Der Spion in Schwarz (1939)

Der Spion in Schwarz: Directed by Michael Powell. With Conrad Veidt, Sebastian Shaw, Valerie Hobson, Marius Goring. A German submarine is sent to the Orkney Isles in 1917 to sink the British fleet.

“This excellent birth of u0026quot;The Archersu0026quot; just managed its London premiere the very week WWII was declared in Britain and all places of entertainment were ordered to close,albeit temporarily. Second of all Veidt was and is my favourite actor,having seen all but some rare silents from u0026quot;Caligariu0026quot; onwards. He was the definitive popular German swine(Eric Von,notwithstanding)although he did play many other parts – Jew Suss/Under The Red Robe,a mediaeval swashbuckler, the mysterious stranger in u0026quot;Passing of the 3rd Floor,Backu0026quot; or the aviator in u0026quot;FP1u0026quot;(English version). Shortly after fleeing the Nazis (whom he loathed) in the 30s he gladly set up a home near Kordau0026#39;s famous Denham studios and was a doting father to his daughter while soon becoming the tall and cultured idol of thousands of women.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eHe was also a Korda favourite and this first pairing with then one of Britainu0026#39;s favourite glamour girls.Valerie Hobson, following her brief success with Universal,he was rushed into another naval adventure,u0026quot;Contrabandu0026quot; equally entertaining. Like,say, Hitchcocku0026#39;s u0026quot;The Lady Vanishesu0026quot;, this is great escapist stuff with a mystery character at the centre of the story. But one point in the movie has always bothered me – just how does one manhandle a motor cycle up the steep conning tower of a submarine? We are never shown how Veidt managed it!u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eBy the same token, how did Erik in u0026quot;Phantom of the Operau0026quot; manage to get his organ/piano into his hideout amongst the Paris sewers? After all, we see the problem he had with the small boat! Curiously, Veidtu0026#39;s Nazi officer in u0026quot;Escapeu0026quot; u0026amp; u0026quot;Casablancau0026quot; both died in the middle of a phone call while attempting the prevent an escape.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eu0026quot;Spyu0026quot; has its share of amusing lines u0026amp; allusions. On his entry at the start he u0026amp; fellow submariner get seated at a crowded fashionable hotel anticipating a slap-up meal after a long period at sea only to be told almost every dish is u0026quot;offu0026quot; – even for naval officers. They leave in disgust u0026amp; still starved. A while later when Hardt has been secretly landed on the Orkneys with motorcycle,late at night u0026amp; having avoided discovery.he meets his contact V Hobson (a British agent posing as a local teacher)at home. Entering the kitchen he stops short u0026amp; stares hard,alarming her and utters the word u0026quot;boota!u0026quot; in some disbelief which she interprets as u0026quot;no,u0026quot;butter!u0026quot;.and as he proceeds to dig with relish into a side of ham he remarks u0026quot;These English – they are so long without their food!u0026quot; The time was WW1 and an ironic comment on the German shortages – but the filmu0026#39;s settings were equally appropriate to forthcoming WW2 conditions in Britain. During the filmu0026#39;s production all the menacing signs of 1938/1939 were there but it seemed only Churchill was convinced of the inevitable when everyone wanted to believe Chamberlain. The filmu0026#39;s scheduled release to Londonu0026#39;s Odeon cinema did not anticipate the decisive act of Germanyu0026#39;s invasion of Poland.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eSadly, there was a real-life similarity in both Veidtu0026#39;s u0026amp; Bing Crosbyu0026#39;s sudden collapse just following a game of golf. Veidt had barely turned 50 as a Warneru0026#39;s star and still had lots to offer.”