Leibman confounds and aggravates government prosecutor Sam Waterston--but he, like Leibman, remains a man of judiciary integrity.
The Shoes of the FishermanThe Shoes of the Fisherman · 1968
The Shoes of the Fisherman
★ 6.81968
MovieDrama
Ukrainian bishop Kiril Lakota, a political prisoner in a Soviet gulag for twenty years, is unexpectedly released and sent to the Vatican, where, upon the sudden death of the Pope, leader of the Catholic Church, he must face a challenging destiny that will put the future of the entire world in his hands.
James at 16James at 16 · 1977
James at 16
★ 6.81977
SeriesDrama
James at 15 (later James at 16) is an American drama series that aired on NBC during the 1977–1978 season. Protagonist James Hunter is the son of a college professor who has moved his family across the country to take a teaching job, transplanting James from Oregon to Boston, Massachusetts. James has a hard time fitting into his new surroundings.
Dark of the SunDark of the Sun · 1968
Dark of the Sun
★ 6.61968
MovieWarAdventure
A band of mercenaries led by Captain Curry travel through war-torn Congo across deadly terrain, battling rival armies, to steal $50 million in uncut diamonds. But infighting, sadistic rebels and a time lock jeopardize everything.
ChallengerChallenger · 1990
Challenger
★ 6.51990
MovieDramaTV Movie
A profile of the astronauts, crew, and civilians who were involved in the January 28, 1986 flight of the spaceship, Challenger, that resulted in its explosion upon takeoff. The center point of the film is the safety inspections and arguments surrounding the use of the o-rings that ultimately were blamed for the explosion.
The World, the Flesh and the DevilThe World, the Flesh and the Devil · 1959
The World, the Flesh and the Devil
★ 6.41959
MovieDramaScience Fiction
Ralph Burton is a miner who is trapped for several days as a result of a cave-in. When he finally manages to dig himself out, he realizes that all of mankind seems to have been destroyed in a nuclear holocaust. He travels to New York City only to find it deserted. Making a life for himself there, he is flabbergasted to eventually find Sarah Crandall, who also managed to survive. Together, they form a close friendship until the arrival of Benson Thacker who has managed to pilot his small boat into the city's harbor. At this point, tensions rise between the three, particularly between Thacker, who is white, and Burton, who is black.
Signpost to MurderSignpost to Murder · 1964
Signpost to Murder
★ 6.21964
MovieThrillerCrime
An escaped mental patient from an asylum for the criminally insane, reported to be homicidal, hides out in a woman's rural home.
Lights OutLights Out · 1949
Lights Out
★ 6.01949
SeriesSci-Fi & FantasyCrime
Lights Out was an extremely popular American old-time radio program, an early example of a network series devoted mostly to horror and the supernatural, predating Suspense and Inner Sanctum. Versions of Lights Out aired on different networks, at various times, from January 1934 to the summer of 1947 and the series eventually made the transition to television. In 1946, NBC Television brought Lights Out to TV in a series of four specials, broadcast live and produced by Fred Coe, who also contributed three of the scripts. NBC asked Cooper to write the script for the premiere, "First Person Singular", which is told entirely from the point of view of an unseen murderer who kills his obnoxious wife and winds up being executed. Variety gave this first episode a rave review ("undoubtedly one of the best dramatic shows yet seen on a television screen"), but Lights Out did not become a regular NBC-TV series until 1949.
Snow JobSnow Job · 1972
Snow Job
★ 5.81972
MovieCrimeDrama
A famous skier, his mistress and a ski instructor rob a bank in the Alps and hide the loot in a crevasse.
ZachariahZachariah · 1971
Zachariah
★ 5.31971
MovieComedyDrama
A blacksmith and an amateur gunslinger embark on journey through the west together but soon separate and have surreal experiences of their own.
Dixie: Changing HabitsDixie: Changing Habits · 1983
Dixie: Changing Habits
★ 4.21983
MovieComedyDrama
Dixie is caught operating a whorehouse, and is sentenced to 90 days house arrest in a convent! Can Dixie bend to the ways of the convent nuns to avoid jail?
The Vegas Strip WarThe Vegas Strip War · 1984
The Vegas Strip War
★ 4.01984
MovieDramaTV Movie
Neil Chaine, a charming Las Vegas hotel/casino owner, tries to turn his decaying building into the Strip's top attraction to avenge his outing by his former partners who run a more fancy hotel/casino just across the street.

More Like This

The EdukatorsThe Edukators · 2004
The Edukators
★ 7.22004
MovieDramaComedy
Three activists cobble together a kidnapping plot after they encounter a businessman in his home.
Absolute PowerAbsolute Power · 1997
Absolute Power
★ 6.71997
MovieCrimeDrama
A master thief coincidentally is robbing a house where a murder—in which the President of the United States is involved—occurs in front of his eyes. He is forced to run, while holding evidence that could convict the President.
All the King's MenAll the King's Men · 2006
All the King's Men
★ 5.82006
MovieDramaThriller
The story of an idealist's rise to power in the world of Louisiana politics and the corruption that leads to his ultimate downfall. Based on the 1946 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel written by Robert Penn Warren, loosely based on the story of real-life politician Huey Long.
The FrontThe Front · 1976
The Front
★ 7.11976
MovieComedyDrama
A cashier poses as a writer for blacklisted talents to submit their work through, but the injustice around him pushes him to take a stand.
Nick of TimeNick of Time · 1995
Nick of Time
★ 6.21995
MovieThrillerCrime
An ordinary man is suddenly forced into a plot to kill a politician in exchange for his kidnapped daughter's freedom.
The Devil's OwnThe Devil's Own · 1997
The Devil's Own
★ 6.21997
MovieCrimeThriller
Frankie McGuire, one of the IRA's deadliest assassins, draws an American family into the crossfire of terrorism. But when he is sent to the U.S. to buy weapons, Frankie is housed with the family of Tom O'Meara, a New York cop who knows nothing about Frankie's real identity. Their surprising friendship, and Tom's growing suspicions, forces Frankie to choose between the promise of peace or a lifetime of murder.
The JackalThe Jackal · 1997
The Jackal
★ 6.41997
MovieActionCrime
Hired by a powerful member of the Russian mafia to avenge an FBI sting that left his brother dead, a psychopathic hitman known only as The Jackal proves an elusive target for the people charged with the task of bringing him down: a deputy FBI director, a Russian MVK Major, and a jailed IRA terrorist who can recognize him.
Masculin FémininMasculin Féminin · 1966
Masculin Féminin
★ 7.21966
MovieDramaRomance
Paul, a young idealist trying to figure out what he wants to do with his life, takes a job interviewing people for a marketing research firm. He moves in with aspiring pop singer Madeleine. Paul, however, is disillusioned by the growing commercialism in society, while Madeleine just wants to be successful. The story is told in a series of 15 unrelated vignettes.
RenditionRendition · 2007
Rendition
★ 6.42007
MovieDramaThriller
When an Egyptian terrorism suspect "disappears" on a flight from Africa to Washington DC, his American wife and a CIA analyst find themselves caught up in a struggle to secure his release from a secret detention facility somewhere outside the US.
The ContenderThe Contender · 2000
The Contender
★ 6.72000
MovieDramaThriller
The vice president is dead, and as the president makes his choice for a replacement, a secret contest of wills is being waged by a formidable rival. When Senator Laine Hanson is nominated as the first woman in history to hold the office, hidden agendas explode into a battle for power.
The PeacemakerThe Peacemaker · 1997
The Peacemaker
★ 6.11997
MovieActionThriller
When a train carrying atomic warheads mysteriously crashes in the former Soviet Union, a nuclear specialist discovers the accident is really part of a plot to cover up the theft of the weapons. Assigned to help her recover the missing bombs is a crack Special Forces Colonel.

Rate this film

Your ratings make Midnight smarter