Another low budget film from Forgotten Noir Vol. 4. This one rates a little higher than Radar Secret Service. The script is pretty basic, the directing OK and the cast a step above RSS. The story is more involving and although it's more a spy film than film noir it has many of the elements of film noir. Dark streets, a fast moving pace, a narrative beginning and those fine old cars. Amanda Blake tops a decent cast and the espionage adds a tension to the film which satisfies. Being almost addicted to Film Noir I have to admit that these films, as cheesy as they may appear, are very entertaining! The DVD set Forgotten Noir Vol. 4 has surprisingly good prints and the movies though just over an hour in length are fulfilling.
12 Reviews
An Unwitting Leak
bkoganbing10 July 2011
Australian actor Ron Randell becomes the Scotland Yard man in the USA helping solve a case of badly leaking government secrets at a missile testing ground in Counterspy Meets Scotland Yard. An American agent played by Harry Lauter gets killed during his investigation and the bad guys went to great lengths to make it look like a suicide.
The leak is an innocent one and it's played by Gunsmoke's future Miss Kitty, Amanda Blake. How the information is being gotten out of her is the key to the whole film, but it involves our developing missile guidance systems which the Russians would like to steal.
The villains are a clever and ruthless bunch and the film is from the B unit at Columbia Pictures. Doesn't have any great production values, but the story is an intriguing one and the players are all fine in their parts.
The leak is an innocent one and it's played by Gunsmoke's future Miss Kitty, Amanda Blake. How the information is being gotten out of her is the key to the whole film, but it involves our developing missile guidance systems which the Russians would like to steal.
The villains are a clever and ruthless bunch and the film is from the B unit at Columbia Pictures. Doesn't have any great production values, but the story is an intriguing one and the players are all fine in their parts.
Bertter Than Its Predecessor
skallisjr7 December 2008
Warning: Spoilers
In the 1940s, the primary entertainment medium in the United States was broadcast radio. A number of the old-time radio (OTR) shows could be classified as drama. One was "Counterspy," started in 1942, a show about a fictional agency that combated espionage and sabotage within and outside the United States. Head of the agency was David Harding.
This is one of two films based on the radio show. The first had the United States Counterspies mostly in the background. In this, David Harding takes a more active role -- even a bit more than on the radio show, where he delegated a lot of the field work to Agent Peters.
The story involves enemy agents obtaining highly classified information on guided-missile technology. At the beginning of the film, one section head figures out what the leak is, but before he can relay the information to the Counterspies, he's killed. He did leave a 1950s equivalent of a voicemail before he's offed, however.
After hearing the message, David Harding goes to the high-security area where the section head died, apparently from natural causes. Because of the suspicious timing of his death, he orders a covert exhumation for a full autopsy. As his people reach the cemetery after dark, they find someone else digging up the grave, and capture him (not without a fistfight).
It turns out that the independent graverobber is an agent from Scotland Yard, independently wanting to get an autopsy for the same reasons Harding does, though without the clue of the voice mail. It turns out that the Scotland Yard agent is an old friend of Harding's, and they pool their efforts, though under the aegis of the U. S. Counterspies.
Unlike the previous film, this one shows all sorts of tricks involving 1950s spy technology. There are radio communications, wire taps, room bugs, and all of those things that showed cleverness to the general audience of the day. Given the minimal role of the Counterspies in the first film, David Harding, Counterspy, this film appears to be trying to make up for it.
Major Spoiler Alert The spies were extracting the data from the lead female in the film, a secretary with high security clearance, who was seeing a doctor for emotionally caused headaches. The Victor used a chemically augmented form of regressive hypnotherapy to retrieve the data The recording apparatus used will be completely alien to younger viewers. Fortunastely for her, before the doctor discovers the bug that the Counterspies planted, her exchange with the doctor demonstrates she's an innocent pawn, not a traitor.
The latter parts of the film are pretty conventional, but the film is entertaining. A much better representation of the highly popular radii series than its predecessor.
This is one of two films based on the radio show. The first had the United States Counterspies mostly in the background. In this, David Harding takes a more active role -- even a bit more than on the radio show, where he delegated a lot of the field work to Agent Peters.
The story involves enemy agents obtaining highly classified information on guided-missile technology. At the beginning of the film, one section head figures out what the leak is, but before he can relay the information to the Counterspies, he's killed. He did leave a 1950s equivalent of a voicemail before he's offed, however.
After hearing the message, David Harding goes to the high-security area where the section head died, apparently from natural causes. Because of the suspicious timing of his death, he orders a covert exhumation for a full autopsy. As his people reach the cemetery after dark, they find someone else digging up the grave, and capture him (not without a fistfight).
It turns out that the independent graverobber is an agent from Scotland Yard, independently wanting to get an autopsy for the same reasons Harding does, though without the clue of the voice mail. It turns out that the Scotland Yard agent is an old friend of Harding's, and they pool their efforts, though under the aegis of the U. S. Counterspies.
Unlike the previous film, this one shows all sorts of tricks involving 1950s spy technology. There are radio communications, wire taps, room bugs, and all of those things that showed cleverness to the general audience of the day. Given the minimal role of the Counterspies in the first film, David Harding, Counterspy, this film appears to be trying to make up for it.
Major Spoiler Alert The spies were extracting the data from the lead female in the film, a secretary with high security clearance, who was seeing a doctor for emotionally caused headaches. The Victor used a chemically augmented form of regressive hypnotherapy to retrieve the data The recording apparatus used will be completely alien to younger viewers. Fortunastely for her, before the doctor discovers the bug that the Counterspies planted, her exchange with the doctor demonstrates she's an innocent pawn, not a traitor.
The latter parts of the film are pretty conventional, but the film is entertaining. A much better representation of the highly popular radii series than its predecessor.
Not so bad spy tale
searchanddestroy-129 November 2008
That's the first Seymour Friedman movie I comment. He was an acceptable B director. Most of his movies were made for Columbia Pictures, and not under Sam Katzman's rules, except one or two; I am not absolutely sure. Wallace Mac Donald produced most of his movies.
This one is not a film noir but a spy tale, as so many in these anti red years. Nothing special in this story of enemy agents tracked by David Harding. We already saw him in a Ray Nazzaro's film : David Harding Counterspy - one of the are non western Ray ever shot !! -, and a buddy hunter from SY. An opportunity to specify cooperation between UK and US in spy hunt.
Guided missile, charming secretary, dark rooms, a little talk and some good action sequences - for a B movie, I mean, nothing more. What could be expect more?
Well, in short, you can waste 67 minutes on it. Try "Forgotten Noir" disc set. It's in it. With eight other ones. You won't regret.
This one is not a film noir but a spy tale, as so many in these anti red years. Nothing special in this story of enemy agents tracked by David Harding. We already saw him in a Ray Nazzaro's film : David Harding Counterspy - one of the are non western Ray ever shot !! -, and a buddy hunter from SY. An opportunity to specify cooperation between UK and US in spy hunt.
Guided missile, charming secretary, dark rooms, a little talk and some good action sequences - for a B movie, I mean, nothing more. What could be expect more?
Well, in short, you can waste 67 minutes on it. Try "Forgotten Noir" disc set. It's in it. With eight other ones. You won't regret.
low-budget Kit Parker film
blanche-211 September 2015
I actually like these movies, they're quick and sometimes quite entertaining.
Ron Randell plays a Scotland Yard inspector working in the US to help find out who is leaking government secrets at a missile testing ground to the Russians. The American agent investigating purportedly committed suicide, but further investigation proves that he was murdered and that it was set up to look like suicide.
The leak is revealed to the audience fairly quickly, and she doesn't know she's a leak. It's none other than Amanda Blake in her pre-Gunsmoke "Miss Kitty" days. She and the star, Ron Randell, became engaged during this time, though they never married.
Black and white, pretty good, and I could listen to Ron Randell talk forever. What a voice.
Ron Randell plays a Scotland Yard inspector working in the US to help find out who is leaking government secrets at a missile testing ground to the Russians. The American agent investigating purportedly committed suicide, but further investigation proves that he was murdered and that it was set up to look like suicide.
The leak is revealed to the audience fairly quickly, and she doesn't know she's a leak. It's none other than Amanda Blake in her pre-Gunsmoke "Miss Kitty" days. She and the star, Ron Randell, became engaged during this time, though they never married.
Black and white, pretty good, and I could listen to Ron Randell talk forever. What a voice.
A nice little B-spy picture
planktonrules6 November 2010
Warning: Spoilers
Despite the rather cheesy sounding title, "Counterspy Meets Scotland Yard" is a very good B-movie. However, it's included in a collection of film noir films, and I really don't see this as noir--more just a good old spy yarn.
The film begins with a government agent supposedly committing suicide. However, he was on the verge of a breakthrough on a big case and didn't seem depressed, so the agency had its doubts as to whether he really killed himself. So, they decide to secretly exhume the body--at which point they find another person already there with the same idea! Well, this turns out to be a Scotland Yard detective with a very bad sense of direction (after all, this is the West Coast of the US). Together, this agent and the Americans try to determine who actually murdered the guy.
The story turns out to involve a ring of spies who use mind-control drugs to get secrets out of agency personnel--people who have no idea that they are having secrets pumped out of them when they go to see the doctor. It's all very far-fetched but also pretty exciting--especially as the film has a dandy conclusion involving a drugged agent fighting to alert his friends.
Well written (despite the odd angle about drugs) and acted, despite this film's humble origins and budget, it kept my attention and was constantly entertaining. Well worth seeing.
The film begins with a government agent supposedly committing suicide. However, he was on the verge of a breakthrough on a big case and didn't seem depressed, so the agency had its doubts as to whether he really killed himself. So, they decide to secretly exhume the body--at which point they find another person already there with the same idea! Well, this turns out to be a Scotland Yard detective with a very bad sense of direction (after all, this is the West Coast of the US). Together, this agent and the Americans try to determine who actually murdered the guy.
The story turns out to involve a ring of spies who use mind-control drugs to get secrets out of agency personnel--people who have no idea that they are having secrets pumped out of them when they go to see the doctor. It's all very far-fetched but also pretty exciting--especially as the film has a dandy conclusion involving a drugged agent fighting to alert his friends.
Well written (despite the odd angle about drugs) and acted, despite this film's humble origins and budget, it kept my attention and was constantly entertaining. Well worth seeing.
Slow-Moving Spy Flick
boblipton12 December 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Ron Randall from Scotland Yard helps US Counterspy Agency chief Howard St. John track down the spies of an unnamed nation (that's the USSR) when plans for a new missile guidance system leak. It turns out St. John's secretary, Amanda Blake, is in therapy, and the doctor doing the therapy is drugging her with truth serum, recording the classified information, and smuggling it out in the corks of empty water bottles for the cooler. Warsaw Springs, coming to you straight from the Comintern!
It's based on the long-running (1942-1957) radio show created by Phillip H. Lord when J. Edgar Hoover gave him grief over the contents of Gang Busters. By creating his own agency, Lord got around Hoover, and made it clear that the other guys had spies, not us.
It's a very slow-moving second feature.
It's based on the long-running (1942-1957) radio show created by Phillip H. Lord when J. Edgar Hoover gave him grief over the contents of Gang Busters. By creating his own agency, Lord got around Hoover, and made it clear that the other guys had spies, not us.
It's a very slow-moving second feature.
Engaging Spy Sleuths Yarn
GordJackson11 April 2015
"Counter Spy Meets Scotland Yard" may not be high art, but it is an enjoyable spies and sleuths programmer that pits the good guys, led by Howard St. John and Ron Randell, against a nefarious network of villains out to defrock truth, justice and the American way. Released by Columbia Pictures in 1950, "Spy" also includes B film stalwart June Vincent and Amanda Blake, who was to find fame (and maybe fortune) on the television version of "Gunsmoke" as Miss Kitty, as two friends not quite as in sync with each other as one of them seems to think.
As scripted by Howard Green (based on the radio series "Counterspy") and directed in no nonsense fashion by Seymour Friedman, this one is an engrossing, low-rent potboiler that nicely entertains the entire 67 minutes of its economical running time.
Personally paired as 'our feature attraction' with the Columbia-released Gene Autry production "Gene Autry and the Mounties", it made for a great nostalgia film package, the sort that used to routinely play my beloved Granada Theatre here in Hamilton.
Oh how I miss those days!
As scripted by Howard Green (based on the radio series "Counterspy") and directed in no nonsense fashion by Seymour Friedman, this one is an engrossing, low-rent potboiler that nicely entertains the entire 67 minutes of its economical running time.
Personally paired as 'our feature attraction' with the Columbia-released Gene Autry production "Gene Autry and the Mounties", it made for a great nostalgia film package, the sort that used to routinely play my beloved Granada Theatre here in Hamilton.
Oh how I miss those days!
A cure for insomnia
gridoon202428 January 2024
This follow-up to "David Harding, Counterspy" is just as boring, if not more. As before, the various men in suits, no matter what side they're working for, show no traces of personality to help us tell them apart, and although this round there are two female roles as opposed to the first film's one, they are more underwritten. The film shows us EXACTLY how the enemy spy ring operates early on, and then we have to wait for about an hour for the heroes to catch up: hardly a recipe for excitement. In fact, 67 minutes have rarely felt longer, which proves once again the relativity of time. * out of 4.
Efficient spy thriller about transmitting missile secrets abroad
clanciai17 December 2021
The good thing about these old films is that they are always well written and efficiently made with a professional handsome tempo that keeps you following on whatever happens, with actors of clear articulation that don't make you miss one word and with generously sumptuous and gorgeous music. The Americans might have made it without calling on Scotland Yard, but Britain sent a man across just in case to give a helping hand in a matter that concerned the world. There is some psychiatric mumbo-jumbo as well with hypnotism and dirty tricks, but the intrigue is well spun and fascinating to get involved in, as it is practically impossible to discover. Ron Randell gets roughed up by the villains but succeeds in getting the message through of how the foul play gets through by almost getting lost on the way, but there is Amanda Blake also...
Quick Red Scare Crime Film
gordonl5617 August 2013
Warning: Spoilers
David Harding: COUNTERSPY MEETS Scotland YARD – 1950
A low rent "Red Scare" programmer from the Columbia Pictures B- film unit. This was the second film based on the radio series, COUNTERSPY. Howard St John plays David Harding, the head of a government agency out to stop enemy spy types from stealing American secrets.
An agent of St John's, Harry Lauter, leaves a message for St John that he has a lead on possible red spies. Lauter is head of the secret files office at a US rocket research base. The next day, Lauter is found dead after supposedly committing suicide.
St John does not buy this for a second, and assigns John Dehner to look into the matter. Dehner soon rustles up a suspect in Lauter's death. The suspect however turns out to be Scotland Yard agent, Ron Randell. Both had been following the same lead. Randell had been in town delivering a part to the rocket research lab when Lauter died. Randell had decided to look into the matter himself.
St John quickly asks Randell to join the U.S. team in the hunt for the spy-slash killer. One of the main suspects is Amanda Blake, in a pre-GUNSMOKE role. She is the main secretary for the record files section. It seems that Blake suffers from regular migraines and sees a local doctor, Everett Glass, for relief. Glass, along with his nurse, June Vincent, are really commie spies. They shoot Blake up with truth serum on her visits and have her repeat from memory, all the reports on the secret rocket tests. These are taped and dispatched every week for Moscow.
The "Reds" have a hideout at the local bottled water plant. They use the company trucks to pick up the tapes etc and move them. The Government types soon tumble to the "Red" set up. They lay a trap for Glass, Vincent, and his thug, John Doucette. Needless to say fists and bullets are exchanged before the Commies are captured.
Not bad at all for a back-lot quickie. The director, Seymour Friedman keeps the pace moving for the whole 67 minute run. Friedman turned out a number of these bottom rung programmers. Some of the better ones are, CRIMINAL LAWYER, CHINATOWN AT MIDNIGHT, CUSTOMS AGENT and LOAN SHARK.
The d of p, Phil Tannura, is also known to noir fans. He worked on several BOSTON BLACKIE and WHISTLER films as well as, CUSTOMS AGENT, HI-JACKED and NIGHT EDITOR.
I'd swear John Doucette pops up in every other film or TV show from the 50's. He had hundreds of bits in film and television between 1943 and 1987.
Look quick and you will see director Fred Sears in a small part. As a director, Sears cranked out over 50 films between 1949 and 1957. These include one of the best low rent sci-fi films of the era, EARTH VS THE FLYING SAUCERS.
A low rent "Red Scare" programmer from the Columbia Pictures B- film unit. This was the second film based on the radio series, COUNTERSPY. Howard St John plays David Harding, the head of a government agency out to stop enemy spy types from stealing American secrets.
An agent of St John's, Harry Lauter, leaves a message for St John that he has a lead on possible red spies. Lauter is head of the secret files office at a US rocket research base. The next day, Lauter is found dead after supposedly committing suicide.
St John does not buy this for a second, and assigns John Dehner to look into the matter. Dehner soon rustles up a suspect in Lauter's death. The suspect however turns out to be Scotland Yard agent, Ron Randell. Both had been following the same lead. Randell had been in town delivering a part to the rocket research lab when Lauter died. Randell had decided to look into the matter himself.
St John quickly asks Randell to join the U.S. team in the hunt for the spy-slash killer. One of the main suspects is Amanda Blake, in a pre-GUNSMOKE role. She is the main secretary for the record files section. It seems that Blake suffers from regular migraines and sees a local doctor, Everett Glass, for relief. Glass, along with his nurse, June Vincent, are really commie spies. They shoot Blake up with truth serum on her visits and have her repeat from memory, all the reports on the secret rocket tests. These are taped and dispatched every week for Moscow.
The "Reds" have a hideout at the local bottled water plant. They use the company trucks to pick up the tapes etc and move them. The Government types soon tumble to the "Red" set up. They lay a trap for Glass, Vincent, and his thug, John Doucette. Needless to say fists and bullets are exchanged before the Commies are captured.
Not bad at all for a back-lot quickie. The director, Seymour Friedman keeps the pace moving for the whole 67 minute run. Friedman turned out a number of these bottom rung programmers. Some of the better ones are, CRIMINAL LAWYER, CHINATOWN AT MIDNIGHT, CUSTOMS AGENT and LOAN SHARK.
The d of p, Phil Tannura, is also known to noir fans. He worked on several BOSTON BLACKIE and WHISTLER films as well as, CUSTOMS AGENT, HI-JACKED and NIGHT EDITOR.
I'd swear John Doucette pops up in every other film or TV show from the 50's. He had hundreds of bits in film and television between 1943 and 1987.
Look quick and you will see director Fred Sears in a small part. As a director, Sears cranked out over 50 films between 1949 and 1957. These include one of the best low rent sci-fi films of the era, EARTH VS THE FLYING SAUCERS.
Remarkably good, and so much better than I expect from Columbia
morrisonhimself15 December 2021
All the people in this did excellent work. All of them, from actors to writers and director.
Other than Amanda Blake, who earned eternal fame for her "Gunsmoke" role, probably none of the actors is especially well known today, but one of them is the great John Doucette, to be seen in so many of John Wayne's films, and another is Harry Lauter, who starred in his own TV series, "Tales of the Texas Rangers," and some 300 other roles..
Ron Randell might be still known, and certainly deserves to be, judging just from "Counterspy."
It's a neat, fairly compact story, awfully well told, and surprisingly modern looking.
There is a large cast, again of mostly unknowns, but of immensely talented performers, voicing lines that are perfect in context.
This lovely film makes we wish there were others in the series, even though usually I don't like series movies.
The last scene is not perfect, but most of this motion picture comes close. I just cannot recommend it enough, and you can see it on YouTube.
Other than Amanda Blake, who earned eternal fame for her "Gunsmoke" role, probably none of the actors is especially well known today, but one of them is the great John Doucette, to be seen in so many of John Wayne's films, and another is Harry Lauter, who starred in his own TV series, "Tales of the Texas Rangers," and some 300 other roles..
Ron Randell might be still known, and certainly deserves to be, judging just from "Counterspy."
It's a neat, fairly compact story, awfully well told, and surprisingly modern looking.
There is a large cast, again of mostly unknowns, but of immensely talented performers, voicing lines that are perfect in context.
This lovely film makes we wish there were others in the series, even though usually I don't like series movies.
The last scene is not perfect, but most of this motion picture comes close. I just cannot recommend it enough, and you can see it on YouTube.
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
