The Spy in Black

The Spy in Black
(U-Boat 29)

U.S. film poster
Directed by Michael Powell
Produced by Alexander Korda
Irving Asher
Written by J. Storer Clouston (novel)
Roland Pertwee (scenario)
Emeric Pressburger (screenplay)
Starring Conrad Veidt
Valerie Hobson
Marius Goring
Sebastian Shaw
Music by Miklós Rózsa
Cinematography Bernard Browne
Edited by Hugh Stewart
Production
company
Distributed by Columbia Pictures
Release dates
 12 August 1939 (UK)
5 October (NYC)
7 October (US general)
Running time
 82 minutes
Country United Kingdom
Language English
Budget £47,300 (est.)

The Spy in Black (US: U-Boat 29) is a 1939 British film, and the first collaboration between the British filmmakers Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger. They were brought together by Alexander Korda to make the World War I spy thriller by Joseph Storer Clouston into a film. Powell and Pressburger eventually made over 20 films during the course of their partnership.

The Spy in Black stars Conrad Veidt, Valerie Hobson, Sebastian Shaw and features Marius Goring.

Plot

Captain Hardt (Conrad Veidt), a World War I German U-boat commander, is ordered to lead a mission to attack the British Fleet at Scapa Flow. He sneaks ashore on the Orkney Islands to meet his contact, Fräulein Tiel (Valerie Hobson). Tiel has taken over the identity of local schoolteacher, Miss Anne Burnett (June Duprez), who had been kidnapped by German agents. Hardt finds himself attracted to her, but Tiel shows no interest. The Germans are aided by a disgraced Royal Navy officer, the former Commander Ashington (Sebastian Shaw) who, according to Tiel, has agreed to aid the Germans after losing his command due to drunkenness, and Tiel implies that she has slept with Ashington to obtain his cooperation.

The plan is almost disrupted when Burnett's fiancé, Rev. Harris, arrives unexpectedly, but the spies take him captive; there is another small complication when the local minister Matthews (who had already met Harris) comes to the house, but Tiel manages to get them to leave. Now equipped with the crucial information he needs about the fleet movements, Hardt makes rendezvous with his submarine to arrange the attack. Returning to the house, and confident that all is going to plan, Hardt make advances to Tiel, but she rebuffs him. She leaves the house, believing she has locked Hardt in, but he gets out and secretly follows her, discovering that she has gone out to meet Ashington. Hardt overhears them talking and learns the truth - the British are fully aware of his presence and his mission, and his 'contacts' are really British double-agents - Ashington is in fact RN Commander Blacklock, and "Fräulein Tiel" is Blacklock's wife, Jill.

As Jill prepares to leave the island, Blacklock returns to the house to arrest Hardt, only to find he has eluded them. Disguised in Rev Harris' clothes, Hardt manages to board the island ferry, which is also carrying Jill, a number of civilian passengers, and eight German POWs. Blacklock reports Hardt's escape to the base commander, who reveals that the British had learned of the plan because, although the real Miss Burnett had been kidnapped and then thrown into the sea by the German agents, she had luckily survived, and was rescued by a patrol boat, thus exposing the plot. At sea, Hardt manages to free the German prisoners and they seize the ferry. The Royal Navy pursue them, but before they can catch up, the ferry is intercepted by Hardt's submarine, and Hardt's first officer (Marius Goring) decides to sink it. As it surfaces and prepares to fire, Hardt realises it is his own U-boat, and he frantically attempts to signal them, but he is too late - the u-boat shells the ferry, which begins to sink. By this time the British ships have arrived, and they drop depth charges, destroying the fleeing U-boat. As Jill, the other passengers and the crew abandon the sinking ferry, Hardt realises all is lost, and he goes down with the ship.

Cast

Cast notes

Production

The Spy in Black was filmed at Denham Studios, with location shooting at Northchurch Common in Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire and in Orkney, Scotland.[4] The film wrapped production on 24 December 1938[5] and was released in the U.K. on 12 August 1939. Its American premiere was held in New York City on 5 October of that year, and it went into general release two days later.[6]

Awards and honours

This film was named by the National Board of Review as one of the ten best films of 1939.[7]

Notes

  1. ↑ Bernard Miles at the Internet Movie Database
  2. ↑ Graham Stark at the Internet Movie Database
  3. ↑ Skelton Knaggs at the Internet Movie Database
  4. ↑ IMDB Filming locations
  5. ↑ IMDB Box office/business
  6. ↑ IMDB Release dates
  7. ↑ TCM Notes
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