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Storyline
A Navy engineer, returning to the U.S. with his wife from a conference, finds himself pursued by Nazi agents, who are out to kill him. Without a word to his wife, he flees the hotel the couple is staying in and boards a ship, only to find, after the ship sails, that the agents have followed him.
Written by
Albert Sanchez Moreno <a.moreno@mindspring.com>
Plot Summary
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Taglines:
Welles and Del Rio together! as Terror Man vs. Leopard Woman--for possession of a mysterious stranger in the powder-keg Middle East...a man with a military secret worth more than his love and his life!...It's menace melodrama thrilled with mighty mystery and suspense...SEE IT!
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Did You Know?
Trivia
For Joseph Cotton, being cast in the lead was rare. "Journey into Fear" was one of the few times his name was top of the cast.
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Goofs
Near the end of the movie, Joseph Cotten is seen walking in the rain and entering a hotel. When he walks up to the front desk his suit looks hardly touched by the rain. However, in the next scene, when he enters his wife's room his suit is drenched.
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Quotes
Josette Martel:
Gogo will do it.
Howard Graham:
Gogo?
Josette Martel:
I will not have to tell Gogo anything about you. Gogo will play cards with him.
Howard Graham:
Will Gogo ask him?
Josette Martel:
I will tell Gogo that I saw this man open a wallet with a lot of money in it. Gogo will see that he plays cards. You don't know Gogo.
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Alternate Versions
In 2005 an alternate cut was shown at the Welles film retrospective in Locarno, Switzerland. It was the original European release print, lacking the narration and ending of the US version but including about eight minutes of footage later deleted by RKO, reportedly for political and censorship reasons. This alternate version, assembled by Stefan Droessler of the Munich Filmmuseum, was shown at the Museum of Modern Art on Sat, Nov 21, 2015
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Soundtracks
Three Little Words
(1930) (uncredited)
Music by
Harry Ruby
Lyrics by
Bert Kalmar See more »
Joseph Cotten plays an American armaments engineer on the run from the Nazis in "Journey into Fear," a 1943 film with a script by Cotten (from a story by Eric Ambler) and costarring Orson Welles and Delores del Rio. Cotten is working on a deal to supply Turkey with weapons to fight the Axis. The Nazis don't want the deal made and are trying to stop Cotten from getting back to the U.S.
There are some very exciting scenes in this extremely atmospheric film, in particular on the ledge of a building between Cotten and the terrifying assassin. Most of the film takes place on board a dingy ship where Cotten is taken, thus beginning his Kafka-esquire nightmare.
This is an entertaining film for sure, but I've always been troubled by it. First of all, it seems like there are scenes missing. Second, it's on the confusing side since there are irrelevant characters thrown in. Third, you can drive a truck through some of the plot holes. Fourth, the ending to me has always felt abrupt.
Suspenseful? Yes. Intriguing? Yes. Ultimately disappointing? Yes. Cotten is good as a man blundering through something he can't quite figure out - the problem is, the audience can't quite figure it out either. Welles has a small but effective role as Dr. Haki.
Strong on style, weak on substance.