Secret Mission *** (1942, Hugh Williams, James Mason, Roland Culver, Michael Wilding) – Classic Movie Review 13,312

The 1942 British wartime spy thriller film Secret Mission is about the life-or-death mission of four officer agents (Hugh Williams, James Mason, Roland Culver, Michael Wilding) working for British Intelligence.

Director Harold French’s 1942 British wartime spy thriller film Secret Mission is about the mission of four officer agents (Hugh Williams as Major Peter Garnett, James Mason, Roland Culver as Captain ‘Red’ Gowan, Michael Wilding as Private ‘Nobby’ Clark) working for British Intelligence (though Mason’s character Raoul de Carnot is French).

They are dropped by parachute with false passports into World War Two occupied France to report back on the state and strength of Nazi defence readiness. This involves the team blowing up munitions dumps and getting into the heart of the German HQ, embroiling them in a life-or-death shootout.

A particularly strong cast makes the most of the suspense and action. Some of the script by Anatole de Grunwald and Basil Bartlett may seem a little bit clunky and clichéd now, but the piece is still tense, action-filled and intriguing, and French’s direction is commendably fast moving.

Notably also, Carla Lehmann plays Raoul de Carnot’s sister Michele, Nancy Price is Violette the housekeeper, Karel Stepanek is Major Lang, Stewart Granger plays Sub-Lieutenant Jackson and Herbert Lom appears as Medical Officer.

The cast

The cast are Hugh Williams as Major Peter Garnett, James Mason as Raoul de Carnot, Carla Lehmann as Michele de Carnot, Roland Culver as Captain ‘Red’ Gowan, Michael Wilding as Private ‘Nobby’ Clark, Nancy Price as Violette the housekeeper, Karel Stepanek as Major Lang, Fritz Wendhausen [F R Wendhausen] as General von Reichman, Betty Warren as Lulu Clark, Percy Walsh as M Fayolle, Anita Gombault as Estelle Fayolle, Nicholas Stuart as Captain Mackenzie, John Salew as Hauptmann Gruening, Yvonne Andre as money collector Martine, David Page as boy Rene de Carnot, Brefni O’Rorke as Village Priest, Beatrice Varley as British Cook, Stewart Granger as Sub-Lieutenant Jackson, Oscar Ebelsbacher as Provost Officer, Herbert Lom as Medical Officer, and Marcel Hellman.

© Derek Winnert 2024 – Classic Movie Review 13,312

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