State Secret

"ADVENTURE SWEEPING ACROSS A CONTINENT!"

1950 1h 44m EN

👍

6.9

SOLID

⭐

IMDB

★6.9TMDB · 18★7IMDB · 863

ThrillerDramaRomanceMystery

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

While working in England, an American surgeon Dr. John Marlowe is invited to Vosnia (a fictitious East-European country) to receive an award and demonstrate his life-saving surgery. Unwittingly caught in the middle of a dangerous and corrupt series of political events, Marlowe then becomes the object of a shoot-to-kill, vicious pursuit. Fleeing, he seeks help from an English-speaking actress, Lisa Robinson, and the two attempt to escape across the treacherous mountains of Vosnia.

“ADVENTURE SWEEPING ACROSS A CONTINENT!”

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Cast

Douglas Fairbanks Jr.
Dr. John Marlowe
Glynis Johns
Lisa Robinson
Jack Hawkins
Colonel Galcon
Herbert Lom
Karl Theodor
Walter Rilla
General Niva
Karl Stepanek
Dr. Revo
Hans Olaf Moser
Sigrist
Guido Lorraine
Lieutenant Prachi

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Sidney Gilliat
Writers: Sidney Gilliat
Languages: English
Countries: United Kingdom

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

76 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Sidney Gilliat, shot by Robert Krasker. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by William Alwyn. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Thelma Myers shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Douglas Fairbanks Jr. and Glynis Johns and Jack Hawkins carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "ADVENTURE SWEEPING ACROSS A CONTINENT!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0042522 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

Only 18 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Sidney Gilliat directs. Robert Krasker behind the camera. William Alwyn scores. Thelma Myers cuts. Produced in United Kingdom. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

176 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2Directed by Sidney Gilliat, shot by Robert Krasker. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Original score by William Alwyn. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor Thelma Myers shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Douglas Fairbanks Jr. and Glynis Johns and Jack Hawkins carry the top of the cast.
6Marketing tagline: "ADVENTURE SWEEPING ACROSS A CONTINENT!".
7IMDB entry: tt0042522 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Only 18 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.
9Classified under 11 themes, including "operation", "assassination", "based on novel or book", "dictator".

The technical file

Cinematography: Robert Krasker
Original score: William Alwyn
Editing: Thelma Myers
Costume design: Beatrice Dawson
Makeup / hair: Michael Morris
Runtime: 104 min · 1h 44m
Status: Released
Original language: EN
Certification (US): NR
IMDB: State Secret (1950)
IMDB rating: 7/10 · 863 votes
MPAA: Approved

Awards

Nominated for 1 BAFTA Award2 nominations total

Also by

Sidney Gilliat

Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2022-12-27
★ 7/10
Douglas Fairbanks Jr. is "Dr. John Marlowe", lauded by the largely unknown state of Vosnia after he develops an unique form of medical procedure. When he travels there to collect his gong, he finds himself amidst a plot in this totalitarian state to prolong the life of their leader "General Niva". Regardless of what happens, he cannot be left alive to tell a tale, and when this dawns on him, he must escape. Fortunately, he alights of Glynis Johns - an English speaking cabaret dancer and with the help of the suitably sleazy Herbert Lom, they make for the border with Jack Hawkins and his soldiers hot on their heals. I enjoyed this, at times it is a suspenseful drama with enough intrigue to sustain it as they face a few perils on their escapade to safety. There's a fun chemistry between the two stars and it builds nicely to an ending with a teeny, weeny twist. Well worth a watch.

Production companies