DIPLOMATIC COURIER

US, 1952, 97 minutes, Black and white.
Tyrone Power, Patricia Neal, Stephen Mc Nally, Karl Malden, James Milliken, Hildegarde Knef, Michael Ansara.
Directed by Henry Hathaway.

Diplomatic Courier is an entertaining Cold War thriller. It is in the vein of such films as The Third Man, The Search, Berlin Express …

Tyrone Power is a courier for the American government, State Department, sent to Trieste (in the Italy- Yugoslavia border area) to collect some documents. When his contact is killed, he tries to retrace steps – to a girlfriend of the dead man: Hildegarde Knef, the German actress-singer who appeared in only a few Hollywood films and had to return to Germany. He also encounters a widow, played by a glamorous Patricia Neal. Karl Malden and Stephen Mc Nally are in the supporting cast.

This is a film which came out in the Mc Carthyist era, the investigations of Un American Activities. It is interesting in its picture of the United States and international diplomacy of the early 50s.

The film was directed by Henry Hathaway, veteran director of many action films in the 30s including Lives of a Bengal Lancer, the first colour western, Trail of the Lonesome Pine. Diplomatic Courier is more in the vein of some of his 1940s thrillers, especially after World War Two, 13 Rue Madeleine, House on 92nd Street, Call Northside 777. After this he was to make some rather glossy Cinemascope films including The River of No Return and continue making westerns into the 60s with John Wayne such as The Sons of Katie Elder and True Grit, for which Wayne won a best actor Oscar.

1. The quality of this espionage adventure?

2. How evident was it that it was a film of the fifties? Hollywood style? Hollywood conventions of heroics, adventure? Black and white photography, music? The fact that everything was done on Hollywood sound stages, with transparencies for Europe? How convincing the European atmosphere?

3. The atmosphere of Mc Carthyism, Red scares? Patriotic Americanism? Criticism of Russia? Does this seem dated now, relevant?

4. The documentary style, the narrative, the black and white tone?

5. The film an a star vehicle for Tyrone Power? Patricia Neal and Hildegarde Neff and their respective styles?

6. The post-war situation, the Cold War, espionage? America? Couriers, plane travel, embassy staffs, military occupation? How well were these ingredients used?

7. Expectations of European espionage of the fifties? Trieste as a centre for espionage?

8. Tyrone Power’s style as Mike Kelly, as hero? An ordinary man, the Diplomatic Courier, his being chosen for a mission, his involvement? His wife, trying to detect the truth in lies? His wrong discernment of the women? His experience of danger? The fact that he was not such an expert? His rising to the occasion, especially for Janine, for the documents, heroism?

9. The contrast of the two women and appearances and reality? Was the audience surprised at the revelation of Joan’s being a Russian agent? Joan as wealthy, brassy, the woman of the world with her Indiana background? Her ingratiating herself into Mike's confidence? Her pretended ignorance and innocence? The sudden turning of her into a villainess? Her ironic last remarks about her success? The contrast with the suspicions of Janine, her suspicious behaviour, her telling the truth yet her being a double agent, Mike’s disbelief, yet his fascination with her, her heroism? The satisfaction of Mike’s rescuing her?

10. The world of the officials? Ernie and his not liking Mike being used for bait? His ever presence and help?

11. The conventional portrayal of the Russians? The deaths, the special messengers? The importance of the impersonator?

12. The film's stand on American values? Rights and wrongs of espionage? Heroism? How does the film compare with more sophisticated developments of the genre in the sixties and seventies?