In The Mackintosh Man (1973), Paul Newman plays British agent Joseph Rearden.
Rearden is an undercover operative who infiltrates a criminal network involved in espionage and a diamond-smuggling scheme. His criminal identity allows him to enter prison and gain the confidence of people connected to the conspiracy, making the film a spy thriller with a strong heist component.
John Huston directed the film, which was adapted from Desmond Bagley's novel The Freedom Trap. James Mason plays Sir George Wheeler, while Dominique Sanda appears as Slade's associate. The title refers to the secretive intelligence operation rather than to a character named Mackintosh. Because the film combines espionage, prison infiltration, and diamond theft, it is sometimes classified simply as a spy movie rather than grouped with heist films.