Confidential Agent

"In October 1937, a man crossed the English Channel knowing that the success or failure of his confidential mission could mean victory or defeat for his people," according to the opening statement. The secret agent man is former Spanish composer and pianist Charles Boyer (a Luis Denard). Spain is divided by a Civil War and Mr. Boyer is acting against the Fascists. His mission is to obtain exclusive rights to precious coal, which is needed for the war. The forces of evil are positioned to obstruct Boyer at every turn...

Missing a train due to questions about his passport, Boyer gets a lift into London with coal tycoon's daughter Lauren Bacall (as Rose Cullen). The beautiful heiress smokes and drinks up a storm, while wondering if Boyer's comings and goings are those of a completely sane man. A romance tentatively develops. Boyer takes up residence with cool, calculating Katina Paxinou (as Maria Melandez) and meets sad-eyed contact Peter Lorre (as Contreras). Unsavory characters continue to block Boyer from his mission...

"Watch on the Rhine" (1943) and "Confidential Agent" are the only two feature film credits for director Herman Shumlin, unfortunately. He died in 1979 and certainly should have received more film projects, based on the evidence presented here. Having photographer James Wong Howe and editor George Amy on your crew helps, obviously. Shumlin subsequently focused on stage work, and met with considerable success...

This film was scolded for miscasting the French Boyer as a Spaniard and Ms. Bacall as a British socialite...

Boyer plays the character well, rolling with his regular accent. Bacall charts the same course, with less success. In only her second film, she would have benefited from a script explaining how her character grew up in New York. Bacall showed more rapport with Bogart than Boyer, but maintains great sex appeal. The supporting cast is superb. Dan Seymour (as Muckerji) has a great part. In a startling debut, Wanda Hendrix (as Else) go head-to-head with Ms. Paxinou for best supporting actress honors.

******* Confidential Agent (11/2/45) Herman Shumlin ~ Charles Boyer, Lauren Bacall, Katina Paxinou, Wanda Hendrix

Charles Boyer is supposed to be Spanish, and he's come to London to buy coal in "Confidential Agent," a 1945 film also starring Lauren Bacall, Katina Paxinou, Peter Lorre, Dan Seymour, and Wanda Hendrix.

Boyer is Luis Denard, and everyone is out to stop him except Bacall. His papers are stolen, he's accused of murder but he's determined to get coal for his people so that they can fight the Fascists.

This film has its good and not so good points. It rates high for atmosphere and for suspense, and it is highly entertaining. Bacall is incredibly beautiful, Boyer is passionate, Paxinou is mean, Lorre is slimy, Hendrix appropriately pathetic, and Seymour outrageously wonderful.

The not so good points: Bacall is supposed to be English, and Boyer Spanish. Uh, no. Boyer is terrific in his role even with the wrong accent, but Bacall is 100% American, not of the British upper class. The two have no chemistry.

Conclusion: Bacall is somewhat miscast. Her acting isn't up to snuff either; she's better in other films. But she's an astonishing looking woman, and much can be forgiven.

Paxinou is nearly over the top and hateful. Dan Seymour almost steals the entire film as a hotel guest who studies human nature. It's a great part and his performance is perfect, while some of the direction of the other actors isn't as good.

This was definitely a case of no small parts, only small actors. Seymour wasn't a small actor.

Definitely worth seeing even with its flaws.

Hollywood always has trouble translating the works of writers like Graham Greene and Ernest Hemingway to the screen. Something always gets lost in the transition--and in this case, that's not good because the plot is murky enough without losing some of the novel's detailed explanation of what's really going on.

LAUREN BACALL, poised and mature beyond her years as she was in all of her early Hollywood roles, is a bit miscast here as a British girl and seems to know it. Her performance is less credible than most of her chores opposite Bogart. On the other hand, CHARLES BOYER is impressive as a man on a mission who is eventually betrayed. As in all such spy thrillers, this one has a plot line that is better left undisclosed, but suffice it to say that there is plenty to ponder as you watch the story unfold, and some interesting work by a large supporting cast. Set at the time of the Spanish Civil War, it has plenty of plot to follow.

Wanda Hendrix has a nice bit as a Cockney lass and Katina Paxinou delivers the goods in a malicious role. Too bad the chemistry between Boyer and Bacall is not quite on par with the kind she had with Bogart because their romance never seems quite credible. Neverthelss, she does not deserve the panning her performance received when the film was first released on the heels of two successful films with Bogart.

A bit dull in the stretches, but atmospheric and worth watching as an interesting example of Warner Bros. noir, the sort of cloak and dagger atmosphere needed to give the story some punch.

I didn't read the book but this must one of Graham Greene's weaker novels. Either that or the Director made a hash out of it, because there is simply too much plot here to make a coherent story. There are several subplots at work that detract from the main storyline - which, truth be told, doesn't seem that interesting or compelling to start with.

Not much chemistry between the two principals, and Bacall's is the weakest performance in the picture. There are lots of notable character actors who try their best; Peter Lorre, Victor Francen and Katina Paxinou, to name a few. Ultimately, I felt the plot was obscured and Charles Boyer was not a strong presence. I rated it on potential and on the sterling cast.

The novel is easily superior and the best parts of the film are direct translations from what Greene wrote; for instance the quiet but grim humour that breaks into the scenes with Boyer and Lorre, or the murdered-child obsession that takes over some of the plot. Where the film deviates from the novel, it tends to the ludicrous.

However I don't want to suggest that the film is bad in any way. It always looks the part and the story stays in the mind like a good 'un. Some of the minor characters were stock actors who could turn their hand to anything.

It's a dreadful shame that the film's not available on DVD.