makes me proud to be British,love the chauffeuse (SPOILERS)
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Archived from the IMDb Discussion Forums — The Spy in Black
ib011f9545i — 12 years ago(December 26, 2013 07:51 AM)
I have seen this before but not for a long time,it is not on the tv very often anymore.
I will give no plot spoilers,other than that Germany loses the war, the film has grumpy Scottish engineering officers (STAR TREK?)money grabbing narrow minded Scottish churchmen and pretty female spies,but my favourite is the strict,organised female driver,she dresses like a man and I think she would do anything for the reich.
If you like spy films this must be one of the early ones which created all the cliches.
There are several naval/spy films which I get confused with,SEALED CARGO is a bit like this and CONTRABRAND as well?
I just love films showing the old ROYAL NAVY,which hardly exists anymore thanks to Mr Cameron. -
Steve Crook — 12 years ago(December 26, 2013 08:58 AM)
Don't just blame Cameron, this one was set in WWI, long before he was born.
Grumpy Scottish engineering officers, money grabbing narrow minded Scottish churchmen and pretty female spies are all long established tropes used in literature and film long before this one
Contraband
starred the same two actors in the lead but wasn't very naval. Most of the action took place ashore - and Conrad was Danish in that one
But having said all of that,
The Spy in Black
is a great old film with some lovely performances and clever plotting by Mr Emeric Pressburger. It was this film that brought Powell & Pressburger together and forged a film-making partnership that lasted into the 1950s, and a friendship that lasted for the rest of their lives. Powell admired the way that Pressburger had taken the story from the novel and changed it to make an exciting, dramatic film story. See
http://www.powell-pressburger.org/Reviews/39_SiB/TheStory.html
for details of the changes he made
The Chauffeuse, Mary Morris can also be seen to good effect playing an equally villainous character in
The Thief of Bagdad
(1940)
Steve -
ib011f9545i — 12 years ago(December 27, 2013 04:19 AM)
Thanks for the tip about MARY MORRIS,I know the film was set during World War 1 but I can't help comparing the status of the Royal Navy today to 1914 and even 1938.
It is ironic that people voted for Mr Cameron partly due to cuts in defence spending by the previous government and then he made huge cuts in the Royal Navy and hoisted the white flag in Afghanistan. -
Steve Crook — 12 years ago(December 27, 2013 04:43 AM)
Some people voted for Cameron, but not many. Not enough for him to form a government without resorting to a coalition
As for the status of the Royal Navy, it's always been cut back in relatively peaceful times and boosted in times of war. That goes back to when it was founded
Steve -
ib011f9545i — 12 years ago(December 28, 2013 10:38 AM)
Yes I know Cameron is an unelected PM,assisted by MARSHALL PETAIN aka as cardboard NICK CLEGG "it would be much worse if I was not there" but my point was that many people did vote for his party due to the idea of rebuilding our armed forces and poilce but guess what it was all rhetoric.
As for naval cuts I am glad to say that the RN was not ignored between the 2 world wars,is it fair to say that of the 3 services it suffered least from cuts prior to the increase in arms spending after Munich 1938?
As for Cameron's naval cuts,scrapping the Sea Harriers so quickly was a scandal and not having working carriers for so long seems crazy and badly thought out.
We can't project force around the world anymore but we can send money and pretend to be progressive while being so nasty and right wing at home.