I See a Dark Stranger (a.k.a. The Adventuress) (1946)

Directed by Frank Launder; produced by Sidney Gillat and Frank Launder

Irish girl Bridie Quilty (Deborah Kerr) has been brought up on her father’s stories, or, rather, story, of brave deeds in the Easter Rebellion against the British, despite the fact that most people simply humour the man and his fantasy of being a hero. A few years later, as a young woman in 1944, Bridie leaves her native village for Dublin, where she tries to convince her father’s alleged old comrade to enrol her in the Irish Republican Army. The veteran revolutionary, however, now prefers peace and negotiation. Bridie is disgusted at his ‘softness’, and an encounter with a stranger on a train allows her to join the current war against Britain. But the young woman soon finds that being a spy is not all adventure and excitement, and she soon has reason to regret her thoughtless and childish ambitions.

A movie about a British-hating Irish nationalist aiding German spies is an unlikely film to be made just after the Second World War, but the team of Gilliat and Launder were rather daring in a quiet, unobtrusive English way.

Though Irish nationalist aspirations are treated understandingly here, Bridie’s revolutionary fervour is shown to be what it is: the immature dreams of an innocent. This helps the film tremendously, as does the three-dimensional portrayal of all the major characters, and even most of the minor ones.

Kerr does an excellent job rendering her character and softens some of what may have been abrasiveness in other hands (Bridie’s naïvté can be a bit annoying at times). Trevor Howard gives good support as an academic in the war-time role of army officer, who is alternately perplexed, exasperated and enamoured of Bridie.

Perhaps not oddly, considering the producers, it is the secondary characters and those who portray them that stand out. Raymond Huntley (also seen in Pimpernel Smith and Night Train to Munich, both of which I recently reviewed) has an excellent role as a wry, dry German spy, while Garry Marsh and Tom Macauley are droll as two security officers, who might actually be satisfactory at their duties, if they applied themselves.

The script is sharp and, though not as witty as some of Gilliat and Launder’s work, is intelligent and entertaining. It leavens what could have been a heavy subject with humour, never out of place, and is dominated by chance, throwing spanners into plans. (For instance, Huntley is a cool and smart operator, but when he gets one thing wrong, it causes confusion and anxiety for Bridie.)

A month ago, I reviewed State Secret, produced by Launder and Gilliat, and directed by the latter. His work was good but not excellent. Launder is in the director’s chair this time, and the pace and involvement are noticeably stronger. This may be due to other causes, of course, but I See a Dark Stranger benefits from a director who seems to know the benefits of keeping things going.

An unusual drama, with touches of comedy, I See a Dark Stranger is propelled by good performances, writing and direction, the ingredients for success.