Review of Foreign Correspondent (1940) by Matthew D — 20 Feb 2016

After bungling what should have been a rather simple set-up with some stiff acting and dialogue, this globe-trotting spy adventure improves with each location and pre-empts the Bond formula by twenty years.

However, the titular protagonist is a bit of a dud, and its clear Hitchcock wanted to show the Americans some British Greatness as George Sanders, in a very different role to his appearance in Rebecca but an equally enjoyable one, leaps in and all but takes over as a far more serviceable, fun and dashing hero.

This saves the picture in terms of entertainment, even if it damages it in terms of cohesion. The final plea for the US to support the war effort put the director's intentions for all to see, but it is rousing nonetheless.