Foreign Correspondent (1940)

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

Director:

Alfred Hitchcock

Writers:

Charles Bennett (screenplay), Joan Harrison (screenplay)

Stars:

Joel McCrea, Laraine Day, Herbert Marshall

Nominated for 6 Oscars. Another 1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Joel McCrea	...	John Jones
Laraine Day	...	Carol Fisher
Herbert Marshall	...	Stephen Fisher
George Sanders	...	Scott 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

Storyline

Johnny Jones is an action reporter on a New York newspaper. The editor appoints him European correspondent because he is fed up with the dry, reports he currently gets. Jones' first assignment is to get the inside story on a secret treaty agreed between two European countries by the famous diplomat, Mr. Van Meer. However things don't go to plan and Jones enlists the help of a young woman to help track down a group of spies.

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Plot Keywords:

policeman | fuzz | pig | bacon | reporter | 

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Taglines:

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

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Genres:

Action | Romance | Thriller | War

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Certificate:

PG

Did You Know?

Trivia

This film is part of the Criterion Collection, spine #696.

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Goofs

The film is reversed left-to-right during the chess game at the police station.

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Quotes

Scott ffolliott: Ring Mayfair 24574...
Stebbins: [gets out notebook] Let me write that...
Scott ffolliott: Mayfair 24574. That's my cousin. He's the director of the airline. Tell him we need two seats on tomorrow's clipper for America. Then go to Hilton Nursing Home and stick by Van Meer. Then phone Miss Edith Armbruster, Kensington 66255. Tell her I'm off to America. Will she dine with me next Monday instead of tomorrow?
Stebbins: Sure.
Scott ffolliott: Then call up Stevens at The Post, tell him I'm off to America.
John Jones: Cable New York, tell them I'm off to America!
Scott ffolliott: [...]

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Crazy Credits

Opening credits prologue: To those intrepid ones who went across the seas to be the eyes and ears of America... To those forthright ones who early saw the clouds of war while many of us at home were seeing rainbows... To those clear-headed ones who now stand like recording angels among the dead and dying... To the Foreign Correspondents - this motion picture is dedicated.

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Alternate Versions

In the German version the final radio address was missing. The movie ends with the newspaper headlines.

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Connections

Referenced in The Pink Panther (1963)

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Soundtracks

Rule Britannia
(1740) (uncredited)
Music by Thomas Augustine Arne
Background music played as a ship pulls out of the harbor

User Reviews

Never pauses for breath...

What a movie!

I literally could not believe how great this movie was once I'd seen it for the first time. After a short intro we are thrust directly into the action and from there on in, it's one thrilling set-piece after another.

We go from kidnapping to assassination, to car chase, to discovery of plot, to escape from a hotel, to a twist regarding the leader of the enemy, to a wonderful sequence with a hired bodyguard who is in fact an assassin, to a fake kidnapping set up by the heroes, to torture scene, to rescue, to plane crash at sea...

It's dizzying that this was all intended for one film and when the end credits rolled you really felt like you'd got your money's worth. If I'd have watched this movie when it came out in the forties, I would have praised Hitchcock all night for giving me ten superb movies in one for my dollar.

In short (although you can hardly call these ramblings short) check this movie out. If you're a fan of escapist, thrilling adventures populated by superb characters (see George Sanders as ffolliot, and Robert Benchley as Stebbins) you will be delighted. This is one of Hitch's lesser seen gems and deserves to be rediscovered without delay

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Dutch German Latvian

Release Date:

16 August 1940 (USA)

Also Known As:

Der Auslandskorrespondent

Filming Locations:

Amsterdam, Netherlands

Box Office

Budget:

$1,500,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Walter Wanger Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

120 min 98 min (cut)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1