![]() Since it looks the same as his own buttons, an experienced mountaineer named Caypor assumes it is his. When they go to the casino to meet Elsa, the button is accidentally dropped onto a gambling table. In his hand, however, they find a button, evidently torn off in the struggle with his killer. When they are alone, Ashenden is displeased when Elsa reveals she insisted upon the assignment for the thrill of it.Īshenden and the General go to contact a double agent, the church organist, only to find him dead. ![]() Entering their suite, he also encounters her new admirer, fellow hotel guest Robert Marvin, who is only slightly deterred by the arrival of her husband (and continues to flirt with Elsa). ![]() When "Ashenden" arrives there, he is surprised to find that "R" has also provided him with an attractive wife, Elsa Carrington. ![]() Upon agreeing, Brodie is given a new identity-Richard Ashenden-a fake death, and the assistance of a killer known variously as "the Hairless Mexican" and "the General", though he is neither bald, Mexican, nor a general.īrodie's late "predecessor" thought that the enemy agent was staying at the Hotel Excelsior in neutral Switzerland. He is brought to a man identifying himself only as "R", who asks him to undertake a secret mission: to identify and eliminate a German agent on his way to Arabia to stir up trouble in the Middle East. On, during World War I, British Captain and novelist Edgar Brodie returns home on leave, only to discover his obituary in the newspaper. Typical Hitchcockian themes used in Secret Agent include mistaken identity, trains and a "Hitchcock Blonde". It also features uncredited appearances by Michael Redgrave, future star of Hitchcock's The Lady Vanishes (1938), Michel Saint-Denis as the Coachman, and Michael Rennie in his film debut. The film stars Madeleine Carroll, Peter Lorre, John Gielgud, and Robert Young. 20th Century Fox, 1947, B&W, 95 mins.Secret Agent is a 1936 British espionage thriller film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, adapted from the play by Campbell Dixon, which in turn is loosely based on two stories in the 1927 collection Ashenden: Or the British Agent by W. It will also give you a chance to see if you’d like to fulfill your life-long dream of becoming a Secret Agent.ġ3 Rue Madeleine: starring James Cagney, Annabella, Richard Conte. If you’re in the mood for a realistic spy thriller (where agents rely more wits than electronic gadgets), you might want to see 13 rue Madeleine. Marshall and Red Buttons in uncredited roles. The French actress, Annabella, was given second billing but her role is too small her character’s story would make for a fascinating movie in itself. It is also true that the Allies “leaked” false information about the D-Day invasion.Ĭagney is really good as the super-smart spy instructor, but so is Richard Conte who plays one of Cagney’s students. The OSS sent spies all over the world during WWII to form a global intelligence network. However, there really was a top-secret organization called the OSS ( Office of Strategic Services) that was created during WWII and is regarded to be the forerunner of the CIA. Once those agents parachute from the plane, the movie becomes a hang-onto-your-hat ride with a sudden, shocking finish.ġ3 Rue Madeleine doesn’t claim to be based on a true story. (We actually said things like, “Oh no!” and, “Don’t go up there!”) The scene on the plane is incredibly tense it is so good you’ll want to watch it twice. This is no longer a documentary this is now a first-rate spy thriller, where you find yourself talking out loud to the movie. Cagney realizes that the Nazis are relying on this agent to retrieve valuable information about the invasion.Īs soon as the agents are put on a plane to cross the English Channel, the movie kicks into high gear. Not only must Cagney must find out who it is, he must give this person false information about the Allies’ D-Day plans. However, there is a glitch: one of the students is a Nazi agent. He trains this particular group of students to be super spies before they are shipped to Europe for various espionage assignments. James Cagney stars as Robert Sharkey, a scholar and master linguist. This group learns offensive and defensive tactics, morse code, and how to lie if they’re caught going through someone’s office. The movie begins as a documentary-style film on how to become a secret agent. Seventy-seven people are selected to be trained as agents, and they are taken to a training facility near Washington, DC. The only other part of the building that is shown is a sparse, plain room in the basement that is used for torture. This building is never shown, only its iron gates, which adds an element of creepiness. The title refers to an address in the city of La Havre where, according to the film, the Gestapo headquarters are situated. Instead, we’ll just enjoy movies about secret agents, like the fast-paced 13 rue Madeleine.
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