Fritz Bauer Institut · Cinematography of the Holocaust


Foreign Correspondent. D: Hitchcock [US, 1940]

ID

FBW001010      Fiction

Country / Year

USA, 1940

Original Title

Foreign Correspondent

Other Title(s)

Mord / Der Auslandskorrespondent (German)

Directed by

Alfred Hitchcock

Produced by

Walter Wanger Productions, Inc., Los Angeles, CA; for United Artists Corp., Los Angeles, CA / New York, NY

Staff

Producer: Walter Wanger; Production manager: James Dent; Assistent director: Edmont Bernoudy, Marty Moss; Script: Charles Bennett, Joan Harrison; Dialogues: James Hilton, Robert Benchley; Script, var: Ben Hecht (Additions to Screenplay), Richard Maibaum (Additions to Screenplay); Camera: Rudolph Maté; Cameraman: Burnett Guffey; Assistent cameraman: Tom Dowling, James King; Special optical effects: Paul Eagler (Camera), Lee Zavitz (Camera), Paul Wtuliska; Rear projection: Ray O. Binger; Camera, var: Roy Overbaugh (Additional Cameraman), Osmond Borradaile (Cameraman in Europe); Still photograpy: William Walling, Jr.; Editing: Dorothy Spencer; Sound editing: Walter Reynolds; Editing supervision: Otho Lovering; Editing, var: Louis R. Loeffler (Spezialeffekte); Sound: Frank Maher; Sound, var: Thomas T. Moulton (Spezialeffekte); Art direction: Alexander Golitzen, Richard Irvine (Mitarbeit); Art direction, var: William Cameron Menzies (Special Production Effects), Oscar Brodin (Construction); Set decoration: Julie Heron; Makeup: Norman Pringle; Haidressing: Carmen Dirigo; Music: Alfred Newman; Musical direction: Alfred Newman; Press: Bob Burkhardt; Participation: Paul Mantz (Pilot); 2nd unit, camera: Paul Eagler; 2nd unit, var: Ellis Carter (Kameraführung), Frank Bucholtz (Kameraassistenz), Norman Freed (Kameraassistenz); Double: Ted Mapes (für Joel McCrea)

Cast

Joel McCrea (Johnny Jones/Huntley Haverstock); Laraine Day (Carol Fisher); Herbert Marshall (Stephen Fisher); Albert Bassermann (Van Meer); George Sanders (Scott Ffolliott); Robert Benchley (Stebbins); Edmund Gwenn (Rowley); Eduardo Ciannelli (Mr. Krug); Martin Kosleck (Tramp); Harry Davenport (Mr. Powers); Barbara Pepper (Doreen); Eddie Conrad (Latvian Diplomat); Charles Wagenheim (Assisin); Crauford Kent (Toastmaster); Frances Carson (Mrs. Sprague); Alexander Granach (Valet); Dorothy Vaughan (Jones' Mother); Samuel Adams (Impersonator); Betty Bradley (Cousin Mary); Mary Young (Auntie Maude); Jack Rice (Donald); Jackie McGee (Child); Henry Blair (Child); Rebecca Bohannen (Sophie); Marten Lamont (als: Matrin Lamont) (Clipper Captain); Barry Bernard (Stewart); Hilda Plowright (Miss Pimm); Gertrude W. Hoffman (Mrs. Benson); Jane Novak (Miss Benson); Roy Gordon (Mr. Brood); Bert White (Passenger); Thomas Pogue (Passenger); Jack Voglin (Flight Officer); George French (Flight Officer); William Stelling (Flight Officer); John Meredith (Flight Officer); George Cathrey (Flight Officer); Leonard Mudie (Inspector McKenna); Holmes Herbert (Commissioner Ffolliot); Frederick Sewall (Student); Emory Parnell (John Martin, Captain of the Mohican); James Finlayson (Dutch Peasent); Hermina Milar (Little Dutch Girl); Loulette Sablon (Nesta); Douglas Gordon (Taxi Driver); Paul Sutton (Male Nurse); Robert C. Fischer (Manager); Jack Dawson (Schoolmaster); Ken Christy (Plainclothesman); Tom Mizer (Plainclothesman); June Heiden (Two-year-old); Terry Kilburn (Boy); Hans von Morhart (Dutch Policeman); Otto Hoffman (Telegrapher); Carl Ekberg (Dutch Policeman); Charles Halton (Bradley); Joan Leslie (als: Joan Brodel) (Jones' Sister); Paul Irving (Dr. Williamson); Ferris Taylor (Jones' Father); John T. Murrey (Clark); Harry Depp (Uncle Biren); Meeka Aldrich (Donald's Wife); William Castello (Dutch Pilot); Bill Gavier (Dutch Pilot); Ian Wolfe (Stiles the Butler); Ernie Stanton (Newsman); Donald Stuart (Newsman); Colin Kenny (Walter / Doctor); Helena Philips Evans (Maid); Herbert Evans (English Doorman); Frank Benson (Englich Porter); Barbara Boudwin (Barmaid); Louis Borell (Capt. Lansom); Gino Corrado (Italian Waiter); Elspeth Dudgeon (Spinster); Gwendolyn Logan (Spinster); Eily Malyon (Hotel Cashier); Bunny Beatty (Porter); John Burton (English Radion Announcer); Raymond Severn (English Boy); Lawrence Osman (Eton Boy); Richard Hammond (Eton Boy); Joe O'Brien (Eton Boy); Billy Bester (Eton Boy); Billy Horn (Eton Boy); Ronald Brown (Eton Boy); Louise Brien (Secretary); Jack Alfred (Copy Boy); George Offerman, Jr. (Copy Boy); E.E. Clive (Mr. Naismith); Alfred Hitchcock (Man with Newspaper); Wheaton Chambers (Committeeman); John George; William Yetter, Sr. (Bit part); Harry Semels; Horace Carpenter

Length

3291,2 m (13 Akte) / 120'18''

Format

35mm/sw/1:1,37

Dates

- 18 Mar 1940-05 Jun 1940: Shooting period
- 21 Aug 1940: Preview, New York, NY
- 27 Aug 1940: Premiere, New York, NY (Rivoli)
- 27 Aug 1940: Release date, New York, NY (Rivoli)
- 29 Aug 1940: Copyright LP9901
- 01 Dec 1961: First run, GFR DF: MORD
- 30 Jul 1965: First broadcast, GFR, ZDF DF: MORD
- 20 Apr 1986: First broadcast, GFR, ZDF DF: DER AUSLANDSKORRESPONDENT

Further Remarks

- Kostüme: I. Magnin & Company
- Länge (DF: MORD): 2674 m / 97'44''
- Länge (DF: DER AUSLANDSKORRESPONDENT, 25 B/Sek): 115'
- Tonsystem: Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording
- PCA Cert. No.: 6409
- Studioaufnahmen: United Artists, Los Angeles

Abstract

Johnny Jones, alias Huntley Haverstock, is sent to Europe as foreign correspondent for the "New York Globe."It is the end of August, 1939. Johnny gets involved in strange political intrigue in a peace conference in Amsterdam. He becomes witness to the assassination of the Dutch diplomat Van Meer. On pursuing the murderer he suddenly stands face to face with the alleged dead man. A Van Meers double was shot so that the real Van Meer could be kidnapped. He is the signatory of a secret pact between England and Holland, and a group of German agents attempts to squeeze the secret clause of the contract out of him. All leads of the conspiracy point towards Stephen Fischer, chairman of the World Peace Party and whose daughter, oblivious of her father`s wheelings and dealings, has fallen in love with Johnny. Eventually he succeeds in showing Fisher`s true colours and in saving Van Meer. Fisher wants to escape to America with his daughter, but Johnny sits in the same aircraft planning to have Fisher arrested on his arrival in New York. In the meantime, war has broken out. The aircraft is shot down by a German ship and crashes into the sea. Johnny, Carol, and four other passengers find safety on a wing of the plane. Fisher sacrifices his life so that this does not sink. Carol finally finds her way back to Johnny as the reporter reports from the European war scene.

Subject Terms

Anti-Nazi films (US); Political agents; World War II

Holdings

- National Library of Australia, National Film Lending Collection, Canberra; 35mm
- Ivy Films, Charlotte, NC; 16mm
- Det Danske Filmmuseum, Kopenhagen; 35mm
- National Film and Television Archive (NFTA), London; 35mm
- Budget Films, Los Angeles, CA; 16mm
- UCLA (Film and Television Archive), Los Angeles, CA; 35mm
- Kit Parker Films, Monterey, CA; 16mm
- MOMA, New York, NY; 35mm
- George Eastman House, Rochester, NY; 35mm

Materials

- Svenska Filminstitutet, Stockholm; Dialogue sheets
- AMPAS (Margaret Herrick Library), Beverly Hills, CA; Scrapbook
- AMPAS (Margaret Herrick Library), Beverly Hills, CA; Production files
- AMPAS (Margaret Herrick Library), Beverly Hills, CA; Drehbuch

Bibliography

- Barnes, Howard: , in: New York Herald Tribune, ??.??. 1940
- N.N.: "Foreign Correspondent", in: Theatre Arts, Vol. 24, 1940
- N.N.: "Foreign Correspondent", in: Photoplay (New York, NY), Vol. 54, Februar, 01.02.1940
- , in: The Hollywood Reporter, 23.03.1940
- , in: Monthly Film Bulletin (London), Vol. 7, Nr. 76, April, 01.04.1940
- , in: The Hollywood Reporter, 09.04.1940
- , in: The New York Times, 14.04.1940
- , in: The Hollywood Reporter, 16.04.1940
- N.N.: "It's All in the Camera Man's Day. Diary of a Fellow Sent out to Make a Few Background Shots", in: The New York Times, 28.04.1940
- , in: The New York Times, 26.05.1940
- , in: The Hollywood Reporter, 29.05.1940
- , in: The Hollywood Reporter, 09.07.1940
- , in: The Hollywood Reporter, 20.08.1940
- N.N.: "'Foreign Correspondence'. With Fact, Fiction, Spy Hunts and Suspense. Alfred Hitchcock Makes a Great War Thriller, in: Life, Vol. 9, 26.08.1940
- N.N.: "A Scoop in War Thrills. A Reporter Outwits the Nazis in 'Foreign Correspondent'", in: Newsweek (New York, NY), Vol. 16, 26.08.1940
- , in: Motion Picture Daily, 28.08.1940
- Michelson, Herb (als: Herb.): "Foreign Correspondent", in: Variety, 28.08.1940
- Crowther, Bosley: "Foreign Correspondent", in: The New York Times, 28.08.1940
- , in: The Hollywood Reporter, 28.08.1940
- N.N.: "Foreign Correspondent", in: The Film Daily (New York, NY), 29.08.1940
- Hartung, Philip T.: "Hitch Bites Dog", in: The Commonweal (New York, NY), Vol. 32, Nr. 19, 30.08.1940
- , in: Motion Picture Herald (New York, NY), Vol. 140, 31.08.1940
- Mosher, John: "Thriller", in: The New Yorker, Vol. 16, 31.08.1940
- , in: The New York Times, 01.09.1940
- N.N.: "Foreign Correspondent", in: Time, Vol. 36, 02.09.1940
- N.N.: , in: Scholastic, Vol. 37, 16.09.1940
- Ferguson, Otis: "Hitchcock in Hollywood", in: The New Republic (New York, NY), Vol. 103, 16.09.1940
- , in: Today's Cinema, Vol. 55, Nr. 4475, 02.10.1940
- , in: Kinematograph Weekly (London), Nr. 1746, 03.10.1940
- Allen, Devere: "Very Foreign Correspondence", in: Christian Century, Vol. 57, 16.10.1940
- E.L.: The State of the Union. The Truth about Foreign Correspondents, in: American Mercury, Vol. 51, November, 01.11.1940
- , in: Documentary News Letter, Vol. 1, Nr. 11, November, 01.11.1940
- Wanger, Walter: "Hitchcock - Hollywood Genius: A Profile of the Great English Director by one of America's Outstanding Producers", in: Current History, Vol. 52, 24.12.1940
- Gledhill, Donald (Hg.): Press Clipping File on the Senate Sub-Committee War Film Hearings. Vol. 1, Los Angeles, CA: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, 1941
- Jacobs, Lewis: "Film Directors at Work. 1. Alfred Hitchcock", in: Theatre Arts, Vol. 25, 1941
- , in: Today's Cinema, Vol. 70, Nr. 5626, 24.03.1948
- N.N.: o.T., in: Kinematograph Weekly (London), Nr. 2134, 25.03.1948
- , in: Sight and Sound (Supplement) (London), Vol. 18, Mai, 01.05.1949
- Rohmer, Eric / Chabrol, Claude: Hitchcock, Classiques du Cinéma, Vol. 6, Paris: Editions Universitaires, 1957
- , in: American Cinematographer, Vol. 40, Nr. 6, Juni, 01.06.1959
- Kotulla, Theodor (als: ktl): "Mord. Foreign Correspondent", in: Filmkritik, Jg. 6, Nr. 61, Heft 1, Januar, 01.01.1962
- , in: Film User, Vol. 19, Nr. 226, August, 01.08.1965
- Truffaut, François / Scott, Helen: Le cinéma selon Hitchcock. Paris: Robert Lafont, 1966
- Wilson, Robert (Hg.): The Film Criticism of Otis Ferguson. Philadelphia, PA: Temple University Press, 1971
- Morella, Joe / Epstein, Edward Z. / Griggs, John: The Films of World War II. Secaucus, NJ: Citadel, 1973
- Durgnat, Raymond: The Strange Case of Alfred Hitchcock. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 1974
- Manvell, Roger: Films and the Second World War. South Brunswick / New York: Barnes, 1974
- Sarris, Andrew: "Foreign Correspondent", in: Film Comment, Vol. 10, Nr. 3, Mai/Juni, 01.05.1974
- Perry, George: Hitchcock. London: MacMillan, 1975
- Zinman, David: "Foreign Correspondent", in: The New York Times, 06.07.1975
- Spoto, Donald: The Art of Alfred Hitchcock. Fifty Years of His Motion Pictures. New York, NY: Hopkinson and Blake, 1976
- Taylor, John Russell: Hitch. The Life and Work of Alfred Hitchcock. London / Boston: Faber and Faber, 1978
- Fischer, Robert: Alfred Hitchcock. Eine Bilddokumentation seiner Kunst. Schorndorf/Ammersee: Roloff und Seeßlen, 1979
- Rosetti, Ricardo (Hg.): Tutti i film Hitchcock. Mailand: Savelli, 1980
- , in: Film and History, Vol. 12, Nr. 2, Mai, 01.05.1982
- Wulff, Hans Jürgen: All About Alfred. Hitchcock-Bibliographie. Münster: Maks, 1983
- Horak, Jan-Christopher: Anti-Nazi-Filme der deutschsprachigen Emigration von Hollywood 1939-1945. Münster: Maks, 1984
- T.S.: "Der Auslandskorrespondent", in: Frankfurter Rundschau, 19.04.1986
- Nash, Ray R. / Ross, Stanley R. / Conelly, Robert B. (Ed.): Motion Picture Guide. Chicago, IL: Cinebooks, 1987
- , in: Listener, Vol. 117, Nr. 3013, Mai, 01.05.1987
- Wiedleroither, Uwe (Red.): Alfred Hitchcock's Der Auslandskorrespondent, Filmprogramm, Nr. 227, Stuttgart: Wiedleroither, 1991
- King Hanson, Patricia (Ed.): The American Film Institute Catalogue of Motion Pictures Produced in the United States. Feature Films, 1931-40. Berkeley, CA / Los Angeles, CA / Oxford: University of California Press, 1993
- Bernstein, Matthew: Walter Wanger. Hollywood Independent. Berkeley, CA / Los Angeles, CA / London: University of California Press, 1994
- Sloan, Jane E.: Alfred Hitchcock. Berkeley, CA / Los Angeles, CA / London: University of California Press, 1995
- Turner, George: "Foreign Correspondent. The Best Spy Thriller of All. Alfred Hitchcock Tackles Wartime Espionage with Typically Stylish Results", in: American Cinematographer, Vol. 76, Nr. 8, August, 01.08.1995
- Bourghet, Jean Loup: "Intellectuell engagé ou dilettante? Walter Wanger, un producteur 'independant' à Hollywood", in: Positif (Paris), Nr. 403, Mai, 01.05.2001