Foreign Correspondent (1940) User Reviews

Early triumph for the great Alfred Hitchcock!

[The_Void · 8/10 · 6 September 2006]

It's always good when I discover a Hitchcock film that I haven't seen yet (not many of those left...), and this one was particularly good because it's actually one of the great director's better films! The film takes place shortly before the release date; namely, just before the start of World War 2 in 1939. Work began on the film shortly after Hitchcock released Rebecca, and this must have been something of a controversial picture at the time of release as the war was, at that time, confined to Europe and I guess all America got to hear about it was the reports of foreign correspondents such as the one in this film. Despite being about the war, Foreign Correspondent is not a war film but rather a story of espionage centred on the Second World War. We focus on Johnny Jones; a reporter sent to Europe to find a story about the events going on there. He takes the name Huntley Haverstock (because it's more memorable), and soon finds himself in the middle of the world of espionage when he witnesses the murder of a famous diplomat, and follows his shooter to a windmill outside Amsterdam...

The film takes a while to get going, and unfortunately peaks a little too early as the film is at it's best at around the middle section when our hero is hot on the trail of the spies and finds himself snooping around a windmill and climbing in through bathroom windows. Hitchcock seems keen to implement a sense of humour at this junction of the movie, whereas it gets a little too serious later on when the sense of patriotism grips hold of the movie and spoils the fun. I've got to say that the film is slightly too long at almost two hours, and the overall movie would have been thrilling if Hitchcock had opted to trim it a little bit. That being said, the movie is always at least interesting even at it's worst moments and Hitchcock builds the suspense well, which ensures that the audience is always interested in what's coming next. The acting is more than adequate also, with Joel McCrea delivering a fair lead performance and receiving good backup from the likes of Laraine Day, Herbert Marshall and best of all; George Sanders, who steals every scene he's in. On the whole, this isn't Hitchcock's BEST film - but it's a very good one and well worth seeing.

"... don't tune me out, hang on a while, this is a big story..."

[classicsoncall · 8/10 · 14 December 2006]

What's interesting for me in watching "Foreign Correspondent" is trying to imagine how American audiences of the time might have felt while on the doorstep of World War II with Europe about to blow up. In this country for only a short time, director Hitchcock's set pieces recreate the cities of London and Amsterdam in a tale of spies and traitors operating under the guise of a Universal Peace Party. It's chairman Fisher (Herbert Marshall) orchestrates the kidnapping of Dutch partner Van Meer (Albert Bassermann), who has committed the details of a secret peace agreement to memory. Clause 27 turns out to be a classic Hitchcock maguffin, a device planted in the story to rouse the interest of the viewer, though it's details are never revealed. In fact, it's not necessary to do so, because the film's sleight of hand diverts us to assassination attempts, a Dutch windmill hideout for the villains and a harrowing plane crash into the ocean before it's all over.

The intrigue moves along nicely with Joel McCrae as Morning Globe reporter Johnny Jones, who finds himself in the thick of things in more ways than one. He gets lured into the espionage drama after he witnesses what looks like the assassination of ambassador Van Meer, though by this time he's also becoming romantically involved with Carol Fisher (Laraine Day). She's the daughter of the mastermind behind the spy ring, but having grown up British, her loyalty is staunchly pro Brit and anti war.

Hitch builds suspense in the film on any number of levels, and each time it works, even when he goes for an 'in your face' moment like Rowley's (Edmund Gwenn) attempt to push Johnny from the top of the cathedral. You know instinctively that Jones/Haverstock can't be dead, yet you maintain ever the slightest doubt until you see him again in the very next scene. But for sheer terror, the scenes of the ocean plane crash survivors scrambling onto the wreckage is about the most surreal and insane piece of film making ever, made all the more terrifying if you think of yourself being there. Personally, I can't even imagine confronting a horror like that, much less hanging on long enough to survive.

Though not remembered as one of Hitchcock's better known films, the movie was nominated for six Oscars in it's day, ironically pitted against Hitch's first American film "Rebecca" which won Best Picture in 1941. Though it may seem somewhat dated today, one can still have a good time with the movie by glossing over the less believable elements and riding it out for the mystery and adventure.

Highly Entertaining Adventure

[claudio_carvalho · 8/10 · 24 December 2009]

In 1939, the editor of the New York Globe invites the tough reporter John Jones (Joel McCrea) to be the substitute for the inefficient Stebbins (Robert Benchley) as foreign correspondent in London. His first assignment is to interview the Dutch leader Mr. Van Meer (Albert Basseman) in his lecture for peace in London to know about the possibility of a declaration of war against Germany. Johnny meets Stephen Fisher (Herbert Marshall), the leader of the organization Universal Peace Party that promotes peace, and his beautiful daughter Carol Fisher (Laraine Day), and he has a crush on Carol. When Van Meer is apparently murdered in Amsterdam, Johnny follows the assassin with Carol and the journalist Scott ffolliett (George Sanders) through the countryside and discovers that Van Meer has been abducted indeed. However, nobody believes on the truth and he tangle with an international conspiracy.

"Foreign Correspondent" is a highly entertaining adventure, with a suspenseful story of espionage and an enjoyable romance, with Joel McCrea and Laraine Day showing a perfect chemistry. But the greatest attraction is the plot based on the beginning of the World War II in 1939 practically in real time. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Correspondente Estrangeiro" ("Foreign Correspondent")

Entertaining, Exciting, and Masterfully Constructed

[Snow Leopard · 25 May 2001]

While not as well-known today as some of his later films, Alfred Hitchcock's spy thriller "Foreign Correspondent" is entertaining, exciting, and masterfully constructed. Though lacking the star power of some of the great director's more famous movies, the cast is very good, the settings are wonderfully conceived, and the story and writing keep the viewer's attention at all times. It has everything we hope for from Hitchcock: action, suspense, and a good dose of humor.

The plot is a complicated one, beginning when American reporter Johnny Jones (Joel McCrea) is sent to Europe just before the outbreak of World War II. Expected to send back news about the possibility of war, Jones stumbles across an espionage ring that is using kidnapping and murder in an attempt to get important government secrets for use in the coming war. The action goes from England to Holland and back to England, with Jones constantly escaping from danger as he tries to get the details of the spy plot for his newspaper. It does take some effort to follow everything that is happening, but there are many action sequences and a lot of good writing - with many fine touches of humor - that make it easy to pay attention.

In the lead role, McCrea performs with the easy-going understatement that typifies the heroes of Hitchcock's earlier films. Laraine Day is pleasant if unspectacular as McCrea's romantic interest, whose father (played nicely by Herbert Marshall) is also one of the key figures on the international scene. The supporting cast also has some fine actors. George Sanders for once gets to play a good guy, Robert Benchley is very funny as McCrea's fellow foreign correspondent, and Albert Basserman is touching as an old diplomat who has seen too much of the world's troubles.

But it is the action sequences and the settings that really make the film. Hitchcock's expert hand can be seen in almost every setting, and he displays a wealth of creative ideas here equal to any of his films. Particularly good are the memorable windmill scenes and the exciting climactic sequence in mid-ocean. This final sequence is not only thrilling, it also perfectly completes all of the film's action and themes.

"Foreign Correspondent" contains plenty of excitement, humor, and suspense, along with some of Hitchcock's best set pieces. It is highly recommended.

Never pauses for breath...

[adishavinfun · 10/10 · 6 October 2004]

What a movie!

I literally could not believe how great this movie was once I'd seen it for the first time. After a short intro we are thrust directly into the action and from there on in, it's one thrilling set-piece after another.

We go from kidnapping to assassination, to car chase, to discovery of plot, to escape from a hotel, to a twist regarding the leader of the enemy, to a wonderful sequence with a hired bodyguard who is in fact an assassin, to a fake kidnapping set up by the heroes, to torture scene, to rescue, to plane crash at sea...

It's dizzying that this was all intended for one film and when the end credits rolled you really felt like you'd got your money's worth. If I'd have watched this movie when it came out in the forties, I would have praised Hitchcock all night for giving me ten superb movies in one for my dollar.

In short (although you can hardly call these ramblings short) check this movie out. If you're a fan of escapist, thrilling adventures populated by superb characters (see George Sanders as ffolliot, and Robert Benchley as Stebbins) you will be delighted. This is one of Hitch's lesser seen gems and deserves to be rediscovered without delay

Thrill Ride On A Mission

[slokes · 9/10 · 12 August 2006]

Alfred Hitchcock directed many great movies, but few testify to his ability at marrying suspense, action, and comedy as does "Foreign Correspondent," a film which coincidentally carries Hitchcock's boldest political statement: That neutrality doesn't work when others are bent on war.

Joel McCrea stars as American newspaperman Johnny Jones, sent to Europe on the eve of World War II by the newspaper's publisher precisely because he's a man of action unschooled in politics and economics, "someone who doesn't know the difference between an 'ism' and a kangaroo," the old publisher declares. Jones goes along with the idea, even with changing his byline to the pompous "Huntley Haverstock," because as he puts it, "give me an expense account, and I'll cover anything." Fate intervenes when a photographer apparently murders Europe's last hope for peace right in front of Jones, spurring the reporter to react in a way that leads to a series of outrageously precarious and double-crossing incidents culminating in a plane crash-landing into the Atlantic Ocean.

Hitchcock arrived in the U.S. with a flourish, his first Hollywood movie being the Oscar-winning "Rebecca," and this his second that same year, 1940. Some back in Great Britain complained Hitchcock's leaving his native country as it faced Hitler all alone was desertion, but Hitchcock was doing all he could for King and Country, as "Foreign Correspondent" pulls all the stops to shake American viewers from their neutrality.

That sort of desperation would ruin most films, but here it only prods Hitchcock to singular and repeated acts of inventiveness as he shakes the tree. We see Jones climb out the window of the Hotel Europe, knock out the letters "EL" to underscore the film's message, and find his way into the hotel room of the girl he has been trying unsuccessfully to woo. There's an assassination in the rain and shot from above so we see little more than wet hats and umbrellas, and a long sequence inside a creaking windmill that has you thinking our hero's about to be discovered by the bad guys every 20 seconds. The film feels more vital for sequences like this: You can't imagine anyone trying to get away with this, yet Hitchcock keeps pulling it off.

Then there's the other revolutionary element of the film, its humor, ever-present throughout the picture in a way that doesn't cut against the grain of the suspense so much as amplify it, by keeping you off-guard and invested in the action. This is best exemplified by Edmund Gwenn's plummy turn as an evil assassin (no spoiler, he's introduced to us that way) bent on killing Jones, but so affable and borderline-snarky in his menace you can't root against him as much as you'd like to. As Gwenn's Rowley leads Jones up a church steeple to set up an accident, you wonder how Jones will get out of it but still chuckle at how Rowley tries to keep Jones from going back down: "You must see the 'orse guards!" Gwenn is one of two fantastic examples of reverse casting, the other being George Sanders as a good guy named ffolliett.

Hitchcock is very careful in presenting the bad guys. He never says they're Germans, though the implication is obvious. The chief baddie is ruthless but not without decent impulses, in a way that mirrors but goes beyond Willy in his later "Lifeboat." Hitchcock knew when the film was released, he would be attacked by those who wanted to keep appeasing Germany. For "Foreign Correspondent" to be successful, it needed to bring the audience along without noticing the ride, laughing with and pulling for Jones right up until the moment he does a radio broadcast in London while bombs burst around him, an eerie foreshadowing of what Edward R. Morrow would be doing for real only days after "Foreign Correspondent" opened in theaters.

You can't help but admire a film that was on the right side of history, but "Foreign Correspondent" may play better now than it ever did because of the way its pure cinema techniques work today, a style Tarantino and Leone admirers will no doubt recognize and appreciate, but that anyone can enjoy.

Worst MacGuffin Ever

[disinterested_spectator · 6/10 · 19 January 2015]

Alfred Hitchcock popularized the term "MacGuffin" as being "what the spies are after, but the audience doesn't care." In this movie, the MacGuffin is Clause 27 of a treaty between two countries. It is a secret clause, so secret in fact that it is only known to the two people who signed the treaty, because it was never written down.

Now, whether it is a treaty, a contract, or any other kind of agreement, the whole point in writing it down and having people sign it is so that there is no question as to what was agreed to. Anything not written down can be denied later, especially since there are no witnesses to this oral agreement between the two signatories. I guess we are to assume that the two diplomats trust each other so much that an oral agreement and a handshake will suffice.

This raises the question as to how anyone other than the two signatories knows of the existence of Clause 27. The spies know about it, as does Scott ffolliott, so I guess the two signatories must have announced that they had signed a treaty with an unwritten clause. It seems to me it would have been better to keep not only the content of the clause a secret, but its existence as well.

One of the signatories is Van Meer. To find out what is in Clause 27, the spies kidnap Van Meer with the idea of torturing him until he talks. But to keep the world from knowing that Van Meer has been kidnapped, they get a man who looks like Van Meer to take his place so he can be assassinated. Presumably, the impostor did not know about that part of the plan.

If the world thinks Van Meer has been assassinated, then that means that as far as everyone else is concerned, only one person knows what is in Clause 27. Van Meer might have trusted this other fellow, but can we expect the country he represented to honor a secret clause whose content is known only to the diplomat of the other country and take his word for it? So with Van Meer's faked assassination, it would seem that the clause has just become worthless. Or maybe the spies were planning on releasing Van Meer after he spilled his guts saying, "Fooled you. Van Meer is alive after all, but you still have to honor the secret clause that we now know about."

Moving right along, if I had been Van Meer and the spies started torturing me to tell what was in Clause 27, I would have just made up something. After all, it's a secret, so how would the spies have known the difference?

But enough of this. The point of the MacGuffin, as noted above, is to give the spies something to pursue that the audience is not expected to care about. But that's just the problem. Maybe we are not supposed to care about what the MacGuffin is, but we sure are supposed to care about what makes the MacGuffin important. Over and over again, we are continually being prodded with a preachy message about the need to take a strong stand against Germany. In short, this is another of Hitchcock's propaganda films, the first one being "The Lady Vanishes" (1938). This is why Stephen Fisher, who is the leader of the Universal Peace Party, a pacifist organization, actually turns out to be a Nazi spy. You can't trust those peaceniks. The problem is not with the message per se, but with the enervating effect of propaganda. Who wants to watch a movie and be lectured to? Of course, there are enough good scenes in the movie, especially the one in the windmill, to make the movie enjoyable overall, but it is somewhat spoiled by the warmongering.

Fisher has a daughter named Carol who is the love interest of the title character, Johnny Jones, who is forced to take on the pseudonym of Huntley Haverstock. He agrees to get Carol to go to the country with him so that ffolliott can make Fisher think his daughter has been kidnapped and thus arrange a prisoner exchange for Van Meer. The pretense is that Haverstock needs to hide from the spies, who are trying to kill him, because he knows who they are. When Carol and Haverstock get to Cambridge, they get a room at a hotel.

Ooh la la. One room for the two of them! Even if it is just for the afternoon, it sounds very cozy, and Carol seems just fine with it. But then ffolliott calls Haverstock and tells him he needs more time to talk to Fisher, and so Haverstock will need to keep Carol there overnight. Haverstock agrees and makes an arrangement with the hotel for another room for Carol. Carol overhears this and is appalled.

Now, I know that things back then were different regarding sex, but I cannot figure this one out. The very fact that Haverstock is getting a separate room for her indicates that his intentions are honorable. But the woman who was just fine having one room for the afternoon is outraged that he would get a separate room for her for the night. I guess she thought that the second room was just for appearances, and that he was planning on slipping into her room later that evening, just the sort of thing a man might have on his mind while hiding from spies who want to assassinate him. Since they were hiding from the spies, she should have figured that something had come up necessitating a longer stay. The reasonable thing for her to do was go up to him and say, "Why are you getting another room for me so we can stay overnight?" But not much else in this movie makes sense, so there is no reason for this scene to be any different.

Forgotten but excellent!

[TexMetal4JC · 10/10 · 31 July 2001]

Alfred Hitchcock was always pushing the envelope, and 1940's "Foreign Correspondent" is no different. With America still in the midst of trading with both sides of the European war, Hitchcock made a spy thriller that quite clearly cast the Germans as the bad guys (minus the word Nazi, which only appears once at the beginning of the film) while being shamelessly patriotic (the last scene is both inspiring and laughable).

But Hitchcock could afford to go out on a limb. He started making FC a week after the release of "Rebecca," a movie that garnered large amounts of critical acclaim and won Best Picture. But with all the praise heaped on Hitchcock's first American movie, his second has often gone unnoticed, although it is certainly up to par with - if not better than - "Rebecca".

Foreign Correspondent tells the story of Johnny Jones, an American newspaper writer chosen to go to England to report on the war as Huntley Haverstock for the New York Globe. While in England, he attempts to interview a Dutch statesman, Van Mier, but instead witnesses the man's assassination. The resulting pursuit throws Jones/Haverstock into a Nazi spy ring that intends to use a secret clause to create German victory in the impending war. Along the way, Jones/Haverstock meets an English reporter who assists him and the daughter of a renowned pacifist.

The acting is excellent all around, with special kudos given to Robert Sanders as the English reporter, Scott ffoliot, and to Edmund Gwenn in a minor but important roll as Rowly, the friendly hit man. Laraine Day and Joel McCray have that special chemistry that adds to the romance part of the movie, while McCray and Sanders' straight-faced humor is enjoyable.

Hitchcock's directing is magnificent, like usual. As always, there are certain scenes that are signature Hitchcock: The assassination chase through the sea of umbrellas, and later in the Dutch countryside. The tower murder scene. And the plane crash scene has inspired cinematic plane crashes for decades.

All in all, Foreign Correspondent shows Hitchcock at his best, in the midst of a string of movies that saw him reach the top of the British filmmaking world and rapidly ascend to the same position in America. And it once again proves that Hitchcock was indeed the father of the spy-thriller genre.

Hitchcock's excellent classic story of espionage with a lot of suspense and tension.

[ma-cortes · 7/10 · 27 July 2006]

During the WWII , an American journalist (Joel McCrea) is sent to London by his chief (Harry Davenport) to report a pacifist convention when he becomes romantically involved with the daughter (Laraine Day) of the organizing (Herbert Marshall) . Meanwhile , he befriends an elderly diplomat (Albert Bassermann) but he's abducted by a Nazi spy-ring . The reporter accompanied by a cynic adventurer (George Sanders) travel towards Holland to uncover the clues ; later on , they head to London .

As tells Hitchcock in the famous dialog with Francois Truffaut , this is a B-film (though in big budget) , a thriller plenty of adventures and action . Gary Cooper rejected the starring role (although he regretted later) and is hired a second-class actor , Joel McCrea , of whom Hitch says to be pretty soft ; besides , a beautiful Laraine Day . The film has similar premise than ¨Lady vanishes¨ but with a male character , an elderly diplomat with a secret clause . It also appears the Hitchcock's usual themes as the innocent hero involved in continuous adventures .

The film highlights are the umbrellas and windmill scenes , Hitch tells how it was shot in Holland and he felt really appealed the filming a killing among tulips . The spectacular plane crashing is shot in transparency and a water tank and the passengers-wreck in a big pond . In the interview with the famed French director, Truffaut , regarding this film , Hitch talks about the ¨McGuffin¨ , here is ¨the 27 clause of a peace treatise¨ only known by the kidnapped diplomatic . For Hitchcock , the McGuffin is a gimmick , and isn't important in the plot . The origin is a Scottish name . Hitch explains as two men come into a train . The first asks : what is this packet ? ; the second answers : Oh,it's a McGuffin! ; the first again asks : What's a McGuffin? ; and he subsequently answers : It's a devise to hunt lions in the Adirondaks mountains ; the another answers : But if there aren't lions in the Adirondaks!; and ultimately says : Then , it isn't a McGuffin! .

"...the only lights left in the world."

[utgard14 · 9/10 · 3 August 2014]

Reporter Johnny Jones (Joel McCrea), used to working the streets of New York, is sent overseas as a foreign correspondent. His first assignment is to get an interview with a diplomat negotiating peace to prevent war. When the diplomat is assassinated right in front of him, Jones sets off after the killer and finds himself embroiled in an international conspiracy plot.

Exciting thriller from the master of suspense, Alfred Hitchcock. One of his best films from the '40s. McCrea is wonderful and the cast backing him up is first-rate. George Sanders, Herbert Marshall, Robert Benchley, Albert Bassermann, Edmund Gwenn, and so on. High quality actors all who never give bad turns. Also female lead Laraine Day in her biggest and best role outside of the Dr. Kildare series. She's great in this and it makes you wonder if she couldn't have been a bigger star had MGM used her for more than Kildare's love interest.

The plot may be a bit complicated for some but you get lost in it and don't quibble with the particulars until after it's over. If you're like me, by then you won't care since you enjoyed the film so much. There's some good action and memorable set pieces, like many of the best Hitchock thrillers have. The script keeps things light despite the dark tone of the plot. It's a classic in every way, thoroughly enjoyable from beginning to end. One of the best WW2 films made before America had entered the war and Hollywood started churning them out one after another.

Good twisty suspense thriller

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 5 October 2014]

Europe is on the verge of war and yet the normal reporters can't get a straight answer. The editor of the New York Globe is tired of the lack of insightful news reporting. He calls in crime reporter Johnny Jones (Joel McCrea) to be the new Foreign Correspondent. Johnny is surprised expecting to be let go. He is given two leads; Stephen Fisher (Herbert Marshall) leader of the Universal Peace Party and Dutch diplomat named Van Meer (Albert Bassermann). Van Meer is the center of a secret peace treaty but he is shot in public and assumed dead. John goes on a long winding thrill ride as he uncovers a conspiracy with the help of Stephen's daughter Carol Fisher (Laraine Day) and another reporter ffolliott (George Sanders).

This has a winding twisty action adventure. It has a bit of the Hitchcock humor. Of course, it has the iconic crowd of umbrellas scene. It has often been compared to Hitchcock's other movies 'The 39 Steps' and 'North by Northwest'. The difference is that this doesn't have Cary Grant. Joel McCrea is a workmanlike actor but he doesn't have the superstar quality. Overall, this is a good thriller for the era.

Hitch was firing on all cylinders

[Jerry_Horne · 9/10 · 15 January 2001]

This film is a true gem, that had all of the touches we have come to associate with films of the master. While "Rebecca" (from the same year) may have garnered more recognition, it was an extremely brooding film that lacked the trademark Hitchcock sense of humor.

"Foreign Correspondent" however, had it all. The suspense is unrelenting, building to a spectacular climax. It had many of those dazzling Hitchcock sequences: the assassination in Amsterdam, the scene in the cathedral tower and, especially, the sequence in the windmill, which is pure magic!

Of course, it also had that classic sense of humor and a slew of terrific character roles, including Edmund Gwenn as the most cherubic and cheerful hit man you've ever seen! The final scene was strictly American propaganda, but that can probably be forgiven considering the subject matter of the film and the time of it's release.

All in all, a wonderful example of the master at his best, that deserves to be dusted off and enjoyed alongside some of it's more celebrated cousins!

bit of a stretch

[glstrom-14260 · 6/10 · 14 July 2017]

While the cinematography and settings were impressive I found the story to be far too convenient and the "love interest" unbelievable. Every cab, party, room next door and passerby contains someone Jones has met (Latvian fellow funny, so lets throw him in this scene). Assassination, run through umbrellas so well done. Windmill scene stretches credulity as there is no way he wouldn't have been noticed in such a tight space. It was hard to care about kidnapping and the secret since there was no reveal as to. its importance or bearing on the impending war. (and why was airplane flying so low? Well shot as early disaster scenes go though). Still not sure why she was upset about the 2nd room as in 1940 that would seem appropriate, but who knows?

Time passer with eerie end sequence

[AAdaSC · 5/10 · 17 August 2014]

Ignorant American reporter Joel McCrea (John Jones) is given the pseudonym Huntley Haverstock and sent on a mission to Amsterdam to get a story about politician Albert Bassermann (Van Meer) and obtain some news about the impending war in Europe. Well, he certainly gets involved. Can he live to tell what he knows?

The film is a little too long, and the first half an hour is pretty boring. We then get some tense scenes, starting with a shooting. At last, some suspense. Unfortunately, the realism of the film is sloppy at this point. For example the victim's killer would have been caught about 20 times over. Also, the killer's getaway car would not just have disappeared like that on a large empty road, given that the pursuers had the car in sight. Another instance of stupidity occurs at this point in that the bad guys don't seem to be looking out for the car that has been chasing them. These villains are cretinously stupid not to have someone pick up that McCrea is snooping around the windmill. He stands out like a sore thumb.

Another memorable section sees hit-man Edmund Gwenn (Rowley) bide his time and attempt his murderous instructions on McCrea. He has a couple of goes. And while these are suspenseful, Gwenn plays for comedy so it's never quite effective. And that's a problem with this film, there is far too much light-heartedness (eg, the Latvian bloke) which takes away any real danger.

George Sanders (ffolliott) turns up after the first boring half an hour that wasn't necessary and immediately becomes the best of the cast. In fact, the lead man McCrea completely disappears from the proceedings after about two thirds of the film and we follow Sanders as he unravels and solves the whole mystery. By himself. McCrea wasn't needed – Sanders even already knew about wealthy aristocratic Herbert Marshall (Fisher).

The film does have two other memorable sequences. The first is the sea of umbrellas as the assassin makes his getaway – very creative. The other is what elevates this film to the score I have given it – namely, the whole plane crash episode. I found this particularly eerie given the current explanation of what happened to that Air Malaysia plane recently. The one that just disappeared. There is real footage of the view that the pilots would have had as the plane dives towards the sea. We then get the water pouring in and a frightening aftermath. Maybe the passengers were already dead come the impact in the real life situation. Still, it made me think and go all sombre about it.

Unfortunately, this film lacks something. Oh yeah, Hitchcock is easy to spot in this one, so keep an eye out near the beginning.

Another Hitchcock crowd-pleaser

[boris-26 · 2 February 2004]

The first half hour of Hitchcock's "Foreign Correspondent" looks like it can either be a light romantic comedy or a oddly fashioned drama about current events. But then, there's this scene in the rain, where our hero, played with energy by Joel McCrea, attends a crowded political meeting. McCrea notices his new friend, an elderly ambassador acts vacant and glassy eyed. Then, this mysterious photographer steps in. The photographer has next to his camera, a gun.... At this point "Foreign Correspondent" becomes an inventive chase thriller, darting across the audiences' eyes at a berserk chase. This was the first time that Hitchcock had all of Hollywood's tools at his disposal, and what a spellbinding, constantly fun classic came of it. I look forward to this film making it's DVD debut!

"Hang onto your lights, America"

[blanche-2 · 10/10 · 4 January 2007]

Admittedly, partly due to the presence of Joel McCrea, this is one of my favorite Hitchcock films. As with "Saboteur," Hitchcock wanted Gary Cooper (and in this case, Joan Fontaine - he wanted Barbara Stanwyck for "Saboteur) but couldn't get them. Cooper turned down the role of Johnny Jones and lived to regret it.

Today, "Foreign Correspondent" can be seen as a fierce call to bring America into the war. It's amazing today how long America stayed out. In the film, Johnny Jones, writing under the pen name of Huntley Haverstock, is given the assignment of going to Europe and digging around for information about the impending war - and particularly to have a conversation with Professor Van Meer, who may be one of the men who can help keep the peace. Johnny witnesses Van Meer being killed right in front of him, and chasing the perpetrators, he winds up searching a windmill, in one of the many remarkable scenes in the film. While on assignment, he falls in love with Carol Fisher, whose father is the head of a peace-making movement.

The film is striking for its underlying humor and lightness despite the seriousness and shock value of the events. It's also remarkable for some against type casting, i.e., George Sanders is a newsman and a good guy for a change, and Edmund Gwenn - Santa Claus! - is a killer. That's another remarkable scene.

There are several spectacular moments. The rainy scene on the steps when Van Meer is killed is one; when Jones looks for the perpetrator, all he can see is a sea of same-colored umbrellas. The windmills are another - claustrophobic inside, a peaceful picture outside. There is a marvelous shot of Johnny escaping from killers by slipping out of his hotel bathroom window and walking along the ledge. The lit-up sign HOTEL EUROPE can plainly be seen, and Jones breaks one of the lights as he goes by. Best of all is the airplane crash into the ocean which is fantastic and looks both agonizing and real. The final scene of the film, a radio broadcast, was added some time later - five days before the Germans started bombing, in fact.

Shot in black and white, "Foreign Correspondent" is loaded with atmosphere and the tension of the coming war. Joel McCrea, a very likable, easygoing actor in the same vein as Cooper, though maybe a bit livelier, is excellent in his role here as a gentle but adventurous man caught up in bizarre circumstances. Laraine Day, never used much by her own studio (MGM) and often loaned out, is great as the pretty, intelligent, and principled Carol. As Scott ffolliott, Sanders is charming and plays beautifully with Day and McCrea. Herbert Marshall has a slightly different role for him and is very effective.

Though many may not agree, I consider this one of Hitchock's best films and totally underrated. Why did Gary Cooper turn it down? It was a thriller, which in those days was considered a B-class genre. After "Foreign Correspondent," this was no longer true.

Everything you could possibly ask for

[spdowling · 9/10 · 11 May 2011]

Action, romance, comedy, political intrigue...Alfred Hitchcock's Foreign Correspondent(1940) has got it all. The film deals with very serious subject matter, the run up to the disastrous World War II in Europe, but Hitchcock's comedic treatment of the life and death circumstances make the film infinitely more watchable. Joel McRae is an outstanding leading man and the rest of the great international ensemble cast doesn't miss a dramatic or comedic note at any point in the film. The characteristic hitchcockian suspense is present throughout but it's the comedic moments that really make the film shine. In only his second Hollywood film, Hitchcock was in top form in showing the unique style of storytelling that would change the medium and influence film makers for 70 years and counting.

Prelude to Themes of some Hitchcock's Classics

[gpeevers · 7/10 · 16 June 2009]

Story of a crime reporter (Joel McCrea) suddenly thrust into the international arena as a foreign correspondent for a major New York paper, assigned to Europe in the weeks leading up to the outbreak of the Second World War. While trying to cover the efforts being made to avert war our protagonist manages both to fall in love and also to uncover a plot to subvert the peace process.

The film includes some really great set pieces, featuring wonderful sets, special weather effects and large crowds all used to great effect. For those familiar with Hitchcock's work there are also some obvious early versions of motif's that would be used again in later films ("Notorious", "North by Northwest", "Vertigo" and "The Man Who Knew to Much" to name a few).

The two leads Joel McCrea and Larraine Day are fine in their roles and largely effective but don't have the transcendence of the later actors Hitchcock's films would feature so effectively. The supporting cast though is extremely effective and includes; Herbert Marshall, George Sanders, Albert Basserman (nominated for an Oscar), Robert Benchley, Edmund Gwenn (the future Kris Kringle from "Miracle on 34th Street" plays a hired killer) and Eduardo Cianelli.

The cinematography is as to be expected quite good and includes some wonderful images. The score is effective though perhaps not up to the later Hitchcock scores from Bernard Herrmann.

The comedic elements of the film which was apparently largely added by Robert Benchley are good but seem somewhat out of place. The story has strong elements as well but I think the script needed to be tighter, perhaps another rewrite could have made this film truly great, although it already had a great many writer – perhaps too many Foreign Correspondent would be nominated for 6 Oscars including Best Picture, although it would win none. Another Hitchcock film the far superior "Rebecca" would win Best Picture that year.

Gripping and Perfect

[gengar843 · 10/10 · 8 June 2004]

For what it's worth, I think this is one of Hitchcock's top films. **SPOILERS AHEAD** Some people have commented on the over-the-top dialogue. I must admit that I found the characters rather whimsical, but I think that is the point. From Edmund Gwenn's (great casting) larking cutthroat to George Sanders' wry snobbery to Eddie Conrads's eyebrow-rustling Latvian, Hitchcock puts together a very light-hearted setting. Into this brush of sparkling romance, hack journalism, and "amateur politics" comes a nest of Axis spies. The McGuffin is a particular clause of a peace treaty, and our cast is whirled around this center. Many of the set-pieces-- the assassination, the windmill, the crash landing-- are virtuosi in themselves but are not meant to distract from a weak script, unlike many of today's films. The main plot, the secret kidnapping of a diplomat, keeps its steam. Subplot #1, the romance between lovely Laraine Day and McCrea, is charming and believable. Subplot #2, the intrigue, is masterfully handled by Hitch, and it is his forte. When first viewing this, you will be glued to the screen, attempting to figure things out before Hitchcock, in typical fashion, releases the pressure by revealing some "secret" thing. The patriotism is perfectly suited to 1940, and we in America would do well to heed the warnings against isolationism even today. I give it a 10.

The little people own the world

[rollernerd · 7/10 · 5 March 2021]

Welcome back to another edition of Adam's Reviews!! **queue in intro music**

Today's Hitchcock movie review is Foreign Correspondent (1940) where on the eve of World War II, an American reporter, John Jones, is sent to Europe to provide accurate and real facts surrounding a supposed treaty agreed by two European nations. Jones meets and interviews with a famous diplomat, Mr Van Meer, hoping to find the truth of a possible declaration of war between the Allied nations and Germany. Soon Jones finds out there are enemy agents operating in London who are trying to stall peace efforts. This movie is a modest spy thriller which fails to capture the thrills while there is an action or suspense scene. This is due to the ongoing imbalance of suspense and comedic romance which sometimes results into a weird lovey dovey romance. For example, the two protagonists, Jones and Carol Fisher fall in love straight away with both agreeing to be married. Now this may happen in any film, however this theme over shadows the concept of the movie which is how corrupt politicians engage with propaganda in order to progress war and anarchy.

The umbrella sequence during the supposed assassination where the gun man runs away was technically performed really well by Hitchcock along with the car chase and the wind mill scene. However, this was squashed with the unnecessary love engagements by the two main protagonists. Another example is when Jones climbs out the window from his hotel room and into Carol Fisher's room where they have an awkward scene about each other's feelings. There are cool cliched moments and great lines by both protagonist and antagonist including "I'll keep after it until either I get it or it gets me" and "combine a mad love for country and an equally mad indifference to life", which sums up the motives and drive of each character who are found on the different spectrum in the film. There is a plane crash scene at the end which turns the film into a survival mode along with the filmmaker killing off innocent average people. This not only makes this section of the film a survival mode but also places a dark and cruel theme. To me, the movie is really stolen by a refined English reporter, Scott Ffolliott played by George Sanders. The character's surname is strange in terms of its spelling; however Scott explains how it originated from the fact his ancestor was beheaded by Henry VIII - just as savvy and smart as he. Sanders does well with delivery a cool, calm, witty and charming character in this spy thriller. Hitchcock ends the movie with demonstrating how national duty is important by putting in a shamelessly nationalistic speech over the Star-Spangled Banner anthem, interesting. Overall 7/10

Uncle Alfred Wants YOU!

[wes-connors · 9/10 · 28 November 2010]

In 1939, due to the impending "WAR" with Nazi Germany, attractive and single "New York Globe" reporter Joel McCrea (as Johnny Jones) is sent to Europe. Serving as a London-based "Foreign Correspondent", Mr. McCrea takes the more distinguished name "Huntley Haverstock" and meets attractive and single Laraine Day (as Carol Fisher) on duty. McCrea is initially assigned to cover Ms. Day's father, "Universal Peace Party" spokesman Herbert Marshall (as Stephen Fisher). But, the "biggest story of the century" becomes the kidnapping of Dutch diplomat Albert Bassermann (as Van Meer). McCrae meets George Sanders (Scott ffolliott) and other suspicious characters, and is caught in a tightly wound web of spies…

With initial "Hollywood" effort "Rebecca" (1940) still packing them in, director Alfred Hitchcock nearly topped himself. While "Foreign Correspondent" isn't a more fully realized film, it outdistanced all others with several innovative suspense sequences - witness the umbrellas, windmills, tower, and the plane crash - all providing technical brilliance as a visual treat; even today, Hitchcock can make you forget you are seeing special effects. The story is densely plotted - perhaps, as many say, to a fault. The intentional propaganda proved to be prescient. Ironically, there were cheers from the Hitler camp; Nazi leader Joseph Goebbels praised the film, especially admiring how quickly the real "Van Meer" surrendered to torture.

********* Foreign Correspondent (8/16/40) Alfred Hitchcock ~ Joel McCrea, Laraine Day, Herbert Marshall, George Sanders

Exciting, topical political thriller

[jamesrupert2014 · 7/10 · 17 October 2018]

One of Hitchcock's first films after leaving England, 'Foreign Correspondent' is a well written yarn about a Yankee crime reporter (Joel McCrea) who gets caught up in European political intrigue in the days leading up to WWII. At the time, there was much debate about the extent to which the US should get involved in European politics and the looming war and the premise of sending a reporter over to find out 'just what's going on' would have resonated. While the story has a typical 'heroic reporter' B-movie plot, it is very well directed, written and acted, especially by Herbert Marshall and George Sanders and includes some excellent special effects, including the famous seaplane crash. For a wartime film, Marshall's character is remarkably ambivalent. Most commentators refer to him as a traitor but his confession to his daughter (Laraine Day) on the seaplane suggest that he is not British and is in fact a 'fifth columnist' ("I have fought for my country, in my heart, in a very difficult way; because, sometimes it is harder to fight dishonourably than nobly in the open.") The film was produced in the summer of 1940, as Germany invaded France and consolidated its hold on Northern Europe, and the ending of the film was rewritten, predicting the bombing of London (the film opened in the US on Aug 15, a week before the first bombs fell on London, and on October 11 in England, a month into the Luftwaffe's strategic bombing of the city ('The Blitz')). Reflecting the events in Europe, a new closing scene was written: a blatant plea for America to support Britain "...this is a big story, and you're part of it". Not Hitchcock's best work, but worth watching.

In many ways, the master's most accessible film

[sultana-1 · 10/10 · 24 May 2001]

Hitchcock may not have wanted him, but Joel Mac Crea's "everyman" performance as "Huntley Haverstock" is the most purely likeable and accessible protagonist Hitchcock has ever had. And, that works perfectly for the movies which gets plenty of the dark and mysterious and perverted from the magnificent supporting cast (including Marshall, Gwenn, Sanders, and many others...). But McCrea's feckless honesty and stubborn determination (rather than the more usual-for-Hitchcock obsession) work refreshingly in contrast with the others.

All the other typical master touches, impeccable camera work, a great score, intricate interwoven plotlines, and many dualities are all on hand for a truly great and unforgettable cinematic experience.

Watch this film!

Thrilling Hitchcock drama as the world is on the verge of war.

[michaelRokeefe · 7/10 · 17 August 2001]

The master at his best. This Alfred Hitchcock thriller is full of suspense, intrigue, murder, kidnaping and spy catching at the start of WW2. Joel McCrea is an ambitious American reporter that refuses to sit on a story that would expose spies in Europe.

An all star cast at the top of their game includes; Laraine Day, George Sanders, Edmund Gwenn, Eduardo Ciannelli and Ian Wolfe. As far as Hitchcock gems go, this movie sparkles. A must see.

Cliveden Set

[bkoganbing · 5/10 · 24 May 2007]

In a recent viewing of my VHS copy of Foreign Correspondent, I hadn't realized how dated it was and also how silly the plot was. Not worthy of the master of suspense.

Foreign Correspondent was the second film that Alfred Hitchcock made in America and it was a one shot deal for independent producer Walter Wanger. That other well known independent producer David O. Selznick got some big bucks for Hitch's services.

Or maybe he saw how ridiculous the story line was for Foreign Correspondent. Hitchcock's all purpose McGuffin in this story is a person, the Dutch Foreign Minister played by Albert Basserman.

The devilishly clever Nazis hatch a scheme in which they kidnap Basserman, substitute a double and assassinate the double. So after getting Basserman, what do they do? They don't spirit him away to Germany, they take him to England instead. Supposedly so that collaborator Herbert Marshall can get the text of a secret clause in a treaty the Dutch have signed with some other country not named. A little sodium pentathol in Germany would have done the trick.

I think the idea was totally ridiculous and I can't believe Alfred Hitchcock didn't find it so.

The purpose of this film was an attack on those in Great Britain dubbed the Cliveden set who hung out at Lady Nancy Astor's estate named Cliveden. These folks wanted peace at any price with Hitler and it's still a subject today for debate whether they were just fools or out and out traitors. Hitchcock opts for the latter.

Still the film has its Hitchcockian touches his fans love so well. The chase scene through the windmill country, the climax when the Atlantic clipper with Joel McCrea, Laraine Day, George Sanders, and Herbert Marshall is shot down after war is formally declared. Even at that, I can't believe that a submarine possessed sufficient fire power to down an airliner, why didn't the airliner just raise altitude?

Joel McCrea was Hitchcock's second choice after Gary Cooper turned him down. Hitchcock and McCrea got along well, he wanted to use him for later films like Saboteur, but they never worked together again.

And that's a pity because Foreign Correspondent isn't Hitchcock at his best.