Frank Launder (1906–1997)

“I’m a retired spy.” — Deborah Kerr to Trevor Howard

If ever a film about a young Irish lass so passionate in her distaste for the English that she ends up working as a German spy during WWII could be described as airily charming, this is it. A pleasant Irish lilt can be heard and felt in Deborah Kerr’s enchanting performance as the feisty but quite naive Birdie Quilty. Regaled by her father’s tales of the Irish from the time she was a wee lassie, as a young woman she sets out to show more find the man he supposedly fought with and join in the rebellion. Her father’s tales were pure blarney, of course, and when rebuffed, she becomes a spy for the Germans simply because they’re against the Brits!

Frank Launder and Sidney Gillant concocted this tasty Irish stew as pleasant to look at as it is to savor, thanks to photographer Wilkie Cooper, and a breathtaking Deborah Kerr. Birdie’s inner thoughts are given voice by Kerr throughout the film and offer more than a small amount of humor. Trevor Howard proves quite likable as the Army Intelligence Officer who is quite smitten with Birdie, despite her bewildering behavior. Even knowing she dumped a body into the ocean for some peculiar reason can’t keep him from chasing her. He was already a goner, of course, and had asked her to do it to protect herself.

Birdie ends up way over her head and once she realizes Irish lives are at stake, has a change of heart. It’s not so easy to just quit, however, especially when those bad guys want the information you’ve destroyed. A fun escape through an Irish funeral procession and mad dash for Eire, cap off a unique film. But just because she’s one of the good guys now, doesn't mean she's a bit less Irish!

Once the viewer settles in to the special mood of this delightful and pleasant film they’ll have an excellent time. show less

“We want to get married—the children insisted on it.”

This shockingly little-known and unfairly neglected British film from the same screenwriters as Hitchcock’s The Lady Vanishes offers just as much fun as the aforementioned. Finding a little gem like this one is why film buffs keep looking through rare video catalogs and scouring secondhand stores; for that golden moment you discover a gemstone of such exceptional quality it makes it worth the effort. Seven Sinners is such a film. show more

Edmund Lowe and Constance Cummings are delightful fun as a Pinkerton detective on holiday and a lovely insurance investigator who find themselves caught up with international saboteurs at Carnival in Nice. Harwood (Lowe) is having great fun on vacation when he discovers a dead man in the hotel room next to his. Beautiful insurance gal Caryl Fenton (Cummings) hooks up with the partying detective around this time on another matter which takes a back seat when Harwood can’t get anyone to believe him when the body in question disappears!

There is some sparkling banter and wit exchanged between Harwood and the lovely Caryl as he attempts to discover who the man was. When the Paris Express is wrecked, taking dozens of lives, the fun takes a deadly serious turn. Harwood discovers the man’s body in the wreckage, suspecting all this was done to cover up a single murder. But why? The couple must use clues in a picture to track those from a secret organization, but the hunters soon become the hunted.

Lowe is excellent and Constance Cummings fabulous as they race along after clues while sparks fly between them. It has a charming feel found in many of Hitchcock’s best during his British period. Albert De Courville’s direction juggles romance and danger perfectly while the photography of M. Greenbrum gives the film a touch of class. Doomed Cargo and The Wrecker are alternate titles often used for this little gem. A marvelous ending which every film lover will adore, make this one a real favorite. show less

It's easy to recognise in this film the origins of the St. Trinians' film series, but in a more niaive styling. The plotline is fairly simple, and Messrs Sim, Rutherford, Middleton, Grenfell, and Wattis showcase their acting styles in a precursor of many past and future roles - if you are seeking new experiences of their acting capabilities, look elsewhere. A film of its time, which will offer little interest to those whose appreciation is not whetted by the grindstones of nostalgia. As a show more footnote, George Cole, later to feature as Flash Harry in St Trinians, here has an uncredited cameo as a Department of Education caretaker.
The concluding scene of the film has Margaret Rutherford's character suggesting to Alastair Sim that they could seek to take advantage of a scheme encouraging cultivation of groundnuts in Tangayika - a reference to an ill-conceived government initiative which floundered in the early 50's. A topical joke long lost to the modern viewer. show less

"The Lady Vanishes", a 1938 thriller film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, is not set during World War II, but rather in the context of pre-war tensions in Central Europe. The film follows a young woman, Iris, who is traveling by train and discovers that her traveling companion, Miss Froy, has disappeared. While searching for her, Iris becomes embroiled in a conspiracy involving spies and foreign agents. The film, although not set during the war, reflects the climate of fear and mistrust that show more preceded the conflict. show less