Cipher Bureau

"Cipher Bureau" turns out to be a serious but a fun little film that must have held fascination for people interested in the technology of the day as the world hurtled toward the turmoil of and tragic need for the Second World War. The performances are just fine, with faces that were largely familiar to the movie-going fans of the day in 1938, but, unfortunately, are now fast fading from America's collective memory. But it is the code-breaking concerns and the pre-war espionage focus that make this movie as compelling and worth the while for lovers of old movies. Joan Woodbury adds a sparkling dash of future 1940's sophistication, as her presence becomes more and more anticipated and desired by the viewer as the film unfolds. The other big thing for me was the classical motif and score, which really sets the film apart from most other efforts back in the day. One gets the idea that this film had aspirations to be much more grown up than it ever could be with the lower budget it had to work with. Additionally, it is curious how they found a Lenin look-alike to play the piano. I am so glad I got to see this interesting motion picture.