The Devil's Agent

The Devil's Agent (1962) is often listed as one of the 24 film is in which both Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing both appear. The Curse of Frankenstein, The Horror of Dracula, Horror Express and more...

But there appears to be an open question as to if Peter Cushing is actually in this movie. According to blog posts I've read, press reports of the time had Peter Cushing having been signed to the production.

One of the factors of this being an open question is that this movie is not easy to get a hold of. Sinister Cinema did release this on DVD-R, and the movie did get an official DVD release in Germany. I'm unsure if these are still available. The movie is not on any streaming service or VOD platform in the US. It does appear to currently be on the Internet Archive, but how long it lasts there is uncertain.

Having seen it on Archive, I would posit that the drunk passed out at the table in the bar with a woman who gives him looks before leaving, could very possibly be Peter Cushing.

The hair line of the drunk very much looks like the hair line of Peter Cushing.

Why Peter Cushing isn't in the movie more is a mystery that we may never know the answer to. Apparently when asked about the movie many years later, the super busy actor had no memory of the production. There is likely no one still alive who could possibly know the answer.

This flick is a passable representation of what one can call an "economical espionager". Something like what Sean Connery's wayward son Jason might have made if he beat his dad to the punch. It was co-produced by any number of countries, but mostly friendly ones, after-all, it was the early 1960's. Directed by John Paddy Carstairs of British B movie fame who did films like George Sanders "The Saint in London" which was a rarity for the time because it was shot on location. Its all about a Viennese wine merchant becoming a double agent for the United States. The agent is ably played by German and/or Dutch actor Peter Van Eyck, I've never been able to tell what his true nationality was. He gets suckered into the profession by Russian brutes and in those years they were the biggest and baddest of the bads. The cast is good for the time and offered it some good scenery chewing. Macdonald Carey, Mr. Stone Face as usual, Christopher Lee, minus fangs, Billie Whitelaw, a sweetener for certain and Marius Goring doing a dance with numerous demons. "The Devil's Agent" holds up OK though its past is definitely passed.

Despite a spicy title like "The Devil's Agent" and it being a spy story, this is an incredibly dull movie. I just expected so much more energy and thrills...but didn't get them.

Georg (Peter van Eyck) lives in Vienna in 1950. While his family had wealth and power during the Nazi era, now he is forced to live modestly. However, when he sees an old friend (Christopher Lee) and is invited into the Soviet sector to do some fishing, western operatives take notice. After all, the 'friend' is also Soviet spy...and they assume the communists are trying to recruit him as a courier. So, after meeting with BOTH sides, Georg decides to work for both the Soviets and the western powers. As such, it's tough to know where his loyalties actually lie.

Dull...slow...pondering...all words that seem appropriate for this movie. It's not terrible, but I almost wish it was because with a terrible film you have strong feelings. But with this one...I had none and had a tough time sticking with it.

This seemed as if this was two separate tv episodes ditched together. The first mainly set in Hungary was reasonably good,but the second dragged on interminably.

I note that one of the producers was Artur Brauner who i acted for professionally 40 years ago. A remarkable man who escaped the Holocaust,had a prolific film career,and died a few years ago,having reached his centenary.

The film seemed to be populated with many familiar character actors of the era. Only Sam Kidd was missing. Though Michael Brennan as a Hungarian agent takes some believing.

. One of the lesser films from the sixties portraying the on going battle between spies frI'm both sides.

When the cold war heated up is what this movie is trying hard to accomplish. but fails to get started. Peter Van Eyck tries to keep the story going but changes side so often it is hard to keep track of. Made in 1962 it was seen as a pre-Bond movie. (even thought the James Bond books were published in 1954, so they weren't a secret). When you watch this you will notice many actors who later went on to play in the actual James Bond movies. Certainly entertaining but slow and somewhat predictable.