Foreign Correspondent (1940)

Director:

Alfred Hitchcock

Writers:

Charles Bennett (screenplay) &
Joan Harrison (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

16 August 1940 (USA)

Genre:

Mystery | Romance | Thriller | War

Tagline:

MYSTERY IN WHISPERS that cracks like THUNDER! (original print ad - many caps)

Plot:

On the eve of WW2, a young American reporter tries to expose enemy agents in London.

Plot Keywords:

Reporter | Editor | Conspiracy | Foreign Correspondent | Party

Awards:

Nominated for 6 Oscars. Another 1 win

Cast

Joel McCrea	...	John Jones
Laraine Day	...	Carol Fisher
Herbert Marshall	...	Stephen Fisher
George Sanders	...	Ffolliott
Albert Bassermann	...	Van Meer (as Albert Basserman)
Robert Benchley	...	Stebbins
Edmund Gwenn	...	Rowley
Eduardo Ciannelli	...	Mr. Krug (as Eduardo Cianelli)
Harry Davenport	...	Mr. Powers
Martin Kosleck	...	Tramp
Frances Carson	...	Mrs. Sprague
Ian Wolfe	...	Stiles
Charles Wagenheim	...	Assassin
Eddie Conrad	...	Latvian (as Edward Conrad)
Charles Halton	...	Bradley
Barbara Pepper	...	Dorine
Emory Parnell	...	'Mohican' Captain
Roy Gordon	...	Mr. Brood
Gertrude Hoffman	...	Mrs. Benson
Marten Lamont	...	Captain (as Martin Lamont)
Barry Bernard	...	Steward
Holmes Herbert	...	Asst. Commissioner
Leonard Mudie	...	McKenna
John Burton	...	English Announcer
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Samuel Adams	...	Van Meer's Impersonator (uncredited)
Meeka Aldrich	...	Donald's Wife (uncredited)
Jack Alfred	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Bunny Beatty	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Frank Benson	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Billy Bester	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Henry Blair	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Becky Bohanon	...	Sophie (uncredited)
Louis Borel	...	Capt. Lawson (uncredited)
Barbara Boudwin	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Betty Bradley	...	Cousin Mary (uncredited)
Louise Brien	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Ronald Brown	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Horace B. Carpenter	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Willy Castello	...	Krug's Henchman at Windmill (uncredited)
George Cathrey	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Wheaton Chambers	...	Committeeman (uncredited)
Ken Christy	...	Fake Dutch Detective (uncredited)
E.E. Clive	...	Mr. Naismith (uncredited)
Gino Corrado	...	Luncheon Waiter (uncredited)
John Dawson	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Harry Depp	...	Uncle Buren (uncredited)
Elspeth Dudgeon	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Carl Ekberg	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Helena Phillips Evans	...	Mrs. Stiles (uncredited)
Herbert Evans	...	Parking Valet (uncredited)
James Finlayson	...	Dutch Peasant (uncredited)
Robert Fischer	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
George B. French	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Bill Gavier	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Jack George	...	Hotel Waiter (uncredited)
John George	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Douglas Gordon	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Alexander Granach	...	Hotel Valet (uncredited)
Richard Hammond	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Sam Harris	...	Luncheon Guest (uncredited)
Alfred Hitchcock	...	Man with Newspaper on Street (uncredited)
Otto Hoffman	...	New York Globe Teletype Operator (uncredited)
Billy Horn	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Paul Irving	...	Dr. Williamson (uncredited)
Colin Kenny	...	Doctor (uncredited)
Crauford Kent	...	Toastmaster (uncredited)
Joan Leslie	...	Jones' Sister (uncredited)
Gwendolyn Logan	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Eily Malyon	...	College Arms Hotel Cashier (uncredited)
Eric Mayne	...	Luncheon Guest (uncredited)
Jackie McGee	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
John Meredith	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Hermina Milar	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Thomas Mizer	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Edmund Mortimer	...	Luncheon Guest (uncredited)
John T. Murray	...	Clark - Jones Family Member (uncredited)
Henry Norton	...	Luncheon Guest (uncredited)
Jane Novak	...	Miss Benson (uncredited)
Joe O'Brien	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
George Offerman Jr.	...	New York Globe Copy Boy (uncredited)
Lawrence Osman	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Hilda Plowright	...	Miss Pimm (uncredited)
Thomas Pogue	...	Airplane Passenger (uncredited)
Jack Rice	...	Donald (uncredited)
Ronald R. Rondell	...	Waiter (uncredited)
Loulette Sablon	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Harry Semels	...	Sidewalk Crowd Extra (uncredited)
Raymond Severn	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Frederick Sewell	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Ernie Stanton	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
William Stelling	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Donald Stuart	...	Eric - Skittish Girl's Escort in Tower of Westminister Cathedral (uncredited)
Paul Sutton	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Ferris Taylor	...	Jones' Father (uncredited)
Dorothy Vaughan	...	Jones' Mother (uncredited)
Jack Voglin	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Hans von Morhart	...	Dutch Policeman (uncredited)
Larry Wheat	...	Luncheon Guest (uncredited)
Bert White	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
William Yetter Sr.	...	Dutch Motor Policeman (uncredited)
Mary Young	...	Auntie Maude (uncredited)

Directed by
Alfred Hitchcock

Writing credits
Charles Bennett		(screenplay) &
Joan Harrison		(screenplay)
James Hilton		(dialogue) &
Robert Benchley		(dialogue)
Ben Hecht		uncredited

Original Music by
Alfred Newman

Cinematography by
Rudolph Maté		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Dorothy Spencer		(film editor)

Art Direction by
Alexander Golitzen

Makeup Department
Carmen Dirigo	....	hair stylist (uncredited)
Norman Pringle	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
James Dent	....	production manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Edmond F. Bernoudy	....	assistant director (as E.F. Bernoudy)
Marty Moss	....	second assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Julia Heron	....	interior decorator
Richard Irvine	....	associate art director
Oscar Brodin	....	constructor (uncredited)

Sound Department
Frank Maher	....	sound
James T. Moulton	....	sound effects (uncredited)
Walter Reynolds	....	sound film cutter (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Louis R. Loeffler	....	special effects cutter (uncredited)
Paul Wtuliska	....	special effects assistant (uncredited)
Lee Zavitz	....	special effects (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Paul Eagler	....	special photographic effects
Ray Binger	....	process photography (uncredited)

Stunts
Ted Mapes	....	stunt double: Joel McCrea (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Osmond Borradaile	....	photographer: Europe (uncredited)
Frank Bucholtz	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Ellis W. Carter	....	camera operator: second unit (uncredited)
Tom Dowling	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Paul Eagler	....	photographer: second unit (uncredited)
Norman Freed	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Burnett Guffey	....	camera operator (uncredited)
James V. King	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Roy F. Overbaugh	....	additional photographer (uncredited)
Richard Walling	....	still photographer (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Otho Lovering	....	supervising editor

Music Department
David Buttolph	....	composer: additional music (uncredited)
Alfred Newman	....	conductor (uncredited)
Edward B. Powell	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Gene Rose	....	composer: additional music (uncredited)
Conrad Salinger	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
William Cameron Menzies	....	special production effects
Walter Wanger	....	presenter
Bob Burkhardt	....	unit publicist (uncredited)
Paul Mantz	....	pilot (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Walter Wanger Productions (presents) (as Walter Wanger)

Distributors

• United Artists (1940) (USA) (theatrical) (released through)
• Kleber Film (1948) (France) (theatrical)
• Masterpiece Productions (1948) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Masterpiece Productions (1950) (USA) (TV)
• Die Lupe (1961) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Warner Home Video (1990) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Suomi-Filmi (1952) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Beam Entertainment (1996) (Japan) (video) (laser disc)
• Castle Hill Productions (????) (USA) (TV) (presents)
• Continental Home Vídeo (Brazil) (DVD)
• Cosmic Publishing (2007) (Japan) (DVD)
• Editora D+T (Brazil) (DVD)
• Epoca (????) (Argentina) (VHS)
• First Trading (2006) (Japan) (DVD)
• Future Film (2004) (Finland) (DVD)
• Kinokuniya (2004) (Japan) (DVD)
• Kinowelt Home Entertainment (2001) (Germany) (VHS)
• Mainostelevisio (MTV3) (1983) (Finland) (TV)
• PSG (2005) (Japan) (DVD)
• Sonoro Filme (Portugal)
• Universal Pictures Benelux (2007) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Finland Oy (2007) (Finland) (DVD) (5-disc The Hitchcock Collection: The Early Years)
• Warner Home Video (1992) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Warner Home Video (1999) (USA) (VHS) (re-release)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (1962) (1970) (1976) (1993) (2009) (Finland) (TV)

Other Companies

• Western Electric  sound recording
• I. Magnin & Co.  costumes

Also Known As:

Runtime:

120 min | Spain:115 min | West Germany:98 min (cut version) (uncut version: 120')

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Dutch | Latvian

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Chile:14 | Finland:K-12 | Sweden:15 | USA:Approved (PCA #6409) | Peru:14 | West Germany:16 (nf) (cut version) | Canada:PG (video rating) | Australia:PG | Portugal:M/12 | UK:PG (DVD rating) | USA:TV-PG

Filming Locations:

Long Beach, California, USA

Company:

Walter Wanger Productions

Trivia:

Johnny Jones/Huntley Haverstock (Joel McCrea) was "loosely" based on real life journalist Ed Murrow.

Goofs:

Miscellaneous: At the moment the clipper crashes and the pilots are seen scrambling to get away, if the scene is paused and then moved forward very slowly, the rice paper rear projection screen can be seen tearing as the the water bursts through it.

Quotes:

Mr. Powers:How would you like to cover the biggest story in the world today?
Johnny Jones:Give me and expense account and I'll cover anything.
Mr. Powers:I'll give you an expense account.
Johnny Jones:Okay, What's the story?
Mr. Powers:Europe.
Johnny Jones:Well, I'm afraid I'm not exactly equipped, sir, but I can do some reading up.
Mr. Powers:No no, no reading up. I like you just as you are, Mr. Jones. What Europe needs is a fresh, unused mind.
Johnny Jones:Foreign correspondent, huh?
Mr. Powers:No, reporter. I don't want correspondence, I want news.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Destroy All Humans! (2005) (VG)

Soundtrack:

Roses from the South, Opus 388

Everything you could possibly ask for

Action, romance, comedy, political intrigue...Alfred Hitchcock's Foreign Correspondent(1940) has got it all. The film deals with very serious subject matter, the run up to the disastrous World War II in Europe, but Hitchcock's comedic treatment of the life and death circumstances make the film infinitely more watchable. Joel McRae is an outstanding leading man and the rest of the great international ensemble cast doesn't miss a dramatic or comedic note at any point in the film. The characteristic hitchcockian suspense is present throughout but it's the comedic moments that really make the film shine. In only his second Hollywood film, Hitchcock was in top form in showing the unique style of storytelling that would change the medium and influence film makers for 70 years and counting.