British Intelligence (1940)

Thanks for the memories!

Very interesting film. Was caught on the premise when seeing the trailer but unsure as to what the outcome would be for the showing. As it turns out, it was a very good film.

One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

It is encouraging that the film ends so strongly.Otherwise, it wouldn't have been a particularly memorable film

During World War I the spy Helene von Lorbeer goes to London to stay in the home of the cabinet minister Arthur Bennett as a refugee and meets with fellow agent Valdar who works there. Slowly it is revealed what the true mission is and the identity of the German spy master Strendler whom the British secret service have been after for years. It's a decent well written film and although set in WWI there are obvious parallels with WWII. Pointedly so. The director keeps the film moving on apace up to the explosive climax.Boris Karloff is excellent as Valdar and Margaret Lindsay, always an under rated actor I've always thought, is good as Helene. They are supported by familiar and able actors;Leonard Mudie,Holmes Herbert and Bruce Lester. Paul Panzer plays a peasant. It was based on a 1918 play and mainly takes place in one house reflecting its stage origin though there are outdoor scenes.A good film with an interesting plot and capable acting.

Copyright 1 January 1940 by Warner Bros Pictures, Inc. New York opening at the Globe: 11 February 1940. U.S. release: 29 January 1940. No Australian theatrical release. 5,446 feet. 60 minutes.U.K. release title: "Enemy Agent".SYNOPSIS: This time, Boris Karloff essays the German spy who has secreted himself in the household of a cabinet member, whilst Margaret Lindsay is the British agent who sets out to expose him. NOTES: Third (and final) re-make of "Three Faces East". COMMENT: Incredibly, this is a remake of that awful movie, "Three Faces East". Needless to say, Lee Katz's script could not help but be an improvement, while director Terry Morse has it all over a sorrowful hack like Roy Del Ruth. But oddly, Boris Karloff, despite the character's more plausible motivation and sharper dialogue, offers little in the way of charisma. In fact, we often have the impression that Karloff is trying so hard not to imitate "the man you love to hate" that he goes into reverse! Bring back Erich von Stroheim!

Fine WWI spy thriller featuring two of my favorites, the great Boris Karloff and lovely Margaret Lindsay. The story centers around a German secret agent (Lindsay) going undercover at the home of a British cabinet minister (Holmes Herbert), whose scar-faced butler (Karloff) is really a double agent. A few twists & turns keep this one interesting. Set in WWI, the plot and dialogue is applicable to WWII as well. No doubt that was intentional. It's a fine B movie with a crisp pace, short runtime, and great cast. Try not to read too much about it or you're sure to come across some spoilers that might ruin some of it for you.

As one spy to another, Boris Karloff offers some advice: "The only way to be someone you are not is to be that person always, even in the presence of friends." This is a picture that keeps us guessing—just who is each person? It's a clever and very entertaining wartime thriller in which no one's identity is clear.Set in 1917, the action is presented as directly relevant to the current events of 1940; more than one speech steps aside from the actual plot and appeals to an audience who would know exactly what was meant by references to future wars and to future lunatics who would again want to take over the world. The film's final speaker actually turns straight on to the camera for his inspirational closing sentences—the kind of exhortation that was frequent in WWII era films, that we rarely if ever see in pictures from any other era, and that can be strangely stirring even at this great distance.Boris Karloff and Margaret Lindsay are both excellent, especially in their scenes together: their eyes are wonderfully expressive as they watch each other, play their roles, calculate loyalties and next moves.Favorite moment: the late scene at the center of which Karloff purrs, "Excellent. But I'm afraid it won't quite do." Definitely a spy vs. spy quickie worth watching.