Diplomatic Courier

Tyrone Power stars as a courier put in an awkward situation by the U. S. government in "Diplomatic Courier," which also stars Patricia Neal and Hildegarde Knef. Neal has a small but showy role as a society widow who chases Power around Europe.

The film was shot on location in Europe, possibly using post-war blocked funds that caused so many films to be made there in the '50s and beyond.

I first saw this film on TV as a kid, and like one of the other posters, it stuck in my mind, possibly because even back then, I was a Tyrone Power fan.

The early '50s were a transition time for him. Unlike some actors - Bogart, Mitchum, Gable, to name a few - Power changed dramatically over the years.

By the time this film was made, he had lost the last vestige of his boyishness and was thoroughly disillusioned with movies and undoubtedly the master he had served since 1936, 20th Century Fox.

In the few years he had left, he would turn more and more to theater and form his own movie production company. Some of his best work lay ahead of him.

Power is supported in the film with a vigorous performance by Karl Malden and from newcomer Hildegarde Knef.

Talented and beautiful, Knef, like many other European actresses who came to Hollywood after the war, never found a niche in Hollywood. She went on to great success on Broadway, however, with "Silk Stockings," the musical version of "Ninotchka," costarring Don Ameche, and remained friends with Power.

Patricia Neal plays a widow that Power meets on an airplane. He keeps standing her up when they're supposed to get together but the story takes it a little further. Neal was an ardent fan of Power's and when they met, she asked him why it was that he hadn't answered her fan letter.

Diplomatic Courier is a fast-moving, atmospheric film where you can't tell the good guys from the bad, and it holds interest. Watch for a Lee Marvin in a small role and an uncredited moment by Charles Bronson.

Tyrone Power plays a diplomatic courier called out on a special assignment which seems fairly simple: pick up some documents from an agent and take them to Washington. But of course, in a film like this, things don't work out right the first time. The "drop" doesn't go according to plan, so Power has to improvise, surrounded by an increasing number of characters whose loyalties are questionable. A couple of femmes fatales, a cross-dressing night club entertainer, some MPs, and the obligatory little bald pawnshop owner all liven up the plot, with plenty of twists en route to the finale.

The influence of THE THIRD MAN is clear, with plenty of atmospheric European locations, and even a bit of zither music in a restaurant. Power is an engaging hero, and the two female leads (Neal and Neff) keep him guessing. Early appearances by Karl Malden, Charles Bronson, and Lee Marvin add interest for trivia buffs. Fans of Cold War espionage fiction will find DIPLOMATIC COURIER a great way to spend an evening.

Absolutely loved the premise, and when espionage thrillers are done well they are intriguing and enthralling. Henry Hathaway was a gifted director, especially in the Western genre, not everything he did was great ('The Black Rose' for example is a strange film) but when on form his films were great. The cast are also talented, including late career Tyrone Power relatively against type and Lee Marvin, Karl Malden and Charles Bronson pre-stardom.

'Diplomatic Courier' turned out to be a very good film. Not quite great or perfect, but with several fantastic elements and the things that had me worried as to whether they would work (Power for example) did do. It is always interesting when Hathaway does something different from the Western genre that he was best known for and he did show that he was at ease in other genres too, 'Kiss of Death' for example proved that and so does 'Diplomatic Courier'.

Personally do not agree with anybody that says that Power is bland or looks lost. To me the weakest performance came from a rather hammy Malden that jars a bit with the more serious tone of the film.

Would also have liked more development to Patricia Neal's role and more screen time for her. There is the odd bit of credibility straining.

However, Power did a good job on the whole. It is not his usual type of role, am most familiar with him in adventure and swashbucklers, but he does have presence and the weariness works for the role, didn't think he looked lost at all. Neal is wonderfully vampish and really makes the most of her role. Marvin and Bronson show that they had charisma, intensity and big potential pre-stardom. My favourite performance actually came from Hildegarde Neff in understated and touching form.

Furthermore, Hathaway directs expertly and with a real feel for atmosphere. Which has a lot of subtle tension. The story is intricate but not confusing and always engrosses, while the script is clever without being too talky. The score doesn't overbear and at least sounds like Sol Kaplan knew what kind of film he was writing for. 'Diplomatic Courier' looks great, very beautifully and atmospherically photographed with a lot of style and the use of actual locations works in its favour considerably.

In summation, very good and well worth watching. 8/10

As my summary suggests, I was taken aback by H. Neff's moving portrayal as the double agent in post-war Trieste. No gussied-up over emoting from her, just honest, gut-wrenching outpouring of uncontrived emotion delivered with articulation and intensity. When watching her explain herself to Mr. Power and others, I actually felt she must have been an agent in real life at some point. Those tears she shed while she delivered her rationale for her actions were the genuine type, not some Hollywood "tear-squirting" job. Why she never became a more sought-after actor, I'll never know. Maybe she was a little too deep and maybe too foreign for the superficially driven 1950's Hollywood system. Also impressive was Patricia Neal's interpretation of her femme fatale role.

Also, I'll take exception to those who criticized T. Power's role. As I see it, he excelled in his performance as a world-weary, cynical Cold War courier. What do people expect? A rerun as a younger, pseudo-swashbuckling Caribbean pirate? I for one am glad he took a less glamorous and more substantive role such as this.

On a somewhat sentimental note, it was nice to see some cameo-ish work from Lee Marvin, Michael Ansara and Chuck Buchinski (Bronson!) before their careers took off in the ensuing years. It made the film more fun to watch!

Tyrone Power is a diplomatic courier for the US State Department who gets into more trouble than he bargained for.

Always a very good if under-rated actor,in "Diplomatic Courier" Tyrone Power shows a tough shrewdness that's more gritty private eye than State Department protocol calls for.

The movie, in beautifully photographed black-and-white, never lets up its rapid pace. It's the sort of impeccably produced Hollywood movie that is absolutely professional, from the smart direction of Henry Hathaway to the breathtaking cinematography by Lucien Ballard.

As a diplomatic courier, Power thinks himself as just "a postman." But when he's called upon to make a special delivery, things begin happening and fast.

For starters, he finds himself in the sights of not one, but two beautiful women --{Patricia Neal and Hildegard Neff -- who both deliver terrific and intelligent performances.)

Much of the action takes place on one of those international trains equipped with piercing air horns and whistles, with lots of hopping between compartments. There is also the requisite plush hotel and nightclub with a weird variety act, and packs of sinister Eastern European-accented characters up to no good.

With all of this, there is a marvelous bonus: four future stars appear in "Diplomatic Courier," and you might want to look for them: Michael Ansara...Charles Bronson... Lee Marvin ... and Karl Malden. Bronson, Ansara and Marvin have tiny roles -- Bronson (Buchinsky here) and Ansara are in and out in seconds -- but Karl Malden actually steals the movie as a Sgt. Bilko-type US Army non-com who knows the ropes.

In all, "Diplomatic Courier" is a nice surprise, especially if you like to watch for new stars on the horizon.