SimonJack "Diplomatic Courier" is an outstanding spy, action thriller set in 1952 Europe where many countries were yet divided by occupation forces since World War II. The movie is based on a novel by Peter Cheyney, a British writer of suspense, crime and mysteries. He had served in World War I and was a police reporter and crime investigator in the 1920s. The cast hosts several prominent actors with magnificent roles. All give superb performances. This is one of the best and demanding roles Tyrone Power had in his career. He is a State Department courier who gets embroiled in espionage. He is prodded for romance, clubbed more than twice, tossed in the sea to drown, almost run over by a hit and turn driver, drugged and tortured, and caught up in fist fights. Patricia Neal is seductive as Joan Ross and Stephen McNally plays the tough-as-nails head of Army CID, Col. Mark Cagle. Hildegarde Knef is excellent as a double agent, Janine Betki. Karl Malden has a wonderful supporting role as Master Sgt. Ernie Guelvada of the CID. He comes to Mike's rescue a number of times. Lee Marvin has a small part as an MP, and the yet unknown Charles Bronson has a silent part as a Russian agent. German actor Stefan Schnabel plays a familiar role as Rasumny Platov, the head Soviet agent.This film is a fine example of a sub-genre of movies that began almost after the end of WW II. Cold War spy thrillers continued until the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. The best years these flicks were the late 40s through the 1960s. After that there were fewer such films. An added plus for this film is that it was made during the post-war occupation period. For several years after the war – until 1952, Allied forces had a presence in some western and eastern European countries. They helped maintain order and provide police and security protection as those countries got back on their feet. In some countries, American, British and French had military presence along with or opposite Russian units. In the Eastern bloc counties, the Soviets held sway all alone. So, this film has a lot of suspense, action, and movement, with wonderful cinematography of some of the European locations. The intrigue, action, scenery, setting, script with sub-plots, and excellent acting and direction all add up to a most enjoyable and entertaining movie. One that also gives a good picture of the climate and times in the early Cold War years right after World War II. For that reason, "Diplomatic Courier" also has historical value for any film library.

robert-temple-1 This is a superb espionage film set early in the Cold War. Tyrone Power makes the perfect lead, because he always had that quality of looking innocent and puzzled in the trickiest of situations, inevitably summoning plenty of noble resolution while never looking worldly wise about it. In this story, he is a diplomatic courier working for the American State Department. It is his job to carry important diplomatic communications by hand from country to country. He carries them in a briefcase handcuffed to his wrist. He wears two watches at once, one for the time at home and one for the time of his destination. However, Power becomes embroiled in a fantastically complicated espionage affair and ends up being used as a pawn in a complex game of intrigue which few can understand. He become involved with two mysterious women, who may or may not be femmes fatale. One is Patricia Neal, who plays a wealthy American widow on the make. She comes across as too good to be true, and for a while we suspect her of overacting. But then her true nature comes out, and we discover how evil she really is. When she starts playing her character's true self, she is terrifying. The other mysterious woman is played by the German actress Hildegard Neff, a mysterious beauty who was at the peak of her American popularity at this time. The film also features Karl Malden in a supporting role, where he is particularly good and shows the promise of his career which was to come. Much of the film is shot in Trieste, which one of the characters describes as being a hotbed of spies of all kinds, like Lisbon during the War. This film has a great deal of postwar atmosphere and suspense and is only one notch down from the more brilliant works of Hitchcock and Carroll Reed. The director was Henry Hathaway, an old pro who could make the telephone book look interesting, The film is full of double agents, betrayal, duplicity, baffling situations, and murder. The film moves at quite a pace and is never dull for a moment. The availability of this classic now on DVD is a welcome addition to the finer cinematic portrayals of early Cold War paranoia and deception. It is interesting historically as well as cinematically, and we get to see a lot of location shots which evoke the era.

Armand a film who can be discovered as an admirable work. for the precise image of Cold War spirit. for the web-story. and for courageous option for cast members. a film who reminds more than an action subject. it is charming, mysterious and well made. it is a special embroidery of relations and choices, not perfect but interesting to discover an another Tyron Power. it has sensuality and explores the each detail in an inspired manner. and, sure, it represents vehicle for many memories . a thriller in old great style who can not be reduced at artistic value. the atmosphere, the small things who creates it are precious. and the remarkable cast. because, like each war, it could be a film about present reality.

amolad Solid little movie of Cold War espionage. It was filmed on location by the great cinematographer Lucien Ballard, and the crisp black-and-white photography is one of the best things about the picture. There are lots of night exteriors which look gorgeous.The story is reasonably appealing and is well-told, capturing the paranoia of the Cold War -- or at least of classic Cold War fiction -- in its prime. It's suspenseful even though it's predictable, and it contains some nice comic moments, especially from Karl Malden. Tyrone Power is a little past his prime here but does an OK job.