What's interesting for me in watching "Foreign Correspondent" is trying to imagine how American audiences of the time might have felt while on the doorstep of World War II with Europe about to blow up. In this country for only a short time, director Hitchcock's set pieces recreate the cities of London and Amsterdam in a tale of spies and traitors operating under the guise of a Universal Peace Party. It's chairman Fisher (Herbert Marshall) orchestrates the kidnapping of Dutch partner Van Meer (Albert Bassermann), who has committed the details of a secret peace agreement to memory. Clause 27 turns out to be a classic Hitchcock maguffin, a device planted in the story to rouse the interest of the viewer, though it's details are never revealed. In fact, it's not necessary to do so, because the film's sleight of hand diverts us to assassination attempts, a Dutch windmill hideout for the villains and a harrowing plane crash into the ocean before it's all over.

The intrigue moves along nicely with Joel McCrae as Morning Globe reporter Johnny Jones, who finds himself in the thick of things in more ways than one. He gets lured into the espionage drama after he witnesses what looks like the assassination of ambassador Van Meer, though by this time he's also becoming romantically involved with Carol Fisher (Laraine Day). She's the daughter of the mastermind behind the spy ring, but having grown up British, her loyalty is staunchly pro Brit and anti war.

Hitch builds suspense in the film on any number of levels, and each time it works, even when he goes for an 'in your face' moment like Rowley's (Edmund Gwenn) attempt to push Johnny from the top of the cathedral. You know instinctively that Jones/Haverstock can't be dead, yet you maintain ever the slightest doubt until you see him again in the very next scene. But for sheer terror, the scenes of the ocean plane crash survivors scrambling onto the wreckage is about the most surreal and insane piece of film making ever, made all the more terrifying if you think of yourself being there. Personally, I can't even imagine confronting a horror like that, much less hanging on long enough to survive.

Though not remembered as one of Hitchcock's better known films, the movie was nominated for six Oscars in it's day, ironically pitted against Hitch's first American film "Rebecca" which won Best Picture in 1941. Though it may seem somewhat dated today, one can still have a good time with the movie by glossing over the less believable elements and riding it out for the mystery and adventure.

Reporter Johnny Jones (Joel McCrea), used to working the streets of New York, is sent overseas as a foreign correspondent. His first assignment is to get an interview with a diplomat negotiating peace to prevent war. When the diplomat is assassinated right in front of him, Jones sets off after the killer and finds himself embroiled in an international conspiracy plot.

Exciting thriller from the master of suspense, Alfred Hitchcock. One of his best films from the '40s. McCrea is wonderful and the cast backing him up is first-rate. George Sanders, Herbert Marshall, Robert Benchley, Albert Bassermann, Edmund Gwenn, and so on. High quality actors all who never give bad turns. Also female lead Laraine Day in her biggest and best role outside of the Dr. Kildare series. She's great in this and it makes you wonder if she couldn't have been a bigger star had MGM used her for more than Kildare's love interest.

The plot may be a bit complicated for some but you get lost in it and don't quibble with the particulars until after it's over. If you're like me, by then you won't care since you enjoyed the film so much. There's some good action and memorable set pieces, like many of the best Hitchock thrillers have. The script keeps things light despite the dark tone of the plot. It's a classic in every way, thoroughly enjoyable from beginning to end. One of the best WW2 films made before America had entered the war and Hollywood started churning them out one after another.

It's always good when I discover a Hitchcock film that I haven't seen yet (not many of those left...), and this one was particularly good because it's actually one of the great director's better films! The film takes place shortly before the release date; namely, just before the start of World War 2 in 1939. Work began on the film shortly after Hitchcock released Rebecca, and this must have been something of a controversial picture at the time of release as the war was, at that time, confined to Europe and I guess all America got to hear about it was the reports of foreign correspondents such as the one in this film. Despite being about the war, Foreign Correspondent is not a war film but rather a story of espionage centred on the Second World War. We focus on Johnny Jones; a reporter sent to Europe to find a story about the events going on there. He takes the name Huntley Haverstock (because it's more memorable), and soon finds himself in the middle of the world of espionage when he witnesses the murder of a famous diplomat, and follows his shooter to a windmill outside Amsterdam...

The film takes a while to get going, and unfortunately peaks a little too early as the film is at it's best at around the middle section when our hero is hot on the trail of the spies and finds himself snooping around a windmill and climbing in through bathroom windows. Hitchcock seems keen to implement a sense of humour at this junction of the movie, whereas it gets a little too serious later on when the sense of patriotism grips hold of the movie and spoils the fun. I've got to say that the film is slightly too long at almost two hours, and the overall movie would have been thrilling if Hitchcock had opted to trim it a little bit. That being said, the movie is always at least interesting even at it's worst moments and Hitchcock builds the suspense well, which ensures that the audience is always interested in what's coming next. The acting is more than adequate also, with Joel McCrea delivering a fair lead performance and receiving good backup from the likes of Laraine Day, Herbert Marshall and best of all; George Sanders, who steals every scene he's in. On the whole, this isn't Hitchcock's BEST film - but it's a very good one and well worth seeing.