L'Espion

Tense dark drama made in 1952 at the height of the Cold War about the shadowy world of espionage without a word of dialog makes "The Thief" a one-of-a-kind film.

Dr. Allan Fields, Ray Milland, has been spying for the Soviets by passing top secret documents from his position as a scientist at the Atomic Energy Commission, the AEC, to them. One afternoon in New York City one of Field's contacts is struck by a car and killed while he had in his possession a tin canister of microfilmed documents that Fields had given him. When the FBI finds out that the documents came from the AEC in Washington D.C they start to check out all those that are employed there and Fields seeing that the noose was closing in on him becomes a man on the run.

Good acting and great photography of Washington D.C and New York City with a dramatic and heart thumping action chase scene on top of the Empire State Building and the 86th floor observation deck that rivals the final moments of the movie "King Kong". The film also has something that was lacking in most spy movies at that time; a believable ending that wasn't overly contrived. Ray Milland showed in "The Thief" that he was as good a silent actor as a speaking one.

Why haven't I heard of this movie before? Not a single word spoken, yet every detail of the mental torture that Ray Milland endures as a seemingly unwilling Soviet spy is conveyed by his features and demeanor. Film review books call it tame, pretentious, uninspired. I suspect those reviewers (this means you, Lenny Maltin) have never actually watched "The Thief."

This film is notable for not containing a single word of dialogue. Ray Milland plays a U.S. scientist who suffers a crisis of conscience while selling secrets to the Soviets. Partners Greene and Rouse made several very challenging films in the 50s, none more so than this. It's an exercise in "pure" cinema, aided immensely by the creative scoring of Herschell Burke Gilbert. Its fascinating to see a famed Hollywood actor play a role silently

If you can get through the first 15 minutes or so of this film, you're in for a real treat. Once the film gets going, its quite enjoyable, with scenes shot in Washington DC, Times Square, and most notably, the Empire State Building back when it was the tallest skyscraper in the world. The scenes on the 88th floor are beautifully shot, an then we get to travel higher to the 102nd floor and beyond. Anyone who loves New York will love this stuff. As a film, the gimmick of no dialogue works fairly well, though there are some scenes where it just doesn't seem natural that nobody would say anything (Milland's encounter with Gam at the flophouse screams for dialogue). But Milland carries it off for the most part and makes "The Thief" well worth a look.

THE THIEF (1952) has a fascinating footnote in film history. It is one of the few films with sync sound to be made completely without spoken dialog. It's plot concerns Dr. Allen Fields (Ray Milland) who is selling Government secrets to a foriegn power. He travels from Washington DC to Manhattan to deliver top secret documents. He doesn't know he is being followed by FBI Agents. There is innovative use of sound effects (The Washington DC ambiance is very different from the NYC ambiance) There are three human sounds in the film- two blood-curdling screams, and in a powerful finale scene, acted brillantly by Milland, a guilt ridden cry of anquish. The film did poor box office, as is the case with most gimmick films. These films fascinate cine-philes, but don't do a thing for Mr. and Mrs. Moviegoer. It's poor box office makes this well made thriller hard to catch. It is a shame.