The 14 Jan 1960 NYT announced that actress Lilli Palmer would be traveling to Germany the following April to appear opposite William Holden in a film based on the 1958 book by Alexander Klein. Five weeks later, the 27 Feb 1960 NYT claimed that principal photography would begin in London, England. On 21 Apr 1960, LAT noted that producer William Perlberg and writer-director George Seaton would by leaving the following week for Berlin, Germany, to make preparation. A 7 Jun 1962 start of production was anticipated. Holden arrived in Berlin on 28 May 1960 to begin rehearsals, according to that day’s NYT.
       While on location in Hamburg, Germany, Perlberg and Seaton wrote an article for the 18 Sep 1960 NYT, in which they detailed the challenges of filming a World War II drama in a country that had removed most traces of the conflict. One rare exception was West Berlin’s embassy row, where the crew was directed to remove vegetation from the ruins, after which the rubble was “freshened by bulldozers.” In Hamburg, the team searched for several weeks before locating adequate wreckage as background for a particular scene. Interiors were shot at Real Film Studio, which Perlberg and Seaton compared favorably to U.S. facilities, adding that ninety percent of their crew were Germans. Several were veterans of the Wehrmacht and the Hitler Youth and offered technical advice on “Nazi procedure and attire.” In one instance, it was advised that the portrayal of a Gestapo agent was “too sweet.”
       Although most German spectators appeared to be unfazed by recreations of their country during wartime, travelers at Hamburg’s Hauptbahnhof railway station were reportedly “aghast” to find the platform filled with Nazi soldiers and posters “hailing the Third Reich.” A Hamburg newspaper published a relevant photographic essay in the next day’s edition.
       A news item in the 6 Apr 1962 LAT noted that the production employed “authentic espionage devices,” loaned by the Museum of Danish Resistance while the company was on location in Copenhagen. Among the artifacts were “underground printing presses, secret communication devices,” and cyanide capsules.
       The 12 Nov 1960 LAT revealed that the company had moved to Stockholm, Sweden, then went on hiatus due to the lack of available sunlight. William Holden was expected back on set in Apr 1961 to film additional scenes. A news item in the 21 May 1961 NYT noted the recent end of principal photography. Post-production was likely completed by 14 Oct 1961, as stated in that day’s LAT.
       While production was underway, the 6 Sep 1960 NYT reported that the International Cinematographers Guild had voted to picket two William Holden films: The Counterfeit Traitor and The World of Suzie Wong (1961, see entry). The guild complained that Holden, who lived in Switzerland to avoid U.S. taxes, was forcing American producers to accommodate him by filming in Europe. Weeks later, the 13 Oct 1960 edition stated that the guild relented, as their complaints would be discussed the following month during contract talks between the studios and the International Alliance of Theatrical and Stage Employees (IATSE). The article also mentioned that unions had recently persuaded producers to relocate two European projects to Southern California. However, on 26 May 1962, NYT reported that the guild reversed its decision again, claiming that Holden’s refusal to work in his native country deprived American film workers of salaries totaling approximately $7 million per year. Joining the protest were the Los Angeles, CA, chapters of the Studio Electrical Lighting Technicians and the Motion Picture Studio Grips.
       The Counterfeit Traitor opened 13 Apr 1962 at the Warner Hollywood Theatre in Los Angeles. The New York City opening followed four days later at the DeMille Theatre. Proceeds from the screening benefitted the Overseas Press Club’s World Memorial Press Center. Reviews were relatively positive, although the 15 Apr 1962 LAT noted that Seaton sometimes chose dramatic license over historical accuracy when writing his screenplay.