Foreign Correspondent

Though a bit preachy (WWII was about to start) and overlong (2-hours), the movie's still a gripping Hitchcock, only his second in the US. That windmill sequence has stayed with me for sixty years. How clever the entire set-up is, not quite like anything else I've seen. Notice especially the excellence of the exterior set—the sky, the windmills— these visuals are exceptional for a sound stage creation.

Then too, I love the way Hitch builds suspense in the tower scene with all the untimely intrusions. Still it's difficult to see Santa from Miracle on 34th Street (1947) as a heartless killer. Then too, there's that pure Hichcockian assassination scene with the umbrellas and the unflinching camera as the bullet strikes Van Meer's face. And finally, the cockpit crash scene that's still jarring. Thanks IMDb for explaining how it was done. For its time, the unswerving camera as the plane strikes water was both daring and imaginative.

To me, these are exceptional dramatic highlights. On the whole the narrative is engaging as we follow efforts to locate the real Van Meer, while the romantic angle is woven cleverly into the plot without being obtrusive. And for a political movie of the time, note that the term Nazi is not used even once. The narrative manages to keep the sinister nationality of the plotters anonymous, but we know who is meant.

Note too how animated the usually reserved George Sanders is in his scenes. It's almost a problem since he overshadows the quieter hero, Joel McCrea. True McCrea is a little palid in his role as a reporter, still he comes across as appropriately likable and assertive when necessary, as in the hidden phone sequence.

Nonetheless, the movie's a worthy entry in the Master of Suspense's film catalog and if it's not as well known as many of his other 40's movies, it should be.

"Foreign Correspondent" is yet another Hitchcock masterpiece featuring some incredibly creative visual effects that, 80 years later, still hold up. This was thanks to a huge budget ($1.5 million which was enormous back then) that allowed for huge sets and props to be built, for example the entire Amsterdam Town Hall and surrounding streets were constructed inside a studio for the famous assassin chase scene in the rain. The full size cockpit of a transatlantic airliner was built (and somewhat trashed), and my favorite part, a 4-story windmill was also built for this picture.

But I'm getting ahead of myself, first the plot. "Foreign Correspondent" is a roller coaster political thriller that centers on a reporter "Johnny Jones" (Joel McCrea sporting the most American name ever invented) who is sent to Europe to find out the inside scoop on whether war is going to be declared. He stumbles into an insidious plot by agents of "Bovaria" (they weren't allowed to say "Germany" lest they offend American neutralists at the time). Once the action begins it never lets up, except for a few well-placed moments of comedy and sarcastic wit thanks largely to the unforgettable performance of George Sanders as the British liaison "Scott ffolliott" (spelled with a lowercase 'f' due to an ancestor losing his head).

And it's really that characteristic blend of action and Hitchcockian humor that makes this film fly. Yes, there is a romance element featuring the lovely Laraine Day as "Carol", but it never distracts from the lightning pace of this story. And in fact, we get one of the most hilariously abridged "love scenes" in the history of cinema...

JOHNNY: I'm in love with you and want to marry you. CAROL: I'm in love with you and want to marry you. JOHNNY: Hm, that cuts down our love scene quite a bit, doesn't it?

Ok, as promised back to the visual effects. They're so good that you might miss them, and that's sort of the point. Harrowing scenes atop hotel ledges, countryside chases through windmills, and of course those incredible airplane scenes near the end--these were all staged in a studio with constructed sets, enormous props, fantastic matte paintings and one of the most elaborate Hollywood effects ever made involving a projection on rice paper and a few thousand gallons of water. After you see this movie, definitely look up Alfred Hitchcock's interview on the Dick Cavett show 1972 where he spills the beans on how the magic was made.

It's always good when I discover a Hitchcock film that I haven't seen yet (not many of those left...), and this one was particularly good because it's actually one of the great director's better films! The film takes place shortly before the release date; namely, just before the start of World War 2 in 1939. Work began on the film shortly after Hitchcock released Rebecca, and this must have been something of a controversial picture at the time of release as the war was, at that time, confined to Europe and I guess all America got to hear about it was the reports of foreign correspondents such as the one in this film. Despite being about the war, Foreign Correspondent is not a war film but rather a story of espionage centred on the Second World War. We focus on Johnny Jones; a reporter sent to Europe to find a story about the events going on there. He takes the name Huntley Haverstock (because it's more memorable), and soon finds himself in the middle of the world of espionage when he witnesses the murder of a famous diplomat, and follows his shooter to a windmill outside Amsterdam...

The film takes a while to get going, and unfortunately peaks a little too early as the film is at it's best at around the middle section when our hero is hot on the trail of the spies and finds himself snooping around a windmill and climbing in through bathroom windows. Hitchcock seems keen to implement a sense of humour at this junction of the movie, whereas it gets a little too serious later on when the sense of patriotism grips hold of the movie and spoils the fun. I've got to say that the film is slightly too long at almost two hours, and the overall movie would have been thrilling if Hitchcock had opted to trim it a little bit. That being said, the movie is always at least interesting even at it's worst moments and Hitchcock builds the suspense well, which ensures that the audience is always interested in what's coming next. The acting is more than adequate also, with Joel McCrea delivering a fair lead performance and receiving good backup from the likes of Laraine Day, Herbert Marshall and best of all; George Sanders, who steals every scene he's in. On the whole, this isn't Hitchcock's BEST film - but it's a very good one and well worth seeing.

In 1939, the editor of the New York Globe invites the tough reporter John Jones (Joel McCrea) to be the substitute for the inefficient Stebbins (Robert Benchley) as foreign correspondent in London. His first assignment is to interview the Dutch leader Mr. Van Meer (Albert Basseman) in his lecture for peace in London to know about the possibility of a declaration of war against Germany. Johnny meets Stephen Fisher (Herbert Marshall), the leader of the organization Universal Peace Party that promotes peace, and his beautiful daughter Carol Fisher (Laraine Day), and he has a crush on Carol. When Van Meer is apparently murdered in Amsterdam, Johnny follows the assassin with Carol and the journalist Scott ffolliett (George Sanders) through the countryside and discovers that Van Meer has been abducted indeed. However, nobody believes on the truth and he tangle with an international conspiracy.

"Foreign Correspondent" is a highly entertaining adventure, with a suspenseful story of espionage and an enjoyable romance, with Joel McCrea and Laraine Day showing perfect chemistry. But the greatest attraction is the plot based on the beginning of the World War II in 1939 practically in real time. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Correspondente Estrangeiro" ("Foreign Correspondent")

Note: On 16 October 2024, I saw this film again.

While not as well-known today as some of his later films, Alfred Hitchcock's spy thriller "Foreign Correspondent" is entertaining, exciting, and masterfully constructed. Though lacking the star power of some of the great director's more famous movies, the cast is very good, the settings are wonderfully conceived, and the story and writing keep the viewer's attention at all times. It has everything we hope for from Hitchcock: action, suspense, and a good dose of humor.

The plot is a complicated one, beginning when American reporter Johnny Jones (Joel McCrea) is sent to Europe just before the outbreak of World War II. Expected to send back news about the possibility of war, Jones stumbles across an espionage ring that is using kidnapping and murder in an attempt to get important government secrets for use in the coming war. The action goes from England to Holland and back to England, with Jones constantly escaping from danger as he tries to get the details of the spy plot for his newspaper. It does take some effort to follow everything that is happening, but there are many action sequences and a lot of good writing - with many fine touches of humor - that make it easy to pay attention.

In the lead role, McCrea performs with the easy-going understatement that typifies the heroes of Hitchcock's earlier films. Laraine Day is pleasant if unspectacular as McCrea's romantic interest, whose father (played nicely by Herbert Marshall) is also one of the key figures on the international scene. The supporting cast also has some fine actors. George Sanders for once gets to play a good guy, Robert Benchley is very funny as McCrea's fellow foreign correspondent, and Albert Basserman is touching as an old diplomat who has seen too much of the world's troubles.

But it is the action sequences and the settings that really make the film. Hitchcock's expert hand can be seen in almost every setting, and he displays a wealth of creative ideas here equal to any of his films. Particularly good are the memorable windmill scenes and the exciting climactic sequence in mid-ocean. This final sequence is not only thrilling, it also perfectly completes all of the film's action and themes.

"Foreign Correspondent" contains plenty of excitement, humor, and suspense, along with some of Hitchcock's best set pieces. It is highly recommended.