Nazi Agent **** (1942, Conrad Veidt, Ann Ayars, Frank Reicher) – Classic Movie Review 8345

Jules Dassin is promoted from MGM’s short subjects unit and directs the tense, often exciting 1942 black and white wartime drama feature Nazi Agent effectively, and the fine cast adds a lot of allure.

Nazi Agent is enjoyable on several levels and for various reasons, but, best of all, it offers the engaging prospect of two Conrad Veidts for the price of one. In the left-hand corner there is the peace-loving, loyal German-American brother and in the right-hand corner there is his Nazi official villain identical twin, who makes him help a spy ring.

Anne Ayars also stars as Kaaren De Relle, the gal fighting for the good Veidt, and there is that typically fine MGM support cast to add the aforementioned allure. But it is Veidt’s show, as expatriate German bookseller Otto Becker and Nazi twin Baron Hugo Von Detner, and a good one, too.

Also in the cast are Frank Reicher, Dorothy Tree, Martin Kosleck, Ivan F Simpson, Marc Lawrence, Sidney Blackmer, Moroni Olsen, Pierre Watkin, Roy Barcroft, Barbara Bedford, Margaret Bert, Wilbur Mack, Ernie Alexander, Rudolph Anders, Jessie Arnold, Polly Bailey, William Bailey, Arthur Belasco, Walter Byron, Baldwin Cooke, Hal Cooke, Clyde Courtright, Stuart Crawford, Jack Daley, Mark Daniels, Cliff Danielson, Drew Demarest, Joe Gilbert, Bernadene Hayes, Robert Homans, Edward Hearn, George Magrill, Frank Marlowe, James Millican, Roper Moore, George Noisom, William Post, Christian Rub, Tim Ryan, Charles Sherlock, Russell Simpson, Harry Stafford, Hermine Sterler, Tom Stevenson, Brick Sullivan, William Tannen, Ray Teal, Philip Van Zandt, Roland Varno, Duke York, Jeff York and Joe Yule.

Nazi Agent is directed by Jules Dassin, runs 84 minutes, is produced and released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, is written by Paul Gangelin, John Meehan Jr and Lothar Mendes, is shot in black and white by Harry Stradling Sr, is produced by Irving Asher, is scored by Lennie Hayton, and is designed by Cedric Gibbons.

Ann Ayars (1918–1995) made only eight films and was also known for Fiesta (1941), Apache Trail (1942) and The Tales of Hoffmann (1951). She was the star soprano with the New York City Opera from 1943 and taught voice and piano at Mount San Jacinto College in California from 1968 to 1987 as professor emeritus.

© Derek Winnert 2019 Classic Movie Review 8345

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