CONTRABAND (1940)

The second movie that Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger worked on together is a surprisingly light spy thriller, set in the first months after England declared war on Germany, that occasionally calls to mind Hitchcock (39 STEPS, THE LADY VANISHES). Conrad Veidt is the captain of a Danish ship which is waylaid overnight by the British at a contraband control port. Valerie Hobson is a passenger who has been a thorn in Veidt's side for much of the trip. When he discovers that Hobson and another passenger (Esmond Knight) have stolen two landing passes and headed for London, Veidt sneaks off the ship, determined to return the two by morning. He catches up with Hobson and it turns out that she's a British spy trying to meet her contact to pass along important information. The two make their way through London at night, which is under blackout due to German bombing raids, and wind up kidnapped by Nazi spies. The first half is a little too drawn out, but the last half, with the kidnapping, Veidt's escape, and his attempt to backtrack to free Hobson and find Knight, is fairly exciting. One fun scene occurs at a Danish restaurant (the Six Vikings) where Veidt is able to get a free meal for himself and Hobson; later, Veidt returns there and gets the owner and waiters to act as his "posse" in his search for Hobson. Other locales include a cinema, a couple of nightclubs--including one called the White Negro where a production number almost occurs--and a warehouse in which a company called Patriotic Plaster Products is storing hundreds of small busts of Neville Chamberlain. Of course, these busts come into clever play during the climactic shootout. Hay Petrie (who reminds me in looks and voice of Claude Rains) is quite good in the dual role of the restaurant owner and his brother, first mate on Veidt's ship. Peter Bull (the Russian ambassador in DR. STRANGELOVE) has a minor role but a funny scene; when Veidt says his name is Hans Anderson, Bull says he and his two ruffian accomplices are the Grimm brothers, which becomes a running gag. Much of this takes place in pitch black surroundings and because the print on the DVD is not in the best shape, some details are lost. Not quite up to Hitchcock, but fun, and a must for Michael Powell fans. [DVD]