Ian (Flash Review)An American reporter travels overseas to get the scoop on the tone of WWII potentially starting. As he digs into his reporting, he uncovers assorted cover-ups. Most are dialog driven but they didn't draw me in as much as I hoped. There was a very spectacular plane crash scene. Very elaborate in big scale feeling for 1940. It may mesh better for other viewers so give it a shot.

seymourblack-1 Excitement, suspense and humour are just a few of the hallmarks of this high-speed espionage thriller that does such a great job of entertaining from start to finish. With numerous plot twists and dialogue that's sharp and witty, the interest level never drops and no doubt, this contributed to making "Foreign Correspondent" the great commercial and critical success that it eventually became. Over the years, it's become one of Alfred Hitchcock's most under-appreciated films, probably for the simple reason that it's been overshadowed by his numerous great achievements in the years that followed. The fact remains however that, especially for a movie released in 1940, it's technically impressive, full of interesting characters and contains a number of very memorable set pieces.In 1939, Mr Powers (Harry Davenport), the aptly-named editor of the "New York Globe" is utterly exasperated by the lack of hard news that he's getting from his European correspondents about the growing threat of war and so decides to send a crime reporter to find out exactly what's happening. The reporter he chooses for the job is Johnny Jones (Joel McCrea), a young brash and politically naïve character who says "give me an expense account and I'll cover anything". Powers renames his new foreign correspondent, Huntley Haverstock and immediately instructs him to leave for London to attend a conference being held by the Universal Peace Party at which the eminent Dutch diplomat, Van Meer (Albert Bassermann) is due to speak.On his way to the event, Haverstock has the good fortune to meet Van Meer and shares a taxi with him but the old man is totally uninterested in talking about political matters and so doesn't provide Haverstock with any useful information. At the conference, the young American meets Carol Fisher (Laraine Day), the daughter of Stephen Fisher (Herbert Marshall) who's the peace organisation's leader and is shocked when Van Meer doesn't turn up to speak to the audience, apparently because he'd been called to attend another conference in Amsterdam. The determined reporter decides to go to Amsterdam to follow Van Meer's activities and is then drawn into a frantic sequence of events when he witnesses a shocking assassination, gets involved is a car chase and in a windmill in the Dutch countryside, discovers that Van Meer has been kidnapped and drugged by a suspicious-looking group of men.After Van Meer and his captors suddenly disappear, Haverstock returns to London with Carol who he'd met with her friend Scott ffolliott (George Sanders) during the car chase. Haverstock and Carol fall in love and plan to marry but when they return to Carol's home and Haverstock sees one of the men from the windmill with her father, he strongly suspects that Stephen Fisher is a Nazi agent and with the help of ffolliott attempts to rescue Van Meer and expose Fisher as a traitor. The events that follow then put Haverstock in some life-threatening situations before he's eventually in a position to try to get his story back to his newspaper in New York.The way in which the assassination is carried out in this movie is truly shocking and the suspense generated during Haverstock's time in the windmill where he's trying to avoid being seen by Van Meer's captors is tremendous. There's also a brilliantly filmed plane crash which is remarkably realistic as is another tense scene involving a high-level escape from a hotel room.Joel McCrea does well as an ordinary guy who's totally out of his depth in his new job and George Sanders, Laraine Day and Albert Bassermann are all excellent in their supporting roles."Foreign Correspondent" which is overtly anti-Nazi and made a strong appeal for the United States to end its policy of neutrality, made its point so effectively that it even drew great praise from Joseph Goebbels who was the German Minister of Propaganda at the time! Whilst the propaganda content of the film is clearly a reflection of the time in which it was made, its terrific combination of adventure, comedy and romance is so enjoyable that its enduring appeal is guaranteed.

utgard14 Reporter Johnny Jones (Joel McCrea), used to working the streets of New York, is sent overseas as a foreign correspondent. His first assignment is to get an interview with a diplomat negotiating peace to prevent war. When the diplomat is assassinated right in front of him, Jones sets off after the killer and finds himself embroiled in an international conspiracy plot.Exciting thriller from the master of suspense, Alfred Hitchcock. One of his best films from the '40s. McCrea is wonderful and the cast backing him up is first-rate. George Sanders, Herbert Marshall, Robert Benchley, Albert Bassermann, Edmund Gwenn, and so on. High quality actors all who never give bad turns. Also female lead Laraine Day in her biggest and best role outside of the Dr. Kildare series. She's great in this and it makes you wonder if she couldn't have been a bigger star had MGM used her for more than Kildare's love interest.The plot may be a bit complicated for some but you get lost in it and don't quibble with the particulars until after it's over. If you're like me, by then you won't care since you enjoyed the film so much. There's some good action and memorable set pieces, like many of the best Hitchock thrillers have. The script keeps things light despite the dark tone of the plot. It's a classic in every way, thoroughly enjoyable from beginning to end. One of the best WW2 films made before America had entered the war and Hollywood started churning them out one after another.

PimpinAinttEasy It is a bit overlong and Joel Mcrea is annoying while Laraine Day is unremarkable. But the thrills in this film are truly out of the world. The stark and realistic scenes at the windmill and the top of the tower without any background music might have inspired the long heist scene in Rififfi. I was thinking about RIFIFFI when i watched those scenes. The plain wreck scenes in the sea were pretty scary - the sea almost seemed like a monster. There were some extraordinary images in the film - one of the gigantic ship (at the beginning of the film) and the one of the almost monstrous sea.Albert Bassermann's performance as Van Meer needs special mention. the scene where he is tortured and interrogated seems to have inspired Brian De Palma in Sisters.Some of the twists could have been done away with. The film needed better editing. And the ending is pure propaganda. I wonder if that was the way Hitch felt about the war or if it was the studio.