“Confessions Of A Nazi Spy”

Northern Advocate, 29 July 1939, Page 3 (Supplement)

“Confessions Of A Nazi Spy”

Most impressive, significant and absorbing picture to come from Hollywood this year, Warner Brothers’ “Confessions of a Nazi Spy” arouses in the spectator the impression that he is seeing history in the making, and at the same time, enjoying excellent entertainment.

Had there been no Nazi spy disclosures, no trial, no sentences, this would have been a (well-made, incredible story of the screen. With substantiation, it becomes the most fascinating of experience.

The film generally is ably handled, its direction by Anatole Litvak being marked by admirable restraint. As admirably restrained, too, is Edward.G. Robinson in the role of the G-man. There are no histrionics here, no cheap wise-cracks that might be associated with the police of America.

When Francis Lederer, the wretched spy with the inferiority complex, comes before Robinson, he is beautifully handled. Quietly, astutely, Robinson sums him up, appeals to his inordinate vanity, and plays him so that his confession takes the form of pit!-* ful boasting. “Confessions of a Nazi Spy” is not a play of clever dialogue. Once or twice Robinson utters phrases which remain in the memory, one being where he reminds somebody that “the port of New York is still very much American.” This, in the deliberately quiet, almost casual manner of his speech, is extraordinarily effective. As a whole, helwever, the film is presented as something of life itself, and not-in the smallest degree as a display ,of verbal fireworks.

The story covers a variety in types. There is the man, in this instance,, Paul Lukas, who is carried l away .by the idea of a new Germany in America, who is fond of display, who glories in the pageantry of a Nazi procession. He is completely unlike the spy of Francis Lederer, whose firht thought is money to abate his grinding poverty—and-his last thought—honest work.

-George Sanders and Henry Victor belong to the inner ring; they are .not caught up in this fresh wave of enthusiasm. The little beauty-parlour girl of the liner, Bismarck, playbd so well by Dorothy Tree, appears to need' no persuasion from outside; she is convinced.

This is the spy ring side of “Confessions of a Nazi Spy,” and it is interesting and exciting. Even more interesting and exciting is the unfolding of the plan of the defncoracy to unmask and capture the spies. There is that moment of intense satisfaction, (when Edward G. Robinson realises that the German agent has, with his own. words, implicated his Government. Then the rush to discredit the spies, a passage none the less compellinig and arresting, beefeuse it has to be done insubdued tones on the telephone. Finally, the trial, and then the end, perhaps the most natui'al and true to life of all this courageous film. Here again Robinson impresses with his quiet purposefulness. His G-man role is small if one were silly enough to consider it in footage, but it is the most masterly, the most satisfying character he has ever played, and might be used as a comparison for many screen actors whose names appear in very large letters. ’