Foreign Correspondent (1940)

Director:

Alfred Hitchcock

Writers:

Charles Bennett (screenplay) and
Joan Harrison (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

16 August 1940 (USA)

Genre:

Mystery | Romance | Thriller | War

Tagline:

MYSTERY IN WHISPERS that cracks like THUNDER! (original print ad - many caps)

Plot:

On the eve of WW2, a young American reporter tries to expose enemy agents in London.

Plot Keywords:

Reporter | Spy | Windmill | Scotland Yard | Foreign Correspondent

Awards:

Nominated for 6 Oscars.

Cast

Joel McCrea	...	John Jones
Laraine Day	...	Carol Fisher
Herbert Marshall	...	Stephen Fisher
George Sanders	...	Ffolliott (ffollliott)
Albert Bassermann	...	Van Meer (as Albert Basserman)
Robert Benchley	...	Stebbins
Edmund Gwenn	...	Rowley
Eduardo Ciannelli	...	Mr. Krug (as Eduardo Cianelli)
Harry Davenport	...	Mr. Powers
Martin Kosleck	...	Tramp
Frances Carson	...	Mrs. Sprague
Ian Wolfe	...	Stiles
Charles Wagenheim	...	Assassin
Eddie Conrad	...	Latvian (as Edward Conrad)
Charles Halton	...	Bradley
Barbara Pepper	...	Dorine
Emory Parnell	...	'Mohican' Captain
Roy Gordon	...	Mr. Brood
Gertrude Hoffman	...	Mrs. Benson
Marten Lamont	...	Captain (as Martin Lamont)
Barry Bernard	...	Steward
Holmes Herbert	...	Assistant Commissioner
Leonard Mudie	...	McKenna
John Burton	...	English Announcer
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Samuel Adams	...	Van Meer's impersonator (uncredited)
Meeka Aldrich	...	Donald's wife (uncredited)
Jack Alfred	...	Bit part (uncredited)
Bunny Beatty	...	Bit part (uncredited)
Frank Benson	...	Bit part (uncredited)
Billy Bester	...	Bit part (uncredited)
Henry Blair	...	Bit part (uncredited)
Becky Bohanon	...	Sophie (uncredited)
Louis Borel	...	Capt. Lawson (uncredited)
Barbara Boudwin	...	Bit part (uncredited)
Betty Bradley	...	Cousin Mary (uncredited)
Louise Brien	...	Bit part (uncredited)
Ronald Brown	...	Bit part (uncredited)
Horace B. Carpenter	...	Bit part (uncredited)
Willy Castello	...	Krug's Henchman at Windmill (uncredited)
George Cathrey	...	Bit part (uncredited)
Wheaton Chambers	...	Committeeman (uncredited)
Ken Christy	...	Fake Dutch detective (uncredited)
E.E. Clive	...	Mr. Naismith (uncredited)
Gino Corrado	...	Luncheon waiter (uncredited)
Jack Dawson	...	Bit part (uncredited)
Harry Depp	...	Uncle Buren (uncredited)
Elspeth Dudgeon	...	Bit part (uncredited)
Carl Ekberg	...	Bit part (uncredited)
Helena Phillips Evans	...	Mrs. Stiles (uncredited)
Herbert Evans	...	Parking Valet (uncredited)
James Finlayson	...	Dutch peasant (uncredited)
Robert Fischer	...	Bit part (uncredited)
George B. French	...	Bit part (uncredited)
Bill Gavier	...	Bit part (uncredited)
Jack George	...	Hotel waiter (uncredited)
John George	...	Bit part (uncredited)
Douglas Gordon	...	Bit part (uncredited)
Alexander Granach	...	Hotel valet (uncredited)
Richard Hammond	...	Bit part (uncredited)
Sam Harris	...	Luncheon Guest (uncredited)
Alfred Hitchcock	...	Man with newspaper on street (uncredited)
Otto Hoffman	...	New York Globe teletype operator (uncredited)
Billy Horn	...	Bit part (uncredited)
Paul Irving	...	Dr. Williamson (uncredited)
Colin Kenny	...	Doctor (uncredited)
Crauford Kent	...	Toastmaster (uncredited)
Joan Leslie	...	Jones' Sister (uncredited)
Gwendolyn Logan	...	Bit part (uncredited)
Eily Malyon	...	College Arms Hotel cashier (uncredited)
Jackie McGee	...	Bit part (uncredited)
John Meredith	...	Bit part (uncredited)
Hermina Milar	...	Bit part (uncredited)
Thomas Mizer	...	Bit part (uncredited)
Edmund Mortimer	...	Luncheon Guest (uncredited)
John T. Murray	...	Clark (Jones family member) (uncredited)
Henry Norton	...	Luncheon Guest (uncredited)
Jane Novak	...	Miss Benson (uncredited)
Joe O'Brien	...	Bit part (uncredited)
George Offerman Jr.	...	New York Globe Copy Boy (uncredited)
Lawrence Osman	...	Bit part (uncredited)
Hilda Plowright	...	Miss Pimm (uncredited)
Thomas Pogue	...	Airplane Passenger (uncredited)
Jack Rice	...	Donald (uncredited)
Ronald R. Rondell	...	Waiter (uncredited)
Loulette Sablon	...	Bit part (uncredited)
Harry Semels	...	Sidewalk Crowd Extra (uncredited)
Raymond Severn	...	Bit part (uncredited)
Frederick Sewell	...	Bit part (uncredited)
Ernie Stanton	...	Bit part (uncredited)
William Stelling	...	Bit part (uncredited)
Donald Stuart	...	Eric, Skittish Girl's Escort in Tower of Westminister Cathedral (uncredited)
Paul Sutton	...	Bit part (uncredited)
Ferris Taylor	...	Jones' father (uncredited)
Dorothy Vaughan	...	Jones' mother (uncredited)
Jack Voglin	...	Bit part (uncredited)
Hans von Morhart	...	Dutch policeman (uncredited)
Larry Wheat	...	Luncheon Guest (uncredited)
Bert White	...	Bit part (uncredited)
William Yetter Sr.	...	Dutch motor policeman (uncredited)
Mary Young	...	Auntie Maude (uncredited)

Directed by
Alfred Hitchcock

Writing credits
Charles Bennett		(screenplay) and
Joan Harrison		(screenplay)
James Hilton		(dialogue) and
Robert Benchley		(dialogue)

Original Music by
Alfred Newman

Cinematography by
Rudolph Maté

Film Editing by
Dorothy Spencer

Art Direction by
Alexander Golitzen

Makeup Department
Carmen Dirigo	....	hair stylist (uncredited)
Norman Pringle	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
James Dent	....	production manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Edmond F. Bernoudy	....	assistant director (as E.F. Bernoudy)
Marty Moss	....	second assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Julia Heron	....	interior decorator
Richard Irvine	....	associate art director
Oscar Brodin	....	constructor (uncredited)

Sound Department
Frank Maher	....	sound
James T. Moulton	....	sound effects (uncredited)
Walter Reynolds	....	sound film cutter (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Louis R. Loeffler	....	special effects cutter (uncredited)
Paul Wtuliska	....	special effects assistant (uncredited)
Lee Zavitz	....	special effects (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Paul Eagler	....	special photographic effects
Ray Binger	....	process photography (uncredited)

Stunts
Ted Mapes	....	stunt double: Joel McCrea (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Osmond Borradaile	....	photographer: Europe (uncredited)
Frank Bucholtz	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Ellis W. Carter	....	camera operator: second unit (uncredited)
Tom Dowling	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Paul Eagler	....	photographer: second unit (uncredited)
Norman Freed	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Burnett Guffey	....	camera operator (uncredited)
James V. King	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Roy F. Overbaugh	....	additional photographer (uncredited)
William Walling	....	still photographer (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Otho Lovering	....	supervising editor

Other crew
William Cameron Menzies	....	special production effects
Walter Wanger	....	presenter
Paul Mantz	....	pilot (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Walter Wanger Productions (presents) (as Walter Wanger)

Distributors

• United Artists (1940) (USA) (theatrical)
• Warner Home Video (1990) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Die Lupe (1961) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Kleber Film (1948) (France) (theatrical)
• Masterpiece Productions (1948) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Beam Entertainment (1996) (Japan) (video) (laser disc)
• Continental Home Vídeo (Brazil) (DVD)
• Cosmic Publishing (2007) (Japan) (DVD)
• Editora D+T (Brazil) (DVD)
• First Trading (2006) (Japan) (DVD)
• Kinokuniya (2004) (Japan) (DVD)
• Kinowelt Home Entertainment (2001) (Germany) (VHS)
• Masterpiece Productions (1950) (USA) (TV)
• PSG (2005) (Japan) (DVD)
• Sonoro Filme (Portugal)
• Universal Pictures Benelux (2007) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (1992) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Warner Home Video (1999) (USA) (VHS) (re-release)

Other Companies

• Western Electric  sound recording
• I. Magnin & Co.  costumes

Also Known As:

Personal History (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

120 min | Spain:115 min | West Germany:98 min (cut version) (uncut version: 120')

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Dutch | Latvian

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Certification:

West Germany:16 (cut version) | Canada:PG (video rating) | Argentina:13 | Chile:14 | Finland:K-12 | Sweden:15 | USA:Approved (PCA #6409) | Peru:14

Filming Locations:

Long Beach, California, USA

Company:

Walter Wanger Productions

Trivia:

Gary Cooper later admitted to Alfred Hitchcock that he'd made a mistake in turning down the lead.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: The streetcars are obvious dummies running on rubber tires.

Quotes:

Carol Fisher: I think the world has been run long enough by well-meaning professionals. We might give the amateurs a chance now.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in 'Topaz': An Appreciation by Film Critic/Historian Leonard Maltin (2001) (V)

In many ways, the master's most accessible film

Hitchcock may not have wanted him, but Joel Mac Crea's "everyman" performance as "Huntley Haverstock" is the most purely likeable and accessible protagonist Hitchcock has ever had. And, that works perfectly for the movies which gets plenty of the dark and mysterious and perverted from the magnificent supporting cast (including Marshall, Gwenn, Sanders, and many others...). But McCrea's feckless honesty and stubborn determination (rather than the more usual-for-Hitchcock obsession) work refreshingly in contrast with the others.

All the other typical master touches, impeccable camera work, a great score, intricate interwoven plotlines, and many dualities are all on hand for a truly great and unforgettable cinematic experience.

Watch this film!