Runtime: 86 minutes
Directed by: Alfred Hitchcock
Starring: John Gielgud, Madeleine Carroll, Peter Lorre, Robert Young, Percy Marmont
From: Gaumont British Picture Corporation
Secret agent man, secret agent man... they've given you a number and taken away your name.
This month and October I won't be watching just horror movies; I'll try to mix it up where other genres occasionally make an appearance. Last night I decided to finally fix my mistake and after way too many months, view a Hitchcock picture. This happens to be one new to me.
John Gielgud plays a soldier who is forced to become an agent (as the government fakes his death) in World War I who has to track down a German agent-whose identity and even appearance is unknown-in Switzerland before he goes to the Middle East to essentially stir up s***. A lady is tasked with portraying his wife (played by Madeleine Carroll) and he is also assisted by a strange assassin played by Peter Lorre. Lord, what a performance from him. “Unrestrained” seems to be a good term to use, as at times his eyes were literally bugging out of his head and he also came off as more than a little deranged. Believing this character as an assassin was a little much.
Considering the talent involved and this was adapted from two stories by W. Somerset Maugham, I was hoping for something better than just “fine”. But, the humor is hit or miss-there is plenty of it-and Carroll's presence reminds me that I clearly do prefer The 39 Steps as a Hitchcock movie involving murder, mistaken identity and espionage. That said, it doesn't seem fair to complain as this at least was entertaining and had some quality scenes; I just wish the ending wouldn't have felt so flat and felt like a cheat... that is worthy of complaint.
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