CLOAK AND DAGGER
US, 1946, 106 minutes, Black and white.
Gary Cooper, Lilli Palmer, Robert Alda, Vladimir Sokoloff, J. Edward Bromberg, Ludwig Stossel, Marc Lawrence.
Directed by Fritz Lang.
Cloak and Dagger was directed by veteran German film-maker Fritz Lang (Siegfried, Metropolis, M, and later in America, Fury and many excellent thrillers in the 40s). Lang says that his film was altered by Warner Brothers - the happy ending changed. Lang had intended to expose the Nazi experimentation on nuclear fission with the dramatic finding of a factory and 60,000 workers dead - with Gary Cooper emerging to comment that this was in Year One of the Nuclear Age.
Lang suspects that the Warners executives altered the film after Hiroshima and Nagasaki. What remains is a conventional spy thriller, popular in every decade (resurrected in the 60s and 70s) but in its time a parallel with such action thrillers as O.S.S. with Alan Ladd. The screenplay was written by Albert Maltz and Ring Lardner Jnr (of the later Hollywood Ten). The film has a studio-bound European atmosphere and setting with a Max Steiner score. Although Lilli Palmer had acted in Europe, she was "introduced" in this film.
1. An interesting spy thriller? In its time? The end of World War Two? Later decades? Comparison with later complex spy thrillers? Action? Moralising?
2. The use of studios? The creation of the European atmosphere? Italy? Black and white photography? Sets? The importance of the special effects - especially for the ending? The editing for suspense and for effects e.g. the hero's fight with the villain in the alley? Max Steiner's score?
3. Audience expectations: the laconic American hero, Gary Cooper style? The moral dilemma? His having to go to Europe? The O.S.S. and its war activities? The European Resistance groups? Nazis? Confrontations, escapes? Self-sacrifice? The end and the means? How well done?
4. The background of the O.S.S. and its war activities? Revelations after the war? The picture of units operating in Europe? Radio contact, covers, executions and the getting through of messages? The difficult situations and the need for Americans to be brought in? The work of Professor Jasper? The Washington officials putting the case to him? His anti-war stances, his principles of science and investigation, the moral dilemma for the peaceful man in World War Two? His decision to go to Europe? Arrival, contacts, cover? The spies - and the plausible woman spy? The build-up to the seeking out of the professor, the sharing of opinions? The finding of the Italian scientist, his daughter? The help of the Italian Resistance? Spies, killings? The final siege and the escape?
5. Gary Cooper as war hero: credibility as a scientist, motivation, skills' Arrival in Europe and mistakes - at the airport, drawing attention to himself? Spies and insinuations? Contact with the scientists? The growing dangers, physical activity, threats on his life? The encounter with Cina? Falling in love - re-meeting after the war? Pinky and his resistance? Final heroism? Dr Polder and his importance? The contact with the Nazis and the sympathisers - especially the fight in the alley with Luigi? The final heroism? Help for Alvah?
6. Gina and the Italian Resistance? Final self-sacrifice? Falling in love?
7. Pinky and the various members of the Resistance? Conventional characterisations?
8. The portrayal of the Nazis, the spies e.g. Ann Dawson? The final confrontation and shoot-out?
9. The implications of nuclear investigation, nuclear warfare, the consequences of living in the Atomic Age? The stances of the film on espionage - the title, the activities of the O.S.S.? The consequences for the post-war world?
