This week’s mystery movie has been the curious 1943 RKO film “Journey Into Fear,” with a screenplay by Joseph Cotten from the novel by Eric Ambler. The movie starred Joseph Cotten, Dolores Del Rio and Ruth Warrick, with Agnes Moorhead, Jack Durant, Everett Sloane, Eustace Wyatt, Frank Readick, Edgar Barrier, Jack Moss, Stefan Schnabel, Hans Conried, Robert Meltzer, Richard Bennett and Orson Welles. The music was by Roy Webb, photography by Karl Struss and art direction by Albert S. D’Agostino and Mark-Lee Kirk. The movie was directed by Norman Foster.
The movie is available from Amazon UK in an all-region DVD. It is also available from Amazon in a Region 2 DVD.
It is also on Archive.org.
T.S., reviewing the film in the New York Times (March 19, 1943) said:
Out of Eric Ambler’s thriller, “Journey Into Fear,” Orson Welles and his perennial Mercury Company have made an uneven but generally imaginative and exciting tale of terror. Less ambitious than any of the company’s previous productions, the new film at the Palace is nevertheless many notches above the garden variety regularly sent to Broadway.
“Journey Into Fear” opened April 14, 1943, at the Hawaii Theater, 5939 Hollywood Blvd., on a bill with “Laugh Your Blues Away” with Jinx Falkenburg and Bert Gordon, and a Pete Smith short.
Los Angeles Times movie critic Edwin Schallert said:
“In the Welles production, there are ample richness of atmosphere, casual effects in dialogue, an intriguing central idea. This is rather vaguely expressed on the screen — a fault which was noticeable in “The Magnificent Ambersons” and here results in actual lameness in the unfolding of the plot.
For Monday, we have a mystery gent.
Update: This is Jack Moss.
And for Tuesday, we have an especially mysterious mystery gent.
Update: This is Hans Conried.
Brain Trust roll call: Howard Mandelbaum (mystery movie, Monday’s mystery guest), B.J. Merholz (mystery movie), Mike Hawks (mystery movie and Monday’s mystery guest), Arye Michael Bender (mystery movie and Monday’s mystery guest) and Dan Nather (mystery movie and Monday’s mystery guest).
And for Wednesday, we have a mystery gent with a Luger.
Update: This is Eustace Wyatt.
Brain Trust roll call: Mike Hawks (Tuesday’s mystery gent) and Dan Nather (Tuesday’s mystery gent). Howard Mandelbaum (right movie, wrong actor).
And for Thursday, we have a mystery woman in costume who says: “By Friday, all will become clear.”
Update: This is Dolores Del Rio.
Brain Trust roll call: Howard Mandelbaum (Tuesday’s mystery swami and Wednesday’s mystery gunman) and Bob Hansen (mystery movie). Mike Hawks (right movie, wrong actor).
For Friday, we have these mystery guests….
Update: Joseph Cotten, left, Everett Sloane and Ruth Warrick.
… and this mystery gent.
Update: The one and only Orson Welles.
Brain Trust roll call: Ed (Thursday’s mystery guest), Mary Mallory (mystery movie and mystery guests), Mike Hawks (Thursday’s mystery guest), Tucson Barbara (mystery movie, Monday’s, Tuesday’s and Thursday’s mystery guests), Don Danard (Thursday’s mystery guest), Jenny M (mystery movie and Thursday’s mystery guest), Dewey Webb (mystery movie and Thursday’s mystery guest), Howard Mandelbaum (Thursday’s mystery guest), Benito (Thursday’s mystery guest), Alan Warren (mystery movie and Monday’s, Tuesday’s and Thursday’s mystery guests) and Dan Nather (Thursday’s mystery guest).
ladailymirror.com 
Jack Moss in Journey Into Fear.
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I get an impression of Journey Into Fear.
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Jack Moss in JOURNEY INTO FEAR 1943.
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A young Louis B Mayer. (I know it’s not, but that was my initial impression).
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Two votes for Louis B. Mayer. But alas, I’m afraid not.
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Immediately recognized because it is from a Welles RKO project. The film is ‘Journey Into Fear’, and the ‘actor’ is Jack Moss, who actually was an accountant at RKO. HIs discovery is similar to another unlikely film accountant turned actor, Edward (Ditto) Brophy.
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Maury Chaykin?
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Interesting guess. But I’m afraid not.
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I’m not sure who he is, but if I were a casting director back then and needed a Louie B. Mayer type, I would have cast him!
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An interesting idea. And you have company. But alas, I’m afraid not.
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Jack Moss in JOURNEY INTO FEAR?
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Jack Durant.
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Hans Conreid.
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Hans Conried today. Man, he was everywhere in those days — theater, film, radio, you name it!
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I’ll dive in with Frank Readick.
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Hans Conreid (Tuesday) and Eustace Wyatt (today).
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I think the movie is Journey Into Fear, but I don’t know the actors’ names.
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Thursday is Dolores del Rio
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JOURNEY INTO FEAR. Dolores Del Rio today and Hans Conried Tuesday.
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Jack Moss Monday and Eustace Wyatt Wednesday.
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Dolores Del Rio looks perfect.
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Journey into Fear
Monday – Jack Moss
Tuesday – Hans Conried
Thursday – Dolores del Rio
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Certainly looks like Dolores del Rio today.
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Dolores Del Rio in Journey into Fear.
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Dolores Del Rio in Journey Into Fear
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Dolores Del Rio
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Dolores Del Rio!
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Jack Moss, Hans Conried, Dolores Del Rio. Journey Into Fear.
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Wednesday’s guest has me stumped — I’m guessing it’s Robert Meltzer. Thursday is the delectable Dolores del Rio.
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Joseph Cotten, Everett Sloane, and Ruth Warrick at the table and our deliciously overplaying friend Mr. Welles gleefully stealing the scene.
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Joseph Cotton, Everett Sloane, Orson Wells
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Dolores Del Rio in Journey into Fear. I don’t recognize any of the others (Not!)
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Joseph Cotton, Everett Sloane, Ruth Warrick and Orson Welles round out the cast.
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Everybody on deck today! That’s Joseph Cotten, Everett Sloane, and Mercury initiate Ruth Warrick in the first photo, and Orson Welles in the second.
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Thurs is Delores del Rio and the film is Journey into Fear.
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Friday is Orson Welles
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Friday is Joe Cotten and Everett Sloane.
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With Ruth Warrick at the table too
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Tues is Hans Conried
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Monday must be Jack Moss
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Tues must be Eustace Wyatt
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That last guy looks like Orson Buggy — I mean, Orson Welles.
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Joseph Cotton, Everett Sloan, Ruth Warrick, Orson Welles.
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Must be an Orson Welles production, with Joseph Cotton, Ruth Warrick, and the wonderful character actor sitting between them who was in Welles’ stable of actors (I would have to cheat to look up his name), and of course the great man himself in heavy make-up in the last pic.
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Friday is Joseph Cotton, Everett Sloan, bottom photo Orson Wells
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