Counter-Espionage

And the day I watched it, it was raining. It's a good programmer which killed some time until dinner and, besides, I couldn't mow the lawn anyway.

"Counter Espionage" has a recognizable cast who move the story along in an entertaining fashion, along the way striving to overcome a mundane plot which tries the audience's patience with plot contrivance after contrivance, but I just went with it with it since it was raining out.

I Always enjoy the dulcet tones of Warren William as The Lone Wolf and he's aided and abetted here by Eric Blore, his simpering man Friday, and Hillary Brooke as a heroine for a change. Lloyd Bridges has an unbilled role as a henchman.

I suppose it could have been better but at 75 minutes it doesn't wear out its welcome, and it's odd not even Edward Dmytryk could punch it up for a higher rating.

The film stars Warren William as the Lone Wolf, an American jewel thief who is working for the British as a double agent. He gives the appearance of working for the Nazis (including a very young, early appearance of Lloyd Bridges as a Nazi waiter; probably his debut, although he is uncredited.

While I was watching the film, I said to myself, that waiter looks and sounds a lot like Lloyd Bridges. And when I got around to doing this review, I found out it was.

Eric Blore does his usual good job as a nervous Englishman, and Our Miss Brooks, I mean Hillary Brooke does a good job playing the daughter of the officer who gives the Lone Wolf his assignment. The actual footage of some of the Blitz bombing is sobering. The film absolutely captures the atmosphere of the time period,

Enjoyable wartime mystery featuring the Lone Wolf as a double agent in London. Ninth in the series, and written in 1942, this entry is directed by Edward Dmytryk (his second in the series). The plot revolves around the theft of plans for a beam device and whether they will be sent to Berlin by a new radio photo transmitter. The Lone Wolf uses sound as the means to learn the secret hide out of the spy ring and scenes of the Blitz are used to show audiences the devastation being doled out on America's British allies. Despite the predictability of the story line, the film is more than a bit enjoyable, and one of the best of the series.

Warren William stars as the suave former jewel thief Michael Lanyard with his faithful sidekick and butler, Eric Blore. Also features Hillary Brooke as the love interest and Forrest Tucker as one of the Nazi spies. Although not credited, it certainly appears that a young Lloyd Bridges also appears albeit with a mustache. If true, he would have had a busy year since he also appears to be listed in over twenty other movies in 1942.

This is my favorite among all the Lone Wolf films TCM has been showing lately, starring WARREN WILLIAM as the master sleuth who's always one step ahead of Scotland Yard. This fast-paced adventure is directed by Edward Dmytryk in taut and suspenseful style.

Audiences always enjoyed watching the Nazi menace get its comeuppance in these sort of stories. Here FORREST TUCKER and MORTON LOWRY are cast as baddies who are helping the Nazis get hold of top secret plans for the destruction of England.

The man who gets his hands on the plans is, of course, The Lone Wolf, who, along with assistance from the ever humorous ERIC BLORE (his loyal valet), must get to the bottom of the spy ring's plans in order to acquit himself of the suspicious Scotland Yard inspector (THURSTON HALL) and his cronies. For a change, HILLARY BROOKE has a sympathetic role as a woman who at first suspects The Lone Wolf of being on the wrong side of things, but soon discovers the truth.

It's a pleasure seeing MORTON LOWRY, a fine supporting actor, given a role with some dimension to it in strong support, and FORREST TUCKER doing well with his Nazi officer role. Easily one of the most enjoyable of all the Lone Wolf films, primarily because the plot is a lot less cluttered than usual and easy to follow.

Warren William is the Lone Wolf, Michael Lanyard, in "Counter Espionage" from 1942.

Michael has the difficult assignment of stopping German spies from stealing valuable information from the British government. That's the Mcguffin, of course.

The police suspect Lanyard of actually working with the Nazis.

Eric Blore provides the comic relief, and Hillary Brooke is the suspicious daughter of a murdered man who had these important plans in his safe.

I love Warren William, so it's always great to see him. Look for Lloyd Bridges in an uncredited role as a waiter, and Forrest Tucker has a small role.