O.S.S. (1946)

John Martin is part of an American spy team dropped into France during World War II to destroy the French railway system. After successfully blowing up a tunnel he runs back to save Ellen ... See full summary »

Director:

Irving Pichel

Writer:

Richard Maibaum

Stars:

Alan Ladd, Geraldine Fitzgerald, Patric Knowles

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Alan Ladd	...	Philip Masson / John Martin
Geraldine Fitzgerald	...	Ellen Rogers / Elaine Duprez
Patric Knowles	...	Cmdr. Brady
John Hoyt	...	Col. Paul Meister
Gloria Saunders	...	WAC Operator Sparky
Richard Webb	...	Partker
Richard Benedict	...	Bernay
Harold Vermilyea	...	Amadeus Brink
Don Beddoe	...	Gates / Rodney Parrish
Crane Whitley	...	Arnheim
Onslow Stevens	...	Field
Gavin Muir	...	Col. Crawson
Egon Brecher	...	Marcel Aubert
Joseph Crehan	...	Gen. Donovan
Bobby Driscoll	...	Gerard

Storyline

John Martin is part of an American spy team dropped into France during World War II to destroy the French railway system. After successfully blowing up a tunnel he runs back to save Ellen and is told "Never come back for me again." Later he must choose whether or not to obey her wishes.

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Plot Keywords:

spy | sabotage | world war two

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Taglines:

He's deep in danger...deeper in love...in the Top Thrill Show of the Year!

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Genres:

Drama | War

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Certificate:

Unrated

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

19 September 1946 (Sweden)

Also Known As:

Afaneis iroes

Filming Locations:

Paramount Studios - 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

"Lux Radio Theater" broadcast a 60 minute radio adaptation of the movie on November 18, 1946 with Alan Ladd and Richard Benedict reprising their film roles.

User Reviews

Okay WW II spy film

Alan Ladd and Geraldine Fitzgerald head up a team of spies in "O.S.S.," a 1946 film about the Office of Strategic Services formed just before the U.S. entered World War II. Ladd and Fitzgerald are part of a group, trained by Patric Knowles, who then parachute into France, perform acts of sabotage and also spy activities. One of the complications is that the Ladd character, John Martin, is a chauvinist who believes that "Elaine Duprez" (Fitzgerald) can't do what he considers a man's job effectively. She proves him wrong as she flirts with a German officer and gets to travel with him by train. The sculpture she is doing of him contains a bomb, which she passes out the window to John and he plants. She climbs out and the two run out of the tunnel. Eventually the two fall in love, but it's bittersweet as they watch the rest of their team fall prey to the Germans.

This is a pretty good film, not the most exciting thing you'll ever see, but it's heightened by the acting of Geraldine Fitzgerald and the presence of Alan Ladd. It's hard to think of Ladd as a great actor; he was very limited, but what he did, he did very well. Handsome, tough, with a no-nonsense line delivery, he was perfect starring in the noir films for which he is justifiably famous and, of course, Shane.

The attractive Patric Knowles does a good job, as does the rest of the cast. "O.S.S." is effective in that you care about the characters. There is some tension, though probably not enough, and nowhere near enough action for this kind of movie. If it were any other actors, it wouldn't be worth seeing; but given the cast, it's a decent watch.