This week’s mystery movie has been the 1946 picture “Cloak and Dagger,” starring Gary Cooper, Robert Alda, Vladimir Sokoloff, J. Edward Bromberg, Marjorie Hoshelle and Ludwig Stossel, and introducing Lilli Palmer. The screenplay was by Albert Maltz and Ring Lardner Jr., from a story by Boris Ingster and John Larkin, “suggested by the book by” Corey Ford and Alastair MacBain. The movie was directed by Fritz Lang.
Released by Warner Bros., the movie was the first production by Milton Sperling’s United States Pictures Inc. and was the first of five independent films he originally planned for 1946.
The New York Times’ Bosley Crowther wrote (Oct. 5, 1946) that the film “is highly suspenseful in a slick cinematic style. Apart from the realm of realities, it is fast entertainment on the screen.”
And yet he quibbled with the plot: The filmmakers “loaded the whole thing down with the baldest and most familiar of the spy-thriller cliches.”
The film opened in Los Angeles on Oct. 11, 1946, at the Wiltern, and the Warners Hollywood and Downtown. Writing in the Los Angeles Times on Oct. 12, 1946, critic Edwin Schallert said it was almost a documentary, calling it “a thrilling adventure narrative that simultaneously is illumined by good strong highlights in the dialogue.”
“Cloak and Dagger” was suggested as a mystery movie by Earl Boebert and set off an unusual quest to defeat Google’s image search function. For some curious reason, much of the film turns up on Google’s image search — at least in some circumstances. Earl did extensive research on why he and I were getting different results from Google. The simple explanation is that Google personalizes my results as “a movie guy” and customizes his results something else. Cloak and Dagger indeed!
The movie is available from Amazon.
For Monday, we have a mystery guest with a gun.
Update: This is Eddie Dunn, whom you may recognize as the annoyed chauffeur in W.C. Fields’ “The Bank Dick.”
And for Tuesday, we have a mystery woman.
Update this is Helen/Helene Thimig.
Brain Trust roll call: Mike Hawks (Monday’s mystery gunman), Don Danard (Monday’s mystery gunman) and Mary Mallory (Monday’s mystery gunman).
And for Wednesday, we have a mystery woman.
Update: This is Marjorie Hoshelle.
Brain Trust roll call: Sheila (Tuesday’s mystery woman), Howard Mandelbaum (mystery movie and mystery guests) and Megan Lee Ann and Thom (Tuesday’s mystery woman).
And for Thursday, we have a mystery guest with a shoe.
Update: This is Lilli Palmer.
Brain Trust roll call: Howard Mandelbaum (Wednesday’s mystery woman).
And for Friday, our mystery guest seems to be uncomfortable about having a drink with a mystery companion.
Update: This is Gary Cooper and Ludwig Stossel.
Brain Trust roll call: Mary Mallory (mystery movie and Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s mystery guests), Sheila (mystery movie and Thursday’s mystery guest), Mike Hawks (mystery movie and mystery ladies), Jenny M (Thursday’s mystery guest) and LC (mystery movie and mystery cast).
Drop that gun Eddie Dunn.
LikeLike
Monday: Frank Puglia?
LikeLike
Interesting guess. But alas, no.
LikeLike
I’d say it’s Eddie Dunn today.
LikeLike
Eddie Dunn.
LikeLike
Myrtle Anderson and WHIRLPOOL?
LikeLike
Alas, I’m afraid not.
LikeLike
Tuesday is Helene Thimig.
LikeLike
“Cloak and Dagger” (1946)
Monday: Eddie Dunn
Tuesday: Helen Thimig
LikeLike
Helene Thimig for Tuesday.
LikeLike
Marjorie Hoshelle.
LikeLike
SECRET FURY?
LikeLike
Alas, I’m afraid not.
LikeLike
CLOAK AND DAGGER with Helene Thimig Tuesday, and Marjorie Hoshelle Wednesday.
LikeLike
Lilli Palmer, ‘Cloak and Dagger’?
LikeLike
Is Wen. Jinx Falkenburg?
LikeLike
Helene Thimig, Marjorie Hoshelle and Lilli Palmer now appearing in CLOAK AND DAGGER.
LikeLike
Thursday – Lilli Palmer?
LikeLike
This would be Cloak and Dagger (1946) w/ Gary Cooper, Lili Palmer, Helene Thimig, Marjorie Hoshelle, Robert Alda, Ludwig Stoessel…
LikeLike
Surely Ida Lupino on Thursday would be too easy?
LikeLike
Alas, it’s not Ida.
LikeLike
Mr. Cooper today.
LikeLike
Thurs is Lilli Palmer, Friday is Gary Cooper – it’s Cloak and Dagger.
LikeLike
Wen is Marjorie Hoshelle
LikeLike
Today it looks like Ernest Truex having a conversation with Sgt. York.
LikeLike
Film = ‘Cloak & Dagger’ Tuesday…Helen Thinig..Wednesday..Marjorie Hoshelle.. Thursday..Lilli Palmer…..Friday.. Ludwug Stossel & Gary Cooper.
LikeLike
What is Ludwig Stossel saying to Gary Cooper.
LikeLike
Obviously Gary Cooper today. Perhaps Lili Palmer yesterday? Great faces this week!
LikeLike
I’m a little late in replying this week because of interruptions, but it’s Cloak and Dagger.
LikeLike
Considering the amount of talent applied to it, I found it to be a remarkably pedestrian effort — as exemplified by a shot of Lilli Palmer gingerly holding an uncocked Tommy gun. That must have caused a few chuckles on the part of returning WWII veterans, although to be fair it’s a common error in movies and TV shows involving 1930s/40s mayhem.
There’s an interesting history to this movie involving a destroyed last reel and other behind the scenes drama.
LikeLike