Based on a "True Story"...the 1952 book "Trial by Terror" by Paul and Pauline Gallico.
The Movie has the Feeling of Urgency to Coincide with the "Red Scare" Reality Taking Place Across the States,
with Senate Hearings and Daily Reports of the "Communists", the Domino Effect, the Korean War, as it Felt to Many that the "Cold-War" is a Burgeoning Devastating Reality with an Uncertain Future.
The Film had Phil Karlson Directing but was Fired Half-Way Through and Replaced by Robert Parrish. Both Familiar to Film-Noir Fans and Their Significant Contribution.
5 Time Oscar Nominee Burnett Guffey, who Won for "Bonnie and Clyde" (1967) is Behind the Camera.
The Cast is a Familiar One...Dana Andrews, George Sanders, Audrey Totter, and the Short-Lived European Beauty, Marta Toren.
It's a Spy vs Newspaper Spy Story...
Paris is the Foreign Headquarters for the "New York Herald Tribune" and becomes as Involved as the "Secret Service",
with Behind the Iron Curtain Espionage and Terrorism, and the "Reds" are Portrayed with "Stereotypical Caricatures"...
Sneering, Villains, who Show No Humanity even to Their Comrades.
They Torture Brutally with Glee, and even Threaten Children Directly, and Perhaps even Lobotomize, just because They Can.
There are Layers Upon Layers of Intrigue, Kidnapping, Totalitarianism, and More. All at an Accelerated Rate...Paying Attention is a Must.
It's so Fast and Thick that Keeping Track is a Challenge because Corners are Cut and Threads Dangle when it's All Said and Done.
A Major Strength is its Alignment with Current Events and Mirrors the Headlines of the Day with Gusto, and a Side-Dish of Romance that, Frankly, is a Bore and a Non-Necessity Except for Concerns about Box-Office Receipts.
A Cold-War Artifact of Hollywood that would Become a Sub-Genre..."The Red Scare" Movies
Worth a Watch.
The Movie has the Feeling of Urgency to Coincide with the "Red Scare" Reality Taking Place Across the States,
with Senate Hearings and Daily Reports of the "Communists", the Domino Effect, the Korean War, as it Felt to Many that the "Cold-War" is a Burgeoning Devastating Reality with an Uncertain Future.
The Film had Phil Karlson Directing but was Fired Half-Way Through and Replaced by Robert Parrish. Both Familiar to Film-Noir Fans and Their Significant Contribution.
5 Time Oscar Nominee Burnett Guffey, who Won for "Bonnie and Clyde" (1967) is Behind the Camera.
The Cast is a Familiar One...Dana Andrews, George Sanders, Audrey Totter, and the Short-Lived European Beauty, Marta Toren.
It's a Spy vs Newspaper Spy Story...
Paris is the Foreign Headquarters for the "New York Herald Tribune" and becomes as Involved as the "Secret Service",
with Behind the Iron Curtain Espionage and Terrorism, and the "Reds" are Portrayed with "Stereotypical Caricatures"...
Sneering, Villains, who Show No Humanity even to Their Comrades.
They Torture Brutally with Glee, and even Threaten Children Directly, and Perhaps even Lobotomize, just because They Can.
There are Layers Upon Layers of Intrigue, Kidnapping, Totalitarianism, and More. All at an Accelerated Rate...Paying Attention is a Must.
It's so Fast and Thick that Keeping Track is a Challenge because Corners are Cut and Threads Dangle when it's All Said and Done.
A Major Strength is its Alignment with Current Events and Mirrors the Headlines of the Day with Gusto, and a Side-Dish of Romance that, Frankly, is a Bore and a Non-Necessity Except for Concerns about Box-Office Receipts.
A Cold-War Artifact of Hollywood that would Become a Sub-Genre..."The Red Scare" Movies
Worth a Watch.