Secrets of Scotland Yard

Room 40--deactivated 1919 republic studios.

During WWI, an organization in the British government named 'Room 40' was responsible for cracking the German codes and it was very effective. However, in 1919, after the war, the organization was disbanded. "Secrets of Scotland Yard" goes on the premise that Room 40 was STILL functioning into WWII.

After the Germans realized how effective Room 40 was during WWI, forward thinking Germans decided they had to infiltrate this organization...even if it took many years to do. By the time the film begins in about 1939, the Germans FINALLY have a spy within Room 40. The Brits realize this when one of their top cryptologists is murdered while working on the latest German cypher! It just so happens that the dead man has an identical twin...and the head of Room 40 enlists his help to try to expose the spy.

While the film was made by Republic and has a couple of relative unknowns in the leads, the film is unusual because of its excellent supporting cast, including: C. Aubry Smith, Henry Stephenson, John Abbott and Lionel Atwill. This is surprising, as most of Republic's films were made on the cheap. I assume that because this was a wartime propaganda picture, this would explain the added expense of the supporting cast.

While the film's plot is pretty farfetched, it IS entertaining and must have been a decent propaganda piece. Well worth seeing despite it being a rather cheap B-movie.