This
British thriller is directed by Sir Carol Reed and distributed by
20th Century Fox, opening in America at the end of 1940. The
screenplay was written by Sidney Gilliat and Frank Launder, based
briefly on a Gordon Wellesley short story. The film centers on the
Nazis in occupied Prague prior to the Second World War. It stars
Margaret Lockwood, Rex Harrison in a dual role, and Paul Henreid.
Reprising their railway roles from The Lady Vanishes two
years prior, are Naunton Wayne and Basil Radford as the same
characters, Caldicott and Charters—insatiable
cricket fans. The film's comparison to the 1938 Hitchcock film, at
nearly the same length, is rather obvious, though Lockwood plays a
different character.
The
ninety-five-minute film is full of sophisticated British suspense,
starting with the kidnapping of Lockwood on her way to join her father, an
invaluable industrial designer, for their escape by plane back to
England. She befriends a fellow concentration camp prisoner, Henreid.
This sets up the first of two twists in the film as they escape to
England in darkness while a German officer cuts the power to the
prison's searchlight. How convenient. After settling in, Henreid
visits an optometrist who asks him to read an eye test chart. He reads
the large letters wrong, twice, to confirm their Nazi contact code.
They salute and poke each other in the eye.
Lockwood
does not know the whereabouts of her father. She receives a call and is told where to meet her contact, Harrison, posing as a side-show vendor
trying to sell his songwriting abilities by singing his tunes. With
Harrison's introduction, the film not only improves but cranks up the
suspense. It rarely subsides. His rapid-fire speech rolls off his
tongue effortlessly. He seems delightfully fond of himself. The
second twist is that he, thankfully, is not a singer as Lockwood later
chides him about, but an undercover British agent who helped arrange
her father's return to England. But Lockwood and her father are duped
by Henreid and kidnapped aboard a German U-boat. Her opinion of
Henreid is forever altered.
Harrison
springs into action posing as a German Major, who convinces the
German officials that his “past relationship” with Lockwood will
convince her to get her father's co-operation. There are some humorous
deliveries between them as the "happy couple" appear set
for matrimony. Henreid's suspicions during this charade are realized, and arresting Harrison in Munich is his directive. Caldicott &
Charters to the rescue.
While
inadvertently listening on a party line, Charters discovers Henreid's
plan and contacts Harrison, whom Caldicott finally is convinced it is,
in fact, his British friend. They become part of Harrison's altered
plan, subduing two Nazi officers (off camera), though feeling quite conspicuous in their uniforms. They become Harrison's
escorts to get them, Lockwood, and her father to freedom in
Switzerland. Though expertly done for the era, there are numerous
miniatures used throughout the film, the
mountaintop tramway climax being the last. Trust your suspension of
disbelief for the endless supply of bullets from the revolvers of
Harrison and Henreid. The escape above a deep chasm peaks the film at
the right moment and instantly closes the film. In fact, the film fades
to black before the characters exit the scene.
Note:
The Australian poster above indicates that Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
released the film as well.
