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These two visionaries of the mid-century were brought together by Alexander Korda to make this World War I spy thriller novel of the same title by Joseph Storer Clouston into a film.
Powell and Pressburger eventually made over 20 films during the course of their partnership.
The Spy in Black stars Conrad Veidt, Valerie Hobson and Sebastian Shaw, with Marius Goring and Torin Thatcher as two German submarine officers. Grant Sutherland, a minister in Powell's The Edge of the World (1937), appears in this film as a Scottish air raid warden.
Far superior to most anything you might watch from the bygone days of 1939, The Spy in Black is a beautifully direct film, marking a significant start for the Powell and Pressburger collaboration and serving as effective British propaganda.
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The narrative follows the handsome German U-Boat captain, Conrad Veidt, on a convoluted spying mission in 1917 Scotland. Arriving back in Kiel and receiving a new commission, Veidt's character has a top secret and massively important mission to locate the British fleet at Orkney, and destroy it.
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Veidt's Captain Hardt finds himself distracted by schoolmistress Valerie Hobson and the scarcity of butter. While World War I is depicted as more civilized than the forthcoming conflict, as shown in Colonel Blimp, the top tropes of war with Germany remain. The film has a sterling cast of British stalwart actors, such as Hay Petrie, and maintains high production values that disguise occasional implausibility.
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Regarded as the first "Archers" film, The Spy in Black predates Powell and Pressburger's official adoption of the name. Released in August 1939, just days before Germany's invasion of Poland, it served as a precursor to the duo's wartime propaganda films. Despite being set in World War I, the film aimed to prepare the British public for the imminent conflict and to remind them to be vigilant against German espionage.
The story unfolds and unravels and takes place and is set in and is located geographically in the Orkney Islands, a strategically significant location during both world wars due to Scapa Flow, a vast natural harbour used as a British naval base.
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Set in 1917, the opening scenes in which there is no food at all in Kiel highlights the hardships caused by the British naval blockade on Germany, carefully reassuring the British audience of their naval superiority.
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After the Battle of Jutland, the German surface fleet remained in port, prompting Captain Hardt to lead a submarine attack on the British fleet. Hardt contacts Fraulein Tiel, a German spy posing as a schoolmistress, and Lieutenant Ashington, a disgraced British naval officer willing to betray his country.
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Valerie Hobson and Conrad Veidt deliver standout performances, with Veidt's portrayal of Hardt making him the central, sympathetic character. Unlike typical British propaganda, which often depicted German officers as villains, Pressburger's writing humanises the enemy, a theme consistent in his later works. It is not so bad to want the villain to succeed, because this is a movie and morality will be forced upon the audience before they leave, and so this quirk of direction is vital.
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| June Duprez in The Spy in Black (1939) |
One of the great ironies of World War I was that Kaiser Wilhelm, who built a formidable battle fleet to rival the British Navy, never fully managed to use it. Apart from the inconclusive Battle of Jutland, the German surface fleet largely remained inactive during the war. Instead, the U-Boats emerged as the primary weapon of the German Navy.
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The Spy in Black takes this on in the form of a plan devised by the German Naval Command involving U-Boat Captain Conrad Veidt. He is tasked with infiltrating the Orkney Islands, where the British fleet is anchored, to orchestrate an attack. Veidt contacts two British traitors — Sebastian Shaw, a cashiered captain, and Valerie Hobson, a new schoolteacher. Hobson, posing as a spy, provides Veidt with instructions to navigate the minefields and strike the fleet.
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Veidt, portrayed as an honourable officer, insists on wearing his naval uniform, not wishing to be shot as a spy. However, when necessary, he dons a disguise to continue his espionage activities. The film is unique in that its main characters are German spies or collaborators, offering a refreshing twist on the typical wartime thriller.
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The film opens with a respectful and slightly comic portrayal of Veidt and his officers. After a successful U-Boat mission, they return to port, cheerfully ordering stew at a hotel despite it being a meatless day. This portrayal contrasts sharply with the sneering Nazi characters often depicted in later war films.
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Veidt travels to the Orkney Islands to meet a young woman, June Duprez, who is initially believed to be the German agent. However, Duprez is replaced by the real agent, Valerie Hobson. Hobson's beauty is depicted as elegant and impenetrable, contrasting with Duprez's more approachable charm. Hobson's character maintains a professional distance, further complicating Veidt's mission. For those on the look out for gender role inversion in the 1930s and 1940s, The Spy in Black (1939) does provide.
Not only is Veidt's submariner not used to a female commander, he attempts to subvert this by falling for her, and attempting to prove his superiority not in rank but by forcing love and sex into the equation. Love and sex are foreshadowed back in Germany at the start of the movie, when a young and newlywed couple are granted a room in the hotel for a brief few hours of consummation. These themes of marriage during wartime persist throughout the film, and the movie remains quite frank about them.
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Veidt's U-Boat reaches the Isle of Hoy, where he goes ashore to meet the local German agent. In a charming scene, Veidt recites "Die Lorelei," a poem by Heinrich Heine, amusing his officers. On the island, Hobson provides Veidt with shelter but refuses to engage with him romantically, maintaining her cover and locking him in his room with only his motorbike as company.
The motorbike is something of a reminder of men's enduring capacity for the technical over the romantic, and seems a total white elephant, carried off the u-boat, up a cliff and then ultimately carried up the stairs to bed. In the morning, the motorbike's wing mirror serves as a shaving mirror.
Despite their best efforts, the Germans' plans of course fail. Veidt's insistence on maintaining his uniform and the film's overall respectful portrayal of German characters are notable. The film, available in a crisp print on YouTube, if you are territorially available to accept it, includes impressive model work and fine shots of destroyers and submarines and cruisers at sea.
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| Smoking perfection but what is suggested by Valerie Hobson and Conrad Veidt in The Spy in Black (1939) |
The Spy in Black is driven entirely by Conrad Veidt, who delivers a strong performance, even two decades after his role in The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. The supporting cast, including Sebastian Shaw as Ashington and Valerie Hobson as the schoolmistress-turned-spy, are equally effective. Cyril Raymond stands out as a nosy country parson who becomes too curious for his own good.
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Michael Powell’s direction in The Spy in Black is simple and stylish, effectively using stock footage for battle scenes and exploring the world of espionage. Filmed on various locations in Britain, including Denham Studios, Powell employs medium and wide shots to create engaging scenes, particularly his close-ups which add suspense and drama. The film features compelling moments and big reveals, particularly in the third act, offering a riveting narrative about a U-boat captain on a secret mission with spies in Britain during World War I.
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Cinematographer Bernard Browne excels with black-and-white photography, utilizing shadows and low-key lighting to enhance night-time scenes and the kind of suspense that makes this type of movie an absolute pre-cursor to the true film noir of the next decade.
Editor Hugh Stewart’s straightforward editing includes stylish uses of stock footage. Production designer Vincent Korda and art director Frederick Pusey create impressive sets, particularly the house and submarine interiors. A.W. Watkins’ sound work and Miklos Rozsa’s orchestral score, favouring lush and low-key moments, contribute to the film's atmospheric tension.
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The cast features notable small roles from Cyril Raymond, Hay Petrie, George Summers, June Duprez, Mary Morris, and Marius Goring. Sebastian Shaw, Valerie Hobson, and Conrad Veidt deliver standout performances, with Veidt portraying Captain Hardt, who navigates espionage and warfare in hopes of a German victory.
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This film is a rarity in that it does not portray Germans as inherently evil, a depiction that would soon change with the advent of World War II. Veidt, Hobson, and Shaw carry the film with their performances, making it a highly effective thriller and one of the best of the decade.
Despite historical inaccuracies, the film remains a well-made and thoroughly entertaining entry in wartime cinema. The nuanced portrayal of German characters and the moral complexities they face set The Spy in Black apart from typical war films, showcasing the talents of Powell and Pressburger in creating an engaging and thought-provoking narrative.
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The Spy in Black still raises important questions about patriotism, loyalty, and the moral dilemmas of war. The film features attractive photography of the Orkney coastal scenery and high-class music by Miklós Rózsa, complementing the nitrate black-and-white film stock.
Although The Spy in Black may not reach the heights of later Archers' classics like 49th Parallel, Colonel Blimp, and A Matter of Life and Death, it undeniably points the way towards these masterpieces.
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There is an awful lot to the short running time also. Examine: after the opening scene sin Kiel of the Germans at war, Anne Burnett (June Duprez) is abducted on her way to the Orkneys by Mrs. Sedley (Hay Petrie) and her chauffeur Edwards (Mary Morris), who drug her and throw her off a cliff, allowing Tiel to take her place.
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Captain Hardt (Conrad Veidt) arrives and easily reaches the Longhope schoolhouse, where he is immediately attracted to Tiel (Valerie Hobson). Their relationship is ambiguous, but Tiel asserts her authority over him by locking him in his bedroom.
The next day, Tiel introduces Hardt to Lt. Ashington (Sebastian Shaw), a disgraced Royal Navy officer turned traitor, who reveals a plan for Hardt’s U-boats to follow and sink a group of British destroyers. Complications arise due to the meddling of local minister Reverend Hector Matthews (Athole Stewart) and the arrival of the real Anne Burnett’s fiancé, Reverend John Harris (Cyril Raymond). The conspirators capture Harris and tie him up.
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This carries on quickly and effectively, for those back in the days when they were tempted into the theatre by the following lobby, poster and advertising taglines:
TODAY'S U-BOAT TERROR MAKES THIS THE YEAR'S TIMELIEST PICTURE!
Enemy U-Boat commander sails under orders of death! Lovers trapped in the cruel inferno of war!
Women and children first...to die...in U-Boat attack! Suicide submarine crews ravage the high seas...in history's most ruthless slaughter of innocents!
Is this beauty friend or foe...as U-Boat terror at sea is directed by unknown master spies on land? Out of Europe's blackout of peace flashes the inside story of ruthless submarine warfare and incredible world-wide espionage!
Inside Story of Submarine Warfare!
Alexander Korda's MIGHTY SPY SPECTACLE!
The Most Timely and Authentic Drama of Submarine Warfare and International Espionage Ever Made!
Filmed While Headlines and Radio Tell Only Half the Story!
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Thrill successor to "Clouds Over Europe"
See: Cold-Blooded Murder! Warm Lips Kill! Island of Mystery! Pirates of the Sea!
THE OTHER HALF OF THE STORY THAT RADIOS AND HEADLINES CANNOT TELL! (Print Ad- Victoria Daily Times, ((Victoria, BC)) 14 December 1939)
INSIDE STORY OF SUBMARINE ATROCITIES! (Print Ad- Reading Eagle, ((Reading, Penna.)) 2 May 1940)
THE WHOLE SHOCKING TRUTH OF SUBMARINE WARFARE the inside story of U-Boat atrocities with all its stark terror! STARTLING FACTS REVEALED! (Print Ad-Philadelphia Inquirer, ((Philadelphia, Penna.)) 3 November 1939)
Front page drama firing your blood with the fury of a world in flames! (Print Ad-Pawtucket Times, ((Pawtucket, RI)) 13 January 1940)
Out of Europe's Blackout of Peace ... Flames the Inside Story of Submarine Warfare and International Espionage
It is later revealed that “Fraulein Tiel” is actually Jill Blacklock, the wife of Commander David Blacklock, who has been impersonating Ashington. The British authorities, alerted by the real Anne Burnett, set a trap for the German U-boats. Hardt realizes the deception and escapes disguised as Harris. He takes over the local ferry, the St. Magnus, but ultimately, his efforts are thwarted.
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Released on the eve of World War II, the film respects its German characters, portraying Hardt and Schuster as honorable. Despite realizing he has been deceived, Hardt spares lives and maintains his honor. Directed by Michael Powell and marking the first collaboration with Emeric Pressburger, the film is praised for its performances, notably by Veidt and Hobson, and its nuanced approach to war and enmity. The Powell-Pressburger partnership would go on to become internationally significant in cinema history.
The Spy in Black was filmed at Denham Studios, with location shooting at Northchurch Common in Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire and in Orkney, Scotland. The film wrapped production on 24 December 1938 and was released in the U.K. on 7 August 1939 – just weeks before the country once again went to war with Germany. Its American premiere was held in New York City on 5 October of that year, and it went into general release two days later.
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In 1954, Valerie Hobson married Conservative politician John Profumo. Merely a few years later, in 1961, Profumo engaged in an extramarital liaison with the courtesan, as you might most politely call her, Christine Keeler. This indiscretion came to public attention in 1963, culminating in Profumo's mendacious testimony before the House of Commons. The ensuing scandal irrevocably tarnished Profumo's political career. Notwithstanding the ignominy, Hobson exhibited commendable fortitude by steadfastly supporting her husband throughout the ordeal. Their marriage endured until Hobson's death in 1998.
In a letter to Wendy Hiller in 1942, asking her to appear in Colonel Blimp, Pressburger explicitly set out 'The Archers' Manifesto'. Its five points express the pair's intentions:
We owe allegiance to nobody except the financial interests which provide our money; and, to them, the sole responsibility of ensuring them a profit, not a loss.
Every single foot in our films is our own responsibility and nobody else's. We refuse to be guided or coerced by any influence but our own judgement.
When we start work on a new idea, we must be a year ahead, not only of our competitors, but also of the times. A real film, from idea to universal release, takes a year. Or more.
No artist believes in escapism. And we secretly believe that no audience does. We have proved, at any rate, that they will pay to see the truth, for other reasons than her nakedness.
At any time, and particularly at the present, the self-respect of all collaborators, from star to propman, is sustained, or diminished, by the theme and purpose of the film they are working on.
They began to form a group of regular cast and crew members who worked with them on many films over the next 12 years. Hardly any of these people were ever under contract to The Archers—they were hired film by film—but Powell and Pressburger soon learnt whom they worked well with and who enjoyed working with them.
When Raymond Massey was offered the part of the Prosecuting Attorney in A Matter of Life and Death his cabled reply was "For The Archers anytime, this world or the next."
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The result is one of the better proto-noirs of the later 1930s, and although ink could be spilled on whether Valerie Hobson is a femme fatale of sorts, before the fact of noir devised such a female, much of this pre war characterisation did seep into the film noir style.
This is best expressed on the Film Noir File website which presents as a thesis the notion that film noir evolved from espionage movies as much as it did from anything else. Dan Hodges of the Film Noir File says it on this page, dedicated to The Spy in Black (1939).
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| Sebastian Shaw in The Spy in Black (1939) |
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| Valerie Hobson in The Spy in Black (1939) |
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| Conrad Veidt in The Spy in Black (1939) |
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On this page he is quite explicit concern the origins of the femme fatale, and offers epculation that is most useful, even if it flies in the face of convention, and as with all cultural commentary, does not come so much with solid proof, but the conviction of expression that comes with looking at as many connections as possible outside of the normal received wisdom, of which in the case of film noir, there is much. Here, Dan Hodges reveals one of the key indicators of the femme fatale as espionage agent:
The Grand Fleet in Scapa Flow can be seen from Hobson’s house. When Veidt asks what the plan is, she says it is to sink 15 ships. The details are to come from “a British navel officer with a grudge against the service.”
Veidt asks, “Where did you meet him?
Hobson replies, “At Leeds a month ago.”
“And found he had a price.”
“Rather a high one.”
“Paid by whom?”
“Germany.”
“Only by Germany?”
“And me.”
Without further questioning her, Veidt accepts that Hobson has had to sleep with the traitor (Sebastian Shaw).
This continues the rather frank for its day discussions of sex, which surface like the tower of a u-boat from time to time in this film.
To twist and riff on trope is essential to all good cinema, and even before the femme fatale is created, it is here subverted, as Hodges points out:
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For the first 55 minutes, what makes the plot so unusual is that Valerie Hobson comes across not only as a double agent but also as twice a femme fatale. Presumably, she has seduced Sebastian Shaw into betraying the Grand Fleet. And, although she doesn’t intend to twist Conrad Veidt around her little finger, his infatuation with her makes it that much easier for the British navy to carry out its mission of annihilating the U-boats, including the one that Veidt captains.
Like Veidt, we have been played. Hobson is neither a German spy nor Shaw’s femme fatale.
For those also who enjoy some Scottish location shooting, mid-century, please also tune in to see some of the Orkney granite and hear some British (and Scottish) character actors at play.
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The Spy in Black (1939)
Directed by Michael Powell
Genres - Spy Film, Thriller, War | Sub-Genres - Spy Film | Release Date - Aug 3, 1939 | Run Time - 82 min.
