I have seen a variation of this storyline in many film noir and action films over the years, mainly at Republic studios in the late 1940's and early 1950's that could have easily been released directly to television. This is a much utilized story of a counterfeiting racket, but it is done much more cinematically and is entirely much more complex than what they were rushing out at Republic just several years before.
the handsome John Payne, now a rugged mature leading man, was known along with Robert Taylor and Tyrone Power as one of the most handsome leading men of the late 1930's and early 1940's. Where Taylor would go on to star in many westerns as an older actor to prove his masculinity and Power would star in a series of swashbucklers, Payne, best known for "The Miracle on 34th Street", would focus on film noir, playing both good guys and bad guys with zeal, and always succeeded in playing an interesting characterization.
In this film set in Denmark, Payne is the brother of Natalie Norwick, accused of murder, and becomes involved with the attractive Anne Neyland who has ties to the counterfeit ring led by Alexander Knox and Conrad Nagel, to fellow American actors who like Payne had once been matinee idols. Veteran director Andre de Toth isn't quite successful this time around until the sudden emergence of brilliant filming at the end.
The film is sometimes a little bit too complex for its own good, but really rushes to a great ending thanks to a climactic chase scene that through the use of helicopters filming what's going down below (as well as helicopters involved in the actual chase), and utilizes great locations and a tense use of action in the midst of local traffic. The slow parts of the movie are worth watching to just get you that. Had it not had this climax, I would have called it a major disappointment.
the handsome John Payne, now a rugged mature leading man, was known along with Robert Taylor and Tyrone Power as one of the most handsome leading men of the late 1930's and early 1940's. Where Taylor would go on to star in many westerns as an older actor to prove his masculinity and Power would star in a series of swashbucklers, Payne, best known for "The Miracle on 34th Street", would focus on film noir, playing both good guys and bad guys with zeal, and always succeeded in playing an interesting characterization.
In this film set in Denmark, Payne is the brother of Natalie Norwick, accused of murder, and becomes involved with the attractive Anne Neyland who has ties to the counterfeit ring led by Alexander Knox and Conrad Nagel, to fellow American actors who like Payne had once been matinee idols. Veteran director Andre de Toth isn't quite successful this time around until the sudden emergence of brilliant filming at the end.
The film is sometimes a little bit too complex for its own good, but really rushes to a great ending thanks to a climactic chase scene that through the use of helicopters filming what's going down below (as well as helicopters involved in the actual chase), and utilizes great locations and a tense use of action in the midst of local traffic. The slow parts of the movie are worth watching to just get you that. Had it not had this climax, I would have called it a major disappointment.
