Hollow Triumph

A perceptive secretary who first mistakes Müller for her employer, then becomes entangled with him as he impersonates Bartok. She navigates a line between curiosity and caution, ultimately choosing not to expose him despite growing suspicions. Her evolving feelings and moral stance provide a counterpoint to the criminal scheme. She boards a plane of escape in the end, seeking a chance at a new life in Honolulu.

The mastermind behind the heist, he leverages a medical persona to manipulate patients and colleagues. He studies psychoanalysis to perfect the disguise, ultimately murdering the real Dr. Bartok and assuming his identity. His charm masks a ruthless calculation and a willingness to manipulate others for personal gain. The reversal of the scar in his own face marks the vulnerability and fragility of his con when details threaten to collapse the deception.

Bartok's girlfriend who frequents Maxwell's and becomes entangled in Müller's ruse. She embodies the noir fascination with love entangled with danger, and her awareness of the deception adds tension as she balances affection with caution. Her presence complicates Müller's facade and deepens the emotional stakes. She learns bits of truth as the plot unfolds, though her ultimate alignment remains ambiguous.

A ruthless mobster who runs the illegal casino and harbors a reputation for relentlessly pursuing his enemies. He embodies the merciless underworld that frames the film's crime elements and serves as a looming threat to Müller and his cohorts. His pursuit underscores the futility of escape once one crosses powerful criminal figures. Eventually, his operations create the atmosphere of inescapable danger around the central plot.

A dentist whose chance encounter with Müller sets the inspiration for the identity swap. He unintentionally acts as the catalyst that reveals the availability of a lookalike solution, underscoring the film's theme of ordinary professionals slipping into extraordinary deception. His role is pivotal but largely at the narrative hinge rather than a constant presence. He represents the ordinary world intersecting with crime.