Trece rue Madeleine

The title of this movie is the address of the Nazi headquarters in France where the James Cagney character tries to endure torture in order to keep secret his agents' plans to destroy said headquarters. Compellingly directed by Henry Hathaway in a semi-documentary approach that simulates a March-of-Time-like feel, this film takes us from training to assignment the trials of the OSS agents in preparing to infiltrate Nazi-occupied France during World War II. Excellent portrayal by Richard Conte as the German-posing-as-American student who befriends fellow classmate Frank Latimore over backgammon. Also compelling is Annabella as a French-immigrant who waits for news about her husband. Also worth mentioning are Walter Abel as Cagney's concerned superior and Sam Jaffe as the French mayor who learns to trust Cagney. May be slow for some modern watchers but worth seeing to the climatic end! As in another Hathaway movie called Kiss of Death later that year, look for Karl Malden in cameo. He plays a jump master in this one.