Unpublished Story

One of the films made by Two Cities Films in the 1940s and 1950s, this is a mostly, well-done story of newspaper reporters running into fifth-columnists within their midst in Britain during WW II. The editor of the paper and some other characters say some silly lines, but they can be overlooked. Richard Greene, Valerie Hobson, and Basil Radford star in this predictable spy thriller, showing the realities of bombed out London, although much of it is a background screen projection. The plot brings up the usual "Do we fight back or acquiesce?" wartime debate.

Hobson had played Elizabeth in Bride of Frankenstein with the master B. Karloff in 1935. Greene was Sir Henry Baskerville opposite Basil Rathbone prior to "Unpublished...", and would later play Robin Hood in the British TV series for several years. Two Cities Films was part by the Rank Organization, which made films for many years. The Rank Organization would later be turned into a casino operator, which is still operating as a public company in England. Another interesting tidbit is Hobson's marriage to producer/writer Anthoney Havelock-Allen; she appears to have met and married him in 1939, and made nine films together. Sadly, they divorced in 1952, and she only made a couple more films after that...

Unpublished Story is a propaganda piece with almost a documentary type setting in parts when it shows the effects of the Nazi bombings on Londoners.

Bob Randall (Richard Greene) and Carole Bennett (Valerie Hobson) are journalists investigating a pacifist group called People For Peace. The group is in effect taken over by Nazi fifth columnists to spread misinformation that resistance is futile.

Basil Radford plays Lamb, the man from the ministry with the habit to spike any news story not in the national interest.

It is an intriguing look at the peace movement at the time and the government at the time would had been aware that some unsavoury types would attempt to hijack such groups.

The film is rather uneven, you see brutal effects of the bombings but this is mixed with humour which sits rather inappropriately. The story of the secret Nazi infiltrators is not well told and at times appears confusing with little action regarding the main plot.

Richard Greene is a newspaperman covering the retreat in Northern France. When he gets gets back to his paper, he dictates his story and collapses. When he arises to pursue the news, a peace-at-any-cost movement, the Blitz, and novice newspaperwoman Valerie Hobson occupy his attention.

It's a pretty good battle-of-the-sexes story set amidst the darkest days of the War, and besides the leads, there are some fine performers on hand: Basil Radford as a censor who may have a little more on the ball; George Carney as a public-house owner who insists that people enter through the bombed-out door instead of the bombed-out window; and other welcome movie regulars like Roland Culver and Miles Malleson. Director Harold French gets good performances out of everyone, and if the propaganda seems laid on too thick for modern tastes, it's what was in style at the moment.

Miss Hobson's star was in the ascendant. She was married to the film's producer, Anthony Havelock-Allan. It was the fourth of nine pictures they would work on together.

Well produced and - in the supporting roles at least - well acted, though the two leads, Greene and Hobson, give off the odd splinter or two. (Basil Radford weighs in with a very watchable turn as the undercover Intelligence Officer).

The story is a variation on the 5th column scare, which had well-worn currency in wartime England of course, but manages to steer clear of the most obvious clichés.

Interesting and fairly authentic view of London in wartime.

British war correspondent Bob Randall (Greene) personally witnesses the Allied defeat in France in May of 1940. After a harrowing experience, he is fortunate to be evacuated to England. He immediately resumes his position as a reporter

for a major London newspaper.

While reporting daily news events, he discovers a society of pacifists, the

People for Peace. Bob is incensed by this group, believing their activities are defeatist and are only advancing the Nazi cause. Unknown to the public, this group has been infiltrated by German agents who manipulate the society to sow despair among the British people.

As the Germans bomb British cities, Bob makes it his personal mission to report on the activities of this group. He finds opposition among reporters who want free speech and British censors who, for security reasons, don't want the story published. Bob is eventually joined by another reporter, Carol Bennett

(Hobson), who helps expose the enemy in their midst.

This well made wartime film includes elements of quiet and very effective

humor. This offsets the grim nature of war against the civilian population of London. Recommended.