Journey Into Fear
1943 Directed by Norman Foster
Synopsis
Naive American engineer Howard Graham (Joseph Cotton) is taken by a fellow employee to an Istanbul nightclub, where he becomes attracted to dancer Josette Martel (Dolores del Rio). An attempt to murder him results in the death of an unfortunate magician instead.
Cast
Popular reviews
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'Journey Into Fear' is a rather average B-noir which has survived the decades due to Orson Welles' involvement, both as a writer and as an actor.
Dealing with the same then-topical issues of war and double agents, 'Journey Into Fear' does little to stand out from the crowd of early-'40s noir. Although nothing is particularly excellent, the direction and acting is solid, and the plot has enough in it to keep things moving along well.
Some aspects I particularly enjoyed were the sets and settings themselves, with the boat on which the majority of the film plays out and the building in which the final scenes occur adding enough that feels new and interesting to keep the film from being…
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Good B-potboiler from Mr. Moto director Norman Foster for Welles’ Mercury Productions. Star Joseph Cotten adapted Eric Ambler’s well-known thriller about an American Navy officer who escapes a Nazi assassin by stealing away on a boat, only to find he has also boarded. A solid noir-ish tale with memorable overtones—the scratchy 78 the dumpy Nazi plays, Dolores del Rio’s leopard dance, a final rain-soaked shoot-out on the side of a hotel. Cotten has been better, but he’s fine here, while Welles plays a small but pivotal role as Turkish police captain Colonel Haki. Enjoyable stuff, when taken for what it truly is.
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Film noir is one of the most enjoyable genres in all of cinema; even minor, semi-forgotten efforts are often tense and engaging. Such is the case with Journey Into Fear, starring Joseph Cotten as an American naval engineer on the run from assassins in Turkey. The film was written by Cotten, adapting Eric Ambler's novel along with uncredited writers Richard Collins, Ben Hecht, and Orson Welles. Welles is also featured in the film as the head of the Turkish Secret Police, and gave an uncredited assist to director Norman Foster. Welles' most obvious contribution is the opening crane shot, which deftly establishes one of Cotten's potential murderers. Like any good noir, Journey Into Fear has rich black-and-white photography lending the…
Recent reviews
More-
'Journey Into Fear' is a rather average B-noir which has survived the decades due to Orson Welles' involvement, both as a writer and as an actor.
Dealing with the same then-topical issues of war and double agents, 'Journey Into Fear' does little to stand out from the crowd of early-'40s noir. Although nothing is particularly excellent, the direction and acting is solid, and the plot has enough in it to keep things moving along well.
Some aspects I particularly enjoyed were the sets and settings themselves, with the boat on which the majority of the film plays out and the building in which the final scenes occur adding enough that feels new and interesting to keep the film from being…
-
Film noir is one of the most enjoyable genres in all of cinema; even minor, semi-forgotten efforts are often tense and engaging. Such is the case with Journey Into Fear, starring Joseph Cotten as an American naval engineer on the run from assassins in Turkey. The film was written by Cotten, adapting Eric Ambler's novel along with uncredited writers Richard Collins, Ben Hecht, and Orson Welles. Welles is also featured in the film as the head of the Turkish Secret Police, and gave an uncredited assist to director Norman Foster. Welles' most obvious contribution is the opening crane shot, which deftly establishes one of Cotten's potential murderers. Like any good noir, Journey Into Fear has rich black-and-white photography lending the…
-
Good B-potboiler from Mr. Moto director Norman Foster for Welles’ Mercury Productions. Star Joseph Cotten adapted Eric Ambler’s well-known thriller about an American Navy officer who escapes a Nazi assassin by stealing away on a boat, only to find he has also boarded. A solid noir-ish tale with memorable overtones—the scratchy 78 the dumpy Nazi plays, Dolores del Rio’s leopard dance, a final rain-soaked shoot-out on the side of a hotel. Cotten has been better, but he’s fine here, while Welles plays a small but pivotal role as Turkish police captain Colonel Haki. Enjoyable stuff, when taken for what it truly is.