Unpublished Story *** (1942, Richard Greene, Valerie Hobson, Basil Radford, Roland Culver) – Classic Movie Review 7459

Director Harold French’s 1942 British film Unpublished Story is an intriguing morale-boosting World War Two propaganda drama, played with much spirit by a fine cast, and lifted with some well-written dialogue.

German fifth columnists take cover with a World War Two peace-loving group until their secret is exposed by a crusading war reporter (Richard Greene), who is kidnapped while investigating the Nazi network operating during the Blitz. His newshound girlfriend (Richard Hobson) receives a message from the group’s secretary, sending her off on a help mission.

For all its good points, Unpublished Story is too routinely handled and too pat to be a classic, but it remains very watchable and interesting throughout, with Hobson’s feisty turn a big asset.

It is written by Anatole de Grunwald (screenplay) and Patric Kirwan (screenplay), Sidney Gilliat (uncredited) and Lesley Storm (additional dialogue), based on a story by Anthony Havelock-Allan and Allan MacKinnon.

Unpublished Story also features Basil Radford as Lamb, Roland Culver as Stannard, Brefni O’Rourke as Denton, Miles Malleson as Farmfield, George Carney as Landlord, André Morell as Marchand, Muriel George as Landlady, Renée Gadd as Miss Hartley, Frederick Cooper as Trapes, Aubrey Mallalieu, George Thorpe in his film debut as Major Edwards, Henry Morrell, Claude Bailey, Ronald Shiner, Wally Patch, John Longden and Edie Martin.

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 7459

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