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Secret Agent (1936)

Director(s) Alfred Hitchcock
Producer(s) Michael Balcon (uncredited), Ivor Montagu (uncredited)
Top Genres Comedy, Drama, Mystery, Romance, Thriller/Suspense
Top Topics Spies
More Films Directed by Alfred Hitchcock More Films Produced by Michael Balcon More Films from 1936 More Films from the 1930s Top Classic Movies of the 1930s Top Spies Films

Secret Agent Overview:

Secret Agent (1936) was a Comedy - Drama Film directed by Alfred Hitchcock and produced by Michael Balcon and Ivor Montagu.

SYNOPSIS

In the middle entry of Hitchcock's British spy trilogy following The 39 Steps (1935), Gielgud and Carroll pose as man and wife to pursue a secret agent in Switzerland. Paid assassin Lorre comes along to finish the job. The heroes first kill the wrong man, and then discover their quarry is a talkative American (Young) who has attached himself to Carroll. Interesting portrayals by Gielgud as an agent with empathy and Lorre as a cold-blooded killer.

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

Secret Agent BlogHub Articles:

In Like Flint: James Coburn Returns as the Coolest Secret Agent

By Rick29 on Jun 6, 2022 From Classic Film & TV Cafe

The 1966 spy spoof Our Man Flint was still playing in theaters when 20th Century-Fox gave the greenlight for a sequel once again starring James Coburn as super secret agent Derek Flint.Actually, the title character is nowhere to be seen in the opening scenes of In Like Flint (1967). Instead, the plo... Read full article

REQUIEM FOR A SECRET AGENT

By Dan Day, Jr. on Jan 22, 2020 From The Hitless Wonder Movie Blog

A few weeks ago I was with my brother at a Half Price Books in Illinois. While going through the soundtracks section I came across the original score, on vinyl, for a 1966 Eurospy film called REQUIEM FOR A SECRET AGENT (original Italian title REQUIEM PER UN AGENTE SEGRETO). It was brand new and only... Read full article

Secret Agent (1943, Seymour Kneitel)

By Andrew Wickliffe on Oct 6, 2018 From The Stop Button

Secret Agent opens with this really exciting car chase. Clark (Bud Collyer) has just called in and been told to get to work on the right story, only then a car crashes through the drug store he’s in and so he hops on the back of it as it chases another car. Then the cops start chasing the car Clar... Read full article

Secret Agent (1936)

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

It’s so easy to quickly brush off early works of Hitchcock with admittedly bland titles like Blackmail, Murder, Secret Agent, Sabotage, etc. But if you actually dare to dust one of these films off for a viewing, you do see Hitchcock spinning his wizardry even if the edges are a bit worn, the s... Read full article

Secret Agent (1936)

By Beatrice on Aug 25, 2013 From Flickers in Time

Secret Agent  Directed by Alfred Hitchcock Written by Charles Bennett et al from the novel “Ashenden” by W. Somerset Maugham 1936/UK Gaumont British Picture Corporation Repeat viewing Peter Lorre makes this early Hitchcock film a ton of fun despite a plot that is even more implausible... Read full article

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Secret Agent Quotes:

The General: General Pompellio Montezuma De- oh, we've already met.
Mrs. Caypor: Do you understand German, Mr. Marvin?
Robert Marvin: No, but I speak it fluently.
[repeated line]
The General: [every time he introduces himself] General Pompellio Montezuma De La Vilia De Conde De La Rue.
The General: [introducing himself] General Pompellio Montezuma De La Vilia De Conde De La Rue
Robert Marvin: Ah, do you mind if I call you Charlie?
The General: Yes, I mind!
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Secret Agent Facts
John Gielgud filmed this during the day while appearing on stage in "Romeo and Juliet" opposite Peggy Ashcroft and Laurence Olivier in the evening.
Alfred Hitchcock reflected (regarding John Gielgud's lack of heroics): "You can't root for a hero who doesn't want to be one."
Based on W. Somerset Maugham's "Ashenden" spy stories ("The Traitor" and "The Hairless Mexican") and a play by Campbell Dixon.
Alfred Hitchcock convinced John Gielgud to play the lead by describing the hero as a modern day Hamlet. Gielgud, however, ended up hating that his character was an enigma and felt Hitchcock made the villain more charming than the hero.
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