Copyright 13 June 1952 by 20th Century-Fox Film Corp. New York opening at the Roxy: 13 June 1952. U.S. release: 25 June 1952. U.K. release: 28 July 1952. Australian release: 4 September 1952. Sydney opening at the Mayfair. 98 minutes.
SYNOPSIS: An American secret agent in Salzburg is sent to pick up top secret information. His path, however, is blocked by a Russian spy ring.
NOTES: Final teaming of actor Power and director Hathaway.
COMMENT: Based on Peter Cheyney's novel, "Sinister Errand", this movie emerges as a surprisingly dull account of international intrigue. The script starts off slowly and whenever it looks like speeding up, it gets bogged down in talk. The players do their best to overcome this major handicap, but they are constantly hampered by their one-dimensional characterizations and the script's sloppy narrative structure.
As not a single member of the cast left the Hollywood studio, director Henry Hathaway's main task has been to integrate the studio material with the 2nd unit location footage — a task he has accomplished with great success and masterly adroitness.
Lucien Ballard's photography has the characteristic Fox low-key and high contrast I so greatly admire. Other production values are first-rate though the film would be considerably improved by sharper film editing.
OTHER VIEWS: Diplomatic Courier is a film I like very much, and it was another experience. I had made many pictures outside. This picture took place in Europe and went on all over, but I made it on the stage. I never left the stage. The second unit shot the scene with Tyrone Power on the Trocadero. It was an action picture, automobiles chasing each other, and they showed this thing all over the industry. As soon as a guy wanted to go to Europe, they said "Get Diplomatic Courier, show the son-of-a-bitch the picture — it was made on the stage." All the stuff on the street, everything, was shot with transparencies, like the Trocadero scene. (By "the stage", Hathaway also means the Fox back lot, which was very convincingly dressed up, as in the Trieste scene). — Henry Hathaway.
There was a time when a Tyrone Power picture would always be assured of top billing on Saturday nights. By 1952, however, his career had well and truly stalled. Yet he was soon to pull himself out of the doldrums with "King of the Khyber Rifles" which was soon followed by the smash hit, "The Eddy Duchin Story". His last film, "Witness for the Prosecution" (1958) was one of his greatest successes. But with "Diplomatic Courier", Power is strictly marking time. — JHR writing as George Addison.
SYNOPSIS: An American secret agent in Salzburg is sent to pick up top secret information. His path, however, is blocked by a Russian spy ring.
NOTES: Final teaming of actor Power and director Hathaway.
COMMENT: Based on Peter Cheyney's novel, "Sinister Errand", this movie emerges as a surprisingly dull account of international intrigue. The script starts off slowly and whenever it looks like speeding up, it gets bogged down in talk. The players do their best to overcome this major handicap, but they are constantly hampered by their one-dimensional characterizations and the script's sloppy narrative structure.
As not a single member of the cast left the Hollywood studio, director Henry Hathaway's main task has been to integrate the studio material with the 2nd unit location footage — a task he has accomplished with great success and masterly adroitness.
Lucien Ballard's photography has the characteristic Fox low-key and high contrast I so greatly admire. Other production values are first-rate though the film would be considerably improved by sharper film editing.
OTHER VIEWS: Diplomatic Courier is a film I like very much, and it was another experience. I had made many pictures outside. This picture took place in Europe and went on all over, but I made it on the stage. I never left the stage. The second unit shot the scene with Tyrone Power on the Trocadero. It was an action picture, automobiles chasing each other, and they showed this thing all over the industry. As soon as a guy wanted to go to Europe, they said "Get Diplomatic Courier, show the son-of-a-bitch the picture — it was made on the stage." All the stuff on the street, everything, was shot with transparencies, like the Trocadero scene. (By "the stage", Hathaway also means the Fox back lot, which was very convincingly dressed up, as in the Trieste scene). — Henry Hathaway.
There was a time when a Tyrone Power picture would always be assured of top billing on Saturday nights. By 1952, however, his career had well and truly stalled. Yet he was soon to pull himself out of the doldrums with "King of the Khyber Rifles" which was soon followed by the smash hit, "The Eddy Duchin Story". His last film, "Witness for the Prosecution" (1958) was one of his greatest successes. But with "Diplomatic Courier", Power is strictly marking time. — JHR writing as George Addison.