Operation Secret

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Operation Secret

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Operation Secret
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Lewis Seiler
Written by	Harold Medford James R. Webb
Produced by	Henry Blanke
Starring	Cornel Wilde Steve Cochran Phyllis Thaxter Karl Malden Paul Picerni Lester Matthews
Cinematography	Ted D. McCord
Edited by	Clarence Kolster
Music by	Roy Webb
Production company	Warner Bros.
Distributed by	Warner Bros.
Release date	November 8, 1952 (1952-11-08)
Running time	108 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

Operation Secret is a 1952 American drama film directed by Lewis Seiler and written by Harold Medford and James R. Webb. The film stars: Cornel Wilde, Steve Cochran, Phyllis Thaxter, Karl Malden, Paul Picerni and Lester Matthews. The film was released by Warner Bros. on November 8, 1952.^[1]^[2] The film is based on the exploits of US Marine Corps Major Peter Ortiz.^[3]

Plot

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The story is told through testimonial flashbacks at a military tribunal held in Paris after the end of World War II. Its purpose is to investigate and uncover the identity of a traitor reputed to have fed information to German Occupation forces. In its efforts to find the truth, four witnesses are called to testify: (a) Peter Forrester, an American, ostensibly OSS, who served with the French Resistance movement; (b) Maria Corbett, a Resistance member who posed as a Catholic nun; (c) Marcel Brevoort, a Resistance leader who served with Forrester before and after France's fall; and (d) Major Latrec, the most zealous anti-Nazi in the group, demonstrably loyal to the Underground's cause. Testimonial recall of their unit's activity during the war builds to a surprising revelation.

Cast

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Cornel Wilde as Peter Forrester
Steve Cochran as Marcel Brevoort
Phyllis Thaxter as Maria Corbet
Karl Malden as Maj. Latrec
Paul Picerni as Capt. Armand Dupree
Lester Matthews as Robbins
Dan O'Herlihy as Mike Duncan
Jay Novello as Herr Bauer
Wilton Graff as French Official
Dan Riss as German Sergeant
Harlan Warde as Maj. Dawson
Kenneth Patterson as General
William F. Leicester as Capt. Hughes
Gayle Kellogg as Corporal

Critical reception

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New York Times critic Bosley Crowther said the film "spins its story vigorously but with little impact. This dissipation of potential tension may be attributed to the fact that the self-effacing bravery displayed here has been in evidence on film before, and with greater effect." Crowther said that even though it was based on fact, "this annal of dedicated men braving dangerous assignments appears to be largely hackneyed deeds out of an old and not too thrilling history."^[2]

A New York Daily News critic observed that earlier films about the underground in Europe had presented all the fighters as "heroes and patriots." but that "now, apparently, it can be told that some of the leaders of resistance movements were fighting first for Russia and only incidentally for their native lands." She praised Wilde for an "effective performance."^[4]

References

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^ "Operation Secret (1952) - Overview". TCM.com. Retrieved 2015-06-08.
^ ^a ^b Crowther, Bosley (6 November 1952). "Operation Secret' Opens at Paramount". The New York Times. Retrieved 12 December 2020.
^ "Colonel Peter Julien Ortiz: OSS Marine, Actor, Californian".
^ Cameron, Kate (6 November 1952). "'Operation Secret' A Suspenseful Film". Daily News. p. 76. Retrieved 12 December 2020 – via Newspapers.com.

External links

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Operation Secret at IMDb

Films directed by Lewis Seiler

Darwin Was Right (1924)
No Man's Gold (1926)
The Great K & A Train Robbery (1926)
The Last Trail (1927)
Outlaws of Red River (1927)
Tumbling River (1927)
Wolf Fangs (1927)
Square Crooks (1928)
A Song of Kentucky (1929)
The Ghost Talks (1929)
Deception (1932)
Frontier Marshal (1934)
Charlie Chan in Paris (1935)
Here Comes Trouble (1936)
The First Baby (1936)
Career Woman (1936)
Turn Off the Moon (1937)
Crime School (1938)
Penrod's Double Trouble (1938)
Heart of the North (1938)
The Kid from Kokomo (1939)
King of the Underworld (1939)
You Can't Get Away with Murder (1939)
Hell's Kitchen (1939)
Dust Be My Destiny (1939)
It All Came True (1940)
Murder in the Air (1940)
Flight Angels (1940)
Tugboat Annie Sails Again (1940)
South of Suez (1940)
Kisses for Breakfast (1941)
The Smiling Ghost (1941)
You're in the Army Now (1941)
The Big Shot (1942)
Pittsburgh (1942)
Guadalcanal Diary (1943)
Something for the Boys (1944)
Molly and Me (1945)
Doll Face (1945)
If I'm Lucky (1946)
Whiplash (1948)
Breakthrough (1950)
The Tanks Are Coming (1951)
The Winning Team (1952)
Operation Secret (1952)
The Bamboo Prison (1954)
Women's Prison (1955)
Battle Stations (1956)
Over-Exposed (1956)
The True Story of Lynn Stuart (1958)

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