Christopher Reid Foreign Correspondent has a story that takes many unexpected turns right up to the end. It refuses to fit into any simple categorisation. It has aspects of a thriller but also a fair amount of romance, drama and comedy. And I suppose it is partially about war and politics and spies as well. I really enjoyed the way it unfolded. The start of the movie is harmless enough but then an attempted murder jolts us into a mystery.John Jones (Joel McCrea) has been sent to England from America to get the inside word on the impending war in Europe (I guess it must be late August 1939 in that case). But he gets more than he bargained for, seeing things that don't add up and becoming aware of some kind of devious plot. He wants to report it but some of the evidence conveniently disappears. Corruption must be at work. George Sanders (playing ffolliott, with a double f instead of a capital) later helps him. He reminds me of Christopher Nolan, dapper and intelligent.Among all this, John falls in love with Carol Fisher (Laraine Day) who works with her father in trying to maintain peace. Their romance is more light-hearted and comedic compared to the rest of the film which creates an interesting dynamic.The dialogue in the movie is witty and entertaining. I enjoyed Hitchcock's twisted sense of humour which is sprinkled throughout. A person is inconveniently delayed in crossing the road by a car chase. A man is provided as a bodyguard for John but he behaves rather suspiciously. It's both tense and funny as we try to guess his intentions and what will happen. Even in deadly or threatening situations, the movie has an light tone.One highlight is an unexpected set piece on a plane. The special effects are impressive (and hold up surprisingly well for their time). The scene is very dramatic and exciting. It comes out of the blue and makes the movie more entertaining and original. Foreign Correspondent is not as dark or deep as some of Hitchcock's other films but it's still intriguing and suspenseful. It succeeds in what it tries to do and I haven't seen many other films like it.

Uriah43 It's August of 1939 and all of Europe is held in the grip of a possible devastating war exploding upon the continent. And because this news is so important a newspaper known as the "New York Globe" sends a journalist by the name of "John Jones" (Joel McCrea) to London to cover the story. When he gets there he meets a key Dutch diplomat named "Van Meer" (Albert Bassermann) who holds key information concerning whether a war is likely or not. He also meets several other key players to include a man named "Stephen Fisher" (Herbert Marshall) who happens to be the leader of a peace movement in London along with his daughter "Carol Fisher" (Laraine Day). Yet even though John would clearly like to spend more time with Carol the situation at hand leads him to some important discoveries which put his life in serious jeopardy. And the deeper he investigates the more dangerous it gets for him. At any rate, rather than disclose any more of this story and risk spoiling the film for those who haven't seen it I will just say that this turned out to be a pretty good espionage thriller. As a matter of fact it was nominated for no less than six Academy Awards to include "Best Picture". Not surprisingly, it managed to combine good portions of humor, suspense and intrigue throughout. In any case, I enjoyed it and have rated it accordingly. Above average.

SnoopyStyle Europe is on the verge of war and yet the normal reporters can't get a straight answer. The editor of the New York Globe is tired of the lack of insightful news reporting. He calls in crime reporter Johnny Jones (Joel McCrea) to be the new Foreign Correspondent. Johnny is surprised expecting to be let go. He is given two leads; Stephen Fisher (Herbert Marshall) leader of the Universal Peace Party and Dutch diplomat named Van Meer (Albert Bassermann). Van Meer is the center of a secret peace treaty but he is shot in public and assumed dead. John goes on a long winding thrill ride as he uncovers a conspiracy with the help of Stephen's daughter Carol Fisher (Laraine Day) and another reporter ffolliott (George Sanders).This has a winding twisty action adventure. It has a bit of the Hitchcock humor. Of course, it has the iconic crowd of umbrellas scene. It has often been compared to Hitchcock's other movies 'The 39 Steps' and 'North by Northwest'. The difference is that this doesn't have Cary Grant. Joel McCrea is a workmanlike actor but he doesn't have the superstar quality. Overall, this is a good thriller for the era.

TheLittleSongbird It wasn't until very recently when I watched Foreign Correspondent for the first time, only two days in fact. And even now I am kicking myself for not having seen it before. Foreign Correspondent is a real gem, and as of now in my top 10 Hitchcock films, it is also one of his most overlooked. It is a splendidly made and directed film, the plane crash was superbly shot and one of my favourite Hitchcock set pieces in this regard. The music is both jaunty and haunting, and the script is one of the wittiest and most playful of any of Hitchcock's films in my view. The story has never a dull moment and is always clever, suspenseful and compelling, I didn't see anything that leapt out as dated or propaganda at all. There are some terrifically tense set pieces too, especially the ones with the Dutch windmill, Westminster Cathedral and the plane crash, and the romance between McCrea and Day is a little too abruptly introduced but is still very sweet and touching. I also loved the cast, Joel McCrea is effectively smooth, compared to other Hitchcock heroes he is rather lightweight but this is in comparison we're talking about(and he isn't even distractingly so). Larraine Day could have had more to work with but is instantly appealing in her roles and works very well with McCrea. The supporting cast fare even better though, especially George Sanders who is deliciously suave and dour(and in a way that few actors have equalled him in), Edmund Gwenn who is both menacingly untrustworthy and offbeat and Albert Basserman who is quite touching in his role. Herbert Marshall also acquits himself beautifully as does Robert Benchley. All in all, one of my personal favourites as of now from the Master of Suspense and also one that deserves more attention. Out of the Hitchcock films that I've seen for the first time as well Foreign Correspondent has also been the best one. 10/10 Bethany Cox