I See a Dark Stranger [The Adventuress] **** (1946, Deborah Kerr Trevor Howard, Raymond Huntley) – Classic Movie Review 10,067

Director Frank Launder’s extremely enjoyable 1946 wartime British espionage thriller I See a Dark Stranger [The Adventuress] stars Deborah Kerr, who lights up the screen as Bridie Quilty, a young Irish woman whose hatred of the English starts her spying for the Germans.

Luckily, Kerr comes to her senses when she falls in love with British army lieutenant David Baynes (Trevor Howard), starting by questioning her actions, and then feeling contrite about coming to England to spy for Nazi agent J Miller (Raymond Huntley), and finally helping Baynes (Howard) to escape.

Entertaining all the way, and both tense and humorous, it is expertly handled by writer-producing team Frank Launder and Sidney Gilliat, smartly made, and well played by a superb cast.

Were there any qualms about having an IRA supporter as the film’s heroine?

It also features Norman Shelley, Michael Howard, Brenda Bruce, Liam Redmond, Brefni O’Rorke, James Harcourt, George Woodbridge, Garry Marsh, Olga Lindo, Kathleen Harrison, Marie Ault, John Salew, David Tomlinson, Torin Thatcher, Katie Johnson, Joan Hickson, Eddie Byrne, Brenda Bruce, Leslie Dwyer, Sydney Tafler, Patricia Laffan, Peter Jones, Hugh Dempster, Richard Wattis, Johnnie Schofield and Jack Vyvyan.

I See a Dark Stranger [The Adventuress] is directed by Frank Launder, runs 112 minutes (UK) or 98 minutes (US), is made by Individual Pictures, is released by General Film Distributors (1946) (UK) and Eagle-Lion Films (1947) (US), is written by Frank Launder (screenplay), Sidney Gilliat (screenplay), Wolfgang Wilhelm and Liam Redmond (additional dialogue), is shot in black and white by Wilkie Cooper, is produced by Frank Launder and Sidney Gilliat, is scored by William Alwyn and is designed by David Rawnsley.

It was shot at locations including Dublin, Dundalk and around Wexford in Ireland, Dunster in England, and the Isle of Man.

Kerr married Spitfire pilot Tony Bartley just after the film was made on 28 November 1945. They had two children but divorced on 10 June 1960. Though she was known for playing classic English ladies and nicknamed The English Rose, she was born Deborah Jane Trimmer in Hillhead, Glasgow, Scotland.

The film was released in the US as The Adventuress.

It is the first of ten films released by Launder and Gilliat’s company Individual Pictures.

© Derek Winnert 2020 Classic Movie Review 10,067

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