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Foreign Correspondent Overview:

Foreign Correspondent (1940) was a Mystery - Romance Film directed by Alfred Hitchcock and produced by Walter Wanger.

SYNOPSIS

Classic Hitchcock. It is 1939 and Johnny Jones, a naive police reporter, is sent by his even more naive boss to cover a "crime" story that's unfolding in Europe: the potential outbreak of a second world war. Unprepared for the dangerous political landscape he's entering, Johnny manages to land smack in the middle of a spy ring that is masquerading as a peace organization.

(Source: available at Amazon AMC Classic Movie Companion).

Academy Awards 1940 --- Ceremony Number 13 (source: AMPAS)

AwardRecipientResult
Best Supporting ActorAlbert BassermanNominated
Best Art DirectionAlexander GolitzenNominated
Best CinematographyRudolph MatéNominated
Best PictureWalter Wanger (production company)Nominated
Best WritingCharles Bennett, Joan HarrisonNominated
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Foreign Correspondent BlogHub Articles:

Joel McCrea and Laraine Day in Alfred Hitchcock’s “Foreign Correspondent”

By Stephen Reginald on Apr 9, 2024 From Classic Movie Man

Joel McCrea and Laraine Day in Alfred Hitchcock’s “Foreign Correspondent” Foreign Correspondent (1940) is an American spy thriller directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring Joel McCrea, Laraine Day, Herbert Marshall, and George Sanders. The screenplay was written by Charles Be... Read full article

The Directors' Chair: Foreign Correspondent (1940)

By Theresa Brown on Jun 20, 2020 From Classic Movie Hub Blog

The Directors’ Chair: Foreign Correspondent FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT (1940) What a nifty little spitfire of a movie Foreign Correspondent is. Joel McCrea stands in for America in this ‘thirty-seconds-before-WWII-begins’ thriller. A Dutch ambassador (poignantly played by Albert Ba... Read full article

Review: Foreign Correspondent (1940)

By 4 Star Film Fan on Apr 27, 2018 From 4 Star Films

If Alfred Hitchcock had any contribution to the war effort then Foreign Correspondent would no doubt be it. Nazi Minister of Propaganda Joseph Goebbels was purported to have admired its qualities as a work of propaganda and that’s high praise coming from someone who was quite familiar with inf... Read full article

Quickie Review – Foreign Correspondent (1940)

By Michael on Jan 13, 2016 From Durnmoose Movie Musings

It’s a shame, really, when a director has to compete with himself for numerous Academy Awards, but that is exactly what happened in 1941, the year after Alfred Hitchcock released his first two Hollywood productions, Rebecca and Foreign Correspondent. The former was nominated for nine Oscars, a... Read full article

Foreign Correspondent (1940)

By Cameron on Jun 2, 2014 From The Blonde At The Film

via: http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/75400/Foreign-Correspondent/#tcmarcp-224345Unless otherwise noted, all images are my own This is my contribution to the Snoopathon: A Blogathon of Classic Spies, hosted by the fantastic blog Movies Silently. Be sure to visit all the great entries on spies from ol... Read full article

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Foreign Correspondent Quotes:

Stebbins: They love to cable from New York. It makes them think that you're working for them.
Mr. Powers: Foreign correspondent! I could get more news out of Europe looking in a crystal ball.
Carol Fisher: I think the world has been run long enough by well-meaning professionals. We might give the amateurs a chance now.
Mr. Powers: I don't want any more economists, sages, or oracles bombinating over our cables. I want a reporter. Somebody who doesn't know the difference between an ism and a kangaroo.
Carol Fisher: You never hear of circumstances out of our control rushing us into peace, have you?
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Foreign Correspondent Facts
Robert Benchley was allowed to write his own lines.
Director Alfred Hitchcock wanted Gary Cooper for the lead instead of Joel McCrea, but Cooper wasn't interested in doing a thriller.
When the shipwreck sequence was shot, a special tub within the studio tank had to be built for Herbert Marshall, who couldn't swim because he only had one leg (he'd lost a leg in combat in World War I).
Producer Walter Wanger had the story in development for several years. Originally it was about the Spanish Civil War but that war ended too quickly and therefore the story lost its relevance to audiences. Wanger insisted that the film be politically up-to-date so rewrites were happening constantly throughout production. Ultimately, 14 writers in all were involved in bringing the story to the screen.
Alfred Hitchcock's eccentric marriage proposal to Alma Reville was written into the script.
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