{"id":4113,"date":"2007-09-05T13:59:58","date_gmt":"2007-09-05T20:59:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=4113"},"modified":"2023-07-15T11:19:50","modified_gmt":"2023-07-15T18:19:50","slug":"secret-agent-1936","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=4113","title":{"rendered":"Secret Agent (1936)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;Oh, I know it&#8217;s war and it&#8217;s our job to do it, but that doesn&#8217;t prevent it being murder &#8212; simple murder!&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Secret-Agent-Poster.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Secret-Agent-Poster-198x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"198\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-23088\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Secret-Agent-Poster-198x300.jpg 198w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Secret-Agent-Poster-84x128.jpg 84w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Secret-Agent-Poster.jpg 491w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 198px) 100vw, 198px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong><br \/>\nDuring World War One, three British spies &#8212; a couple pretending to be married (John Gielgud and Madeleine Carroll) and their accomplice (Peter Lorre) &#8212; are sent to Switzerland to find and kill a double agent. When they mistakenly murder an innocent older gentleman (Percy Marmont), Gielgud and Carroll &#8212; who have been slowly falling in love &#8212; start to question the job they&#8217;ve been asked to carry out.\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>\n<strong>Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Alfred Hitchcock Films<\/li>\n<li>Guilt<\/li>\n<li>John Gielgud Films<\/li>\n<li>Madeleine Carroll Films<\/li>\n<li>Mistaken or Hidden Identities<\/li>\n<li>Peter Lorre Films<\/li>\n<li>Robert Young Films<\/li>\n<li>Spies<\/li>\n<li>World War I<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Review: <\/strong><br \/>\nThis unusual, oft-maligned thriller can&#8217;t compete with Hitchcock&#8217;s later espionage masterpieces, but remains a satisfyingly quirky and thoughtful adventure. Underlying the entire narrative is a refreshing moral subtext, in which novice spies Gielgud and Carroll question the ethics of what they&#8217;re being asked to do for their country, vacillating between a desire to &#8220;do the right thing&#8221; and (in a subplot which slightly strains credulity) act upon their growing romantic interest in one another. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Secret-Agent-Carroll-Gielgud.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Secret-Agent-Carroll-Gielgud-1024x766.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"479\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-61661\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Secret-Agent-Carroll-Gielgud-1024x766.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Secret-Agent-Carroll-Gielgud-300x224.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Secret-Agent-Carroll-Gielgud-128x96.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Secret-Agent-Carroll-Gielgud-768x575.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Secret-Agent-Carroll-Gielgud-361x270.png 361w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Secret-Agent-Carroll-Gielgud.png 1239w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Peter Lorre as &#8220;the General&#8221; &#8212; strategically &#8220;othered&#8221; through his curly dark hair, prominent hoop earring, heavy accent, laughable self-aggrandizement, and womanizing ways &#8212; is posited as the gleefully violent counterpart to their moral uncertainty; while Lorre does the best he can with his role (and is certainly the film&#8217;s most unusual characterization), he&#8217;s ultimately too offensive to laud as a favorable aspect of the movie.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Secret-Agent-Lorre2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Secret-Agent-Lorre2-1024x769.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"481\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-61658\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Secret-Agent-Lorre2-1024x769.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Secret-Agent-Lorre2-300x225.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Secret-Agent-Lorre2-128x96.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Secret-Agent-Lorre2-768x577.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Secret-Agent-Lorre2-359x270.png 359w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Secret-Agent-Lorre2.png 1231w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Madeleine Carroll &#8212; usually cited as the first of Hitchcock&#8217;s &#8220;icy blondes&#8221; &#8212; is well-cast as the spunky female lead; she and Robert Young (as a mysterious tourist pursuing her throughout the film) have an excellent, believable rapport together. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Secret-Agent-Banter2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Secret-Agent-Banter2-1024x761.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"476\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-61657\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Secret-Agent-Banter2-1024x761.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Secret-Agent-Banter2-300x223.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Secret-Agent-Banter2-128x95.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Secret-Agent-Banter2-768x571.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Secret-Agent-Banter2-363x270.png 363w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Secret-Agent-Banter2.png 1229w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Less charismatic &#8212; though certainly competent &#8212; is stage-star John Gielgud as Carroll&#8217;s compatriot (whose character was criticized by audiences at the time for not being heroic enough). <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Secret-Agent-Gielgud2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Secret-Agent-Gielgud2-1024x764.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"478\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-61659\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Secret-Agent-Gielgud2-1024x764.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Secret-Agent-Gielgud2-300x224.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Secret-Agent-Gielgud2-128x96.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Secret-Agent-Gielgud2-768x573.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Secret-Agent-Gielgud2-362x270.png 362w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Secret-Agent-Gielgud2.png 1229w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Most satisfying of all, however, are the many memorable moments sprinkled throughout the film &#8212; most notably the creepy early scene in a church:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Secret-Agent-Creepy-Organ.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Secret-Agent-Creepy-Organ-1024x767.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"479\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-61654\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Secret-Agent-Creepy-Organ-1024x767.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Secret-Agent-Creepy-Organ-300x225.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Secret-Agent-Creepy-Organ-128x96.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Secret-Agent-Creepy-Organ-768x575.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Secret-Agent-Creepy-Organ-360x270.png 360w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Secret-Agent-Creepy-Organ.png 1235w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>and the almost unbearably heartbreaking &#8220;telepathic dog&#8221; scene. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Secret-Agent-Dog4.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Secret-Agent-Dog4-1024x765.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"478\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-61655\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Secret-Agent-Dog4-1024x765.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Secret-Agent-Dog4-300x224.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Secret-Agent-Dog4-128x96.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Secret-Agent-Dog4-768x574.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Secret-Agent-Dog4-361x270.png 361w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Secret-Agent-Dog4.png 1241w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>While <em>Secret Agent<\/em> isn&#8217;t one of Hitchcock&#8217;s masterpieces, it clearly shows evidence of his unique directorial brilliance, and is worth a look. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Redeeming Qualities and Moments: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Madeleine Carroll as &#8220;Elsa&#8221;<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Secret-Agent-Carroll.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Secret-Agent-Carroll-1024x767.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"479\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-61653\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Secret-Agent-Carroll-1024x767.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Secret-Agent-Carroll-300x225.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Secret-Agent-Carroll-128x96.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Secret-Agent-Carroll-768x576.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Secret-Agent-Carroll-360x270.png 360w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Secret-Agent-Carroll.png 1237w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Plenty of witty, fast-paced banter between Young and Carroll:<br \/>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;If you won&#8217;t let me kiss me, do you mind if I bite your Adam&#8217;s apple?&#8221;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Must See? <\/strong><br \/>\nNo, but it&#8217;s definitely recommended, and certainly must-see for Hitchcock fans. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Links: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/imdb.com\/title\/tt0028231\/\">IMDb entry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.screenonline.org.uk\/film\/id\/438145\/index.html\">Screen Online Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thespinningimage.co.uk\/cultfilms\/displaycultfilm.asp?reviewid=1083&#038;aff=13\">Spinning Image Review<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;Oh, I know it&#8217;s war and it&#8217;s our job to do it, but that doesn&#8217;t prevent it being murder &#8212; simple murder!&#8221; Synopsis: During World War One, three British spies &#8212; a couple pretending to be married (John Gielgud and Madeleine Carroll) and their accomplice (Peter Lorre) &#8212; are sent to Switzerland to find and kill a double agent. When they mistakenly murder an innocent older gentleman (Percy Marmont), Gielgud and Carroll &#8212; who have been slowly falling in love&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=4113\"> Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4113","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-reviews"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4113","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4113"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4113\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":90913,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4113\/revisions\/90913"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4113"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4113"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4113"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}