clanciai Another great espionage film, like his previous "House on 92nd Street" basically documentary, but gradually it evolves into high drama of human relationships and cruel intrigues. James Cagney is perfect as leader of the school of agents and spies, and although only an instructor from the beginning, he eventually will get good use of his hard fists. The final scene is tremendous for its effect and implication, a last laugh indeed.Richard Crenna is also very credible as his counterpart, and Henry Hathaway succeeds in getting his face in a final expression as well.I don't know how true the story is, but it could very well be true all the way, just like "House on the 92nd Street" was, and even more, the subsequent one, "Call Northside 777" with James Stewart, which is the best of the three.

calvinnme I'll get back to the review title later.This is an exciting WWII espionage film, shot in neorealist, semi-documentary style and manages to be tensely exciting. It really strains believability that newly trained, untried agents would be assigned the very critical and difficult missions that the lead actors are given, especially because the narration at the movie's beginning says they are the latest of 77 groups of recruits to be trained. What were the other 76 groups doing? The story is that Bob Sharkey (James Cagney), master spy, is asked to come to the place where class 77 of the OSS, precursor to the CIA, is being trained. His superior, Charles Gibson (Walter Abel)tells him there is a German spy among the class and wants Sharkey to figure out which one of the class is the spy. So Gibson already knows, he is just looking for verification.During this time you get to see how the OSS recruits are trained. They must be observant both visually and audibly, good and fast at communications, able to think on their feet, able to blend in with Europeans down to the way that they eat, and physically fit. You'll figure out who the agent is by his over the top likability and the film's focus on him. How does Sharkey figure it out? The German agent is at the top of his class - he's seen all of this stuff before, he is too good. Plus Sharkey looks at the way the spy finishes the final exam - a pair of agents including the spy are charged with getting the technical specs on a detonator at a nearby military installation, and when caught the spy pretends to be undercover security, slugs his partner, and claims he is taking him in for questioning - but they DID get the specs on a tiny camera made to look like a matchbox, and they got away. Sharkey claims that "a pair of American kids would slug their way out together".So do they arrest the German spy? No, because the plan is to feed the spy a bunch of false information about the upcoming "D-Day", have him parachute behind enemy lines with a group of real OSS agents, and then figure he will high tail it back to German high command with a bunch of bogus information on the upcoming allied invasion. Well, if everything went according to plans we would have no movie, right? So when things go terribly wrong, Bob Sharkey decides to go behind enemy lines himself and try to right things as much as he can, since class 077 has no idea that a Nazi knows everything about them and their methods. I'll let you watch and find out what happens. It will keep you guessing right up to the end in trying to figure out who is friend and who is foe, who is a blithering idiot puppet for the Nazis, and who is just doing an "I Claudius" in order to help the allies.Now for an explanation of the review title. If you think that the final scene and Cagney's expression and attitude are too much like "White Heat", realize that this film was made three years before that more famous film, so just remember who might have been copying who.

dougdoepke This was TCF's second attempt at documentary style storytelling. Producer De Rochement really succeeded with his earlier espionage thriller, House on 92nd Street (1945). Here, however, the first part bogs down with too much exposition, unlike House. No doubt post-war viewers were fascinated to see how our special op's trained for overseas missions. But after 70-years, much is dated and that expository part remains too lengthy for an action picture, even though Cagney's energetic drive manages a spark. Nonetheless, the introductory segment does serve to introduce main characters along with a suspected Nazi double-agent, which provides a brief guessing game. The second part, however, delivers the goods, as special op's and their French allies tangle with the Nazis and their French (Vichy) allies. A high point is when Cagney is led up a hill to meet with a French scientist. The area is so secluded that we know something's not right. But what? Here, people aren't always what they pretend to be, which makes for good intrigue. Still, what's with poor Annabella. She does get second-billing, but only about ten lines and little screen time. Conte is the real co-star. But then that doesn't put a woman's name up on the marquee. At the same time, director Hathaway films in straightforward style befitting a documentary approach, but also serves to leave out atmosphere and mood. Here plot is all.The film may be dated. Still, it does provide insight into what has become, for better or worse, the CIA.

AaronCapenBanner Henry Hathaway directed this spy thriller that stars James Cagney as O.S.S. secret agent Bob Sharkey, who is in charge of training future agents to be sent out into the field. One of them is a German spy that they learn about, and decide to use as a disinformation agent. Unfortunately, the spy catches on to this, and outwits them back to Nazi occupied France with his information, forcing Sharkey to pursue him there, which may well cost him his life... Exciting and intriguing film with good cast and efficient direction, leading to a most surprisingly violent ending that is both tragic and yet triumphant, illustrating the sacrifice sometimes required to defeat the enemy.