Secret Agent (1936)

Director:

Alfred Hitchcock

Writers:

W. Somerset Maugham (novel)
Campbell Dixon (play)

Release Date:

15 June 1936 (USA)

Genre:

Mystery | Romance | Thriller

Tagline:

Mystery - Intrigue - Romance, burn a flaming trail among the gay capitals of Europe

Plot:

After three British agents are assigned to assassinate a mysterious German spy during World War I, two of them become ambivalent when their duty to the mission conflicts with their consciences.

Plot Keywords:

Spy | Switzerland | Murder | Assassin | WWI

Cast

John Gielgud	...	Richard Ashenden
Peter Lorre	...	The General
Madeleine Carroll	...	Elsa Carrington
Robert Young	...	Robert Marvin
Percy Marmont	...	Caypor
Florence Kahn	...	Mrs. Caypor
Charles Carson	...	'R'
Lilli Palmer	...	Lilli

Also Known As:

Laugh Track: Secret Agent (USA) (video title (redubbed comic version))

Runtime:

86 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English | German

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:(Banned) (1936) (original rating) | Finland:K-12 (1995) | Finland:K-16 (1936) (re-rating) | Australia:G (TV rating) | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Germany:12 | UK:U | Norway:16 (1937)

Filming Locations:

Frutigen, Kanton Bern, Switzerland

Company:

Gaumont British Picture Corporation

Trivia:

John Gielgud filmed this during the day while appearing on stage in "Romeo and Juliet" opposite Peggy Ashcroft and Laurence Olivier in the evening.

Goofs:

Continuity: Dates given in the story are out of sequence. After starting "May 10, 1916" (title), a telegram received later appears to be dated "3/4/16". A newspaper near the end of the film is dated "Tuesday, September 21, 1916," when that date actually occurred on a Thursday. Afterwards a postcard bears the date of "April 2."

Quotes:

The General: General Pompellio Montezuma De- oh, we've already met.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Breach (2007)

Creaky, but highly enjoyable.

"Secret Agent" seems to be one of Hitchcock's most (unjustly) overlooked films. It may be flawed and technically creaky, but Hitchcock's talent is evident throughout. It's made with precision and has several first-rate sequences (the one involving a dog's howling is probably the greatest). Lorre overacts unnecessarily in this film, but the other actors are effective and convincing. Gielgud brings depth to a character whose motives aren't always clearly explained by the script. The plot, after the first big twist, gets quite predictable but still sustains the viewer's interest. Overall, this is an absorbing film and the director's fans will definitely appreciate it.