BRITISH INTELLIGENCE
UK, 1940, 61 minutes, Black and white.
Boris Karloff, Margaret Lindsay, Bruce Lester.
Directed by Terry Morse.
This film was released in January 1940, only a few months after the invasion of Poland and the outbreak of World War II. It has a World War I setting but clearly it is the beginning of propaganda material for World War II.
Apart from the usual jokes that British Intelligence is an oxymoron, this is actually quite a good film, running only an hour, but highlighting the war with a strong opening collage of action, moving to hospitals in France, plans to rescue him from behind enemy lines, and information getting to the German high command through spies, in this case, the gardener listening in at the window and sending a message by carrier pigeon.
The nurse at the hospital, Margaret Lindsay, is next seen at the German high command being given a special commission to work as a fifth columnist in England, making contacts with other German spies and designated to work under the leader of the German spies in England. She is given credibility, because of her background story of her parents being killed and her being in the camp; he has received by a prominent British family, with strong political associations. And the young man, commissioned for the rescue in France behind the lines, was the man that she tended in hospital: and he is the son of the family where she is boarding.
Key to the film is the presence and performance of Boris Karloff, almost a decade after his Frankenstein. While he is quite recognisable, he affects an English accent with French intonations and is seen to be collaborating with the British government. While one suspects that Margaret Lindsay is also a cover agent, she makes contact with the Boris Karloff character who is the butler in the house where she lives. There are also connections with some prominent British men who are spies.
There is an interesting scenes, for instance, when Margaret Lindsay goes to an office and the secretary, who is a spy, communicates a message by the tapping on the typewriter, using a tap code.
As might be expected, Boris Karloff turns out to be not only an undercover agent, working for the Germans, but the head of the spies in England. And, as might be expected, especially when the young man turns up for leave at his family home and meets the girl, and he is suspicious of her, she turns out to be a British double agent.
Only a small film, produced in the United States, but the kind of film that was alerting English-language audiences on both sides of the Atlantic that they needed to be careful and of the work of double agents.
The film was directed by Terry Morse, who directed a few films but was an editor from the 1920s to the 1970s.
1. An interesting film? 1940? American perspective on the war? British perspective after the invasion of Poland? Espionage? In the context of World War I?
2. The collage of the fighting in World War I? The effect of opening? Scenes in France, the military, the hospitals, rescues, aerial shops? The contrast with London, homes, war offices, the background of espionage? The musical score?
3. Boris Karloff as the spy, working as a gardener in France, communicating the information about the rescue? His being in England, the butler at the house, his back story, his broken French accent? His manner, his being the efficient and effective servant? Relied on? The irony of the revelation that he was in contact with the British authorities? Double agent? With Helene, her cover, wanting to meet the overall superior, his final revelation that this was he? His being taken?
4. Helene, in the hospital, with Frank, the affection? Audience response to the scene with the Germans, her complete loyalty, and being given orders, her back story and the camp, with the family, being accepted, fitting in, listening in, the code with the typewriter, the messages at the office, people watching her? Her contact with the butler, her loyalties, his explaining things to her, Frank arriving home, his suspicions – and the revelation that she was a double agent for the British?
5. War in France, action, the hospitals and care?
6. War in England, the politicians, the diplomats, the discussions, espionage?
7. Double agents, Boris Karloff and his role, the respectable man receiving Helene into England, his not being on the plane, his being suspected, arrested? Helene and her double role?
8. An effective spies story, a World War I setting, with morale boosting speeches for World War II – all within an hour?
