Diplomatic Courier

1952

1h 37m

IMDb RATING

6.0/10

YOUR RATING

Rate

POPULARITY

Play trailer

0 Videos

14 Images

Mystery

Thriller

Drama

During the Cold War, diplomatic courier Mike Kells must retrieve a dispatch containing top-secret intelligence. But when he arrives at the meeting point, a train station in Salzburg, his contact turns up dead, and the message is nowhere to be found. With no clear suspect in sight, Kells must sort through his uncertain relationships with two women, while sidestepping the pitfalls of subterfuge, sabotage and spies in his search for the documents.

Directors

Henry Hathaway

Writers

Peter Cheyney(novel by)

Casey Robinson(screenplay by)

Liam O'Brien(screenplay by)

Stars

Tyrone Power

Patricia Neal

Stephen McNally

See production, box office & company info

Photos14

Top cast

Mike Kells

Joan Ross

Col. Cagle

Janine Betki

Sgt. Ernie Guelvada

Sam F. Carew

Rasumny Platov

Arnov

Maximilian

Airline Stewardess

Narrator (voice) (uncredited)

Charles Bronson

Russian Agent (uncredited)

E.G. Marshall

Military Police Jeep Driver (uncredited)

Lee Marvin

Military Policeman at Trieste (uncredited)

Pat Hogan

Russian Agent (uncredited)

Directors

Henry Hathaway

Writers

Peter Cheyney(novel by)

Casey Robinson(screenplay by)

Liam O'Brien(screenplay by)

All cast & crew

Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

User reviews1

Review

Featured review

6/10

"Mike" (Tyrone Power) is a US State Department courier who is sent on a routine, but dangerous, mission to Trieste where he is to rendezvous with a passenger on a train then collect and repatriate an important document. Of course, the Soviets are also on the trail of this transaction and when it all goes wrong, "Mike" finds himself embroiled in something far more sinister than he has experienced before. He is now at the behest of his new military handler "Col. Cagle" (Stephen McNally) and his wily sergeant "Guelvada" (a lively effort from Karl Malden) as he must try to find which of two women - "Janine" (Hildegard Knef) or "Joan" (Patricia Neal) might be mixed up - or not - in this espionage drama with more crosses than a Papal mass. Now I found the mystery here a little lacking. Serendipity just takes too an implausible a role in a wine bar and from there on in I felt that the jeopardy was rather compromised. Still, Henry Hathaway uses this workmanlike cast to good effect helping to create an atmosphere of mistrust and peril with nobody quite sure who is trustworthy and who is just as likely to put a knife between the shoulder blades. Trains also usually serve well as vehicles for thrillers - the movement, dimly lit carriages and squeaky rails all contribute to the heightened sense of tension as we near the reveal. Perhaps if you don't spot the huge great clue early on, you might get more from this well paced thriller.

Geronimo196711 Nov, 2023