In 1939, due to the impending "WAR" with Nazi Germany, attractive and single "New York Globe" reporter Joel McCrea (as Johnny Jones) is sent to Europe. Serving as a London-based "Foreign Correspondent", Mr. McCrea takes the more distinguished name "Huntley Haverstock" and meets attractive and single Laraine Day (as Carol Fisher) on duty. McCrea is initially assigned to cover Ms. Day's father, "Universal Peace Party" spokesman Herbert Marshall (as Stephen Fisher). But, the "biggest story of the century" becomes the kidnapping of Dutch diplomat Albert Bassermann (as Van Meer). McCrae meets George Sanders (Scott ffolliott) and other suspicious characters, and is caught in a tightly wound web of spies
With initial "Hollywood" effort "Rebecca" (1940) still packing them in, director Alfred Hitchcock nearly topped himself. While "Foreign Correspondent" isn't a more fully realized film, it outdistanced all others with several innovative suspense sequences - witness the umbrellas, windmills, tower, and the plane crash - all providing technical brilliance as a visual treat; even today, Hitchcock can make you forget you are seeing special effects. The story is densely plotted - perhaps, as many say, to a fault. The intentional propaganda proved to be prescient. Ironically, there were cheers from the Hitler camp; Nazi leader Joseph Goebbels praised the film, especially admiring how quickly the real "Van Meer" surrendered to torture.
********* Foreign Correspondent (8/16/40) Alfred Hitchcock ~ Joel McCrea, Laraine Day, Herbert Marshall, George Sanders
With initial "Hollywood" effort "Rebecca" (1940) still packing them in, director Alfred Hitchcock nearly topped himself. While "Foreign Correspondent" isn't a more fully realized film, it outdistanced all others with several innovative suspense sequences - witness the umbrellas, windmills, tower, and the plane crash - all providing technical brilliance as a visual treat; even today, Hitchcock can make you forget you are seeing special effects. The story is densely plotted - perhaps, as many say, to a fault. The intentional propaganda proved to be prescient. Ironically, there were cheers from the Hitler camp; Nazi leader Joseph Goebbels praised the film, especially admiring how quickly the real "Van Meer" surrendered to torture.
********* Foreign Correspondent (8/16/40) Alfred Hitchcock ~ Joel McCrea, Laraine Day, Herbert Marshall, George Sanders