13 Rue Madeleine
Tags: realism

Plot synopsis:
Bob Sharkey (James Cagney) is an instructor of the 77th group of espionage agent candidates to be trained in the United States to infiltrate Nazi-occupied Europe. He is alerted that one of the students is a German agent and told to identify him or her. Sharkey is able to determine that the enemy agent is "Bill O'Connell" (Richard Conte), who performs too well when he succeeds in a field problem designed to cause the novices to make mistakes. Sharkey's boss, Charles Gibson (Walter Abel), confirms that O'Connell is really Wilhelm Kuncel, one of Germany's top agents but tells Sharkey to pass him, as they know Kuncel's mission is to determine the date and location of the planned Allied invasion of Europe. They intend to provide Kuncel with false information to pass along to his superiors.
After they complete their training and are sent to Great Britain, three of the new "O77" agents—Frenchwoman Suzanne de Beaumont (Annabella), American Jeff Lassiter (Frank Latimore) and Kuncel—are sent on missions into German-occupied France. Kuncel is briefed on a fictitious invasion of Europe through Holland, but at the last minute he asks Gibson to send Lassiter with him. Lassiter has been briefed on a different mission—to locate the factory depot for V-2 rockets that will be used against the Allied invasion ports, with Suzanne as his radio operator. Sharkey tells him about Kuncel and assigns him to accompany Kuncel into Holland but then to continue on his own mission. If Kuncel tries to follow Lassiter instead of completing his own mission, Lassiter is to kill him. However, Lassiter's uneasiness apparently alerts Kuncel. When the trio parachute into Holland, Lassiter's parachute fails to open; and he plummets to his death. The jumpmaster (Karl Malden) of the B-24 Liberator transporting the group discovers that the strap to Lassiter's static line was deliberately cut. Gibson and Sharkey realize that Kuncel knows that the information he was given is false and that he can identify every agent he trained with.
With no time to brief another agent to be Lassiter's replacement, Sharkey volunteers. Gibson protests that Sharkey knows the date and location of the invasion but reluctantly agrees. With the help of the local French resistance led by the town's mayor (Sam Jaffe) and his driver (E. G. Marshall), Sharkey completes his mission, apprehending the collaborator who designed the V-2 depot and returning him to Great Britain. However, while intercepting Kuncel as he tries to stop the pickup airplane from taking off, Sharkey is captured. Suzanne is killed while transmitting the news to England. The Gestapo torture Sharkey, but he refuses to reveal his knowledge. Back in Great Britain, Gibson has no choice but to order a bombing raid to destroy the Gestapo headquarters and kill Sharkey before he cracks. As the bombs strike, Sharkey realizes what is happening and laughs in Kuncel's face just before they both perish.

Review: Beyond this dreadful introduction, however, a credible story about American espionage, wrapped in a high quality cinematic package, provides viewers with a worthwhile payoff.Bob Sharkey (James Cagney) trains young men and women to be American secret agents.
The second half plot follows Sharkey's efforts both to deactivate the mole, and to find a man named Duclois, the builder of a German rocket depot, a facility constructed to launch bombs against England, and located in Nazi-occupied France.
Director Henry Hathaway even uses authentic locales, further elevating the film's overall quality.As a WWII espionage thriller, I cannot think of a better film than "13 Rue Madeleine"..
The title of this movie is the address of the Nazi headquarters in France where the James Cagney character tries to endure torture in order to keep secret his agents' plans to destroy said headquarters.
Compellingly directed by Henry Hathaway in a semi-documentary approach that simulates a March-of-Time-like feel, this film takes us from training to assignment the trials of the OSS agents in preparing to infiltrate Nazi-occupied France during World War II.
But the entire movie is suspenseful, your interest will not wane, and even if it does, the ending is worth sitting through the entire picture for.If you are like me, and love WWII era spy films, then check out this film.
Very interesting war drama starring James Cagney as a secret agent that has to infiltrate Nazi headquarters and double cross an enemy spy that has slipped into his own unit.
Cagney is air lifted into France and has trouble convincing French freedom fighters that he is there to loosen the Nazi strangle hold.The cast is full of fine players: Richard Conte, Sam Jaffe, E.G. Marshall, Red Buttons, Karl Malden, Roland Winters and the lovely Annabella.A great black and white flick evocative of the 40s.
A totally marvelous film depicting the setting up of a spy organization in the U.S. during World War 11.James Cagney shed his usual tough guy image in gangster films to portray the head of the unit.
It also tells that one of them is really a German agent.Annabella is convincing as one of the trainees who yearns for information regarding her missing husband in France.Richard Conte is quite effective as the German spy who is cunning beyond belief.
After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the American government recruits several agents for the Secret Service, to be trained by the experienced veteran of World War I Robert Emmett Sharkey (James Cagney).
Without time to prepare another rookie, Bob decides to travel to Le Havre to accomplish the assignment and kill the German agent if possible.Despite being dated, excessively patriotic and naive in 2009 and the narrative like a documentary in the beginning, "13 Rue Madeleine" is a great movie of espionage, war and action.
The plot concerns James Cagney as an OSS Type agent (I believed that for some reason the producers of this movie could not actually reference the term OSS).
All this happens shortly before D-Day. However, the operation goes sour and Cagney has to parachute in to try to save the day.I won't comment anymore on the plot as to not spoil the movie.Probably the best World War Two spy/counterspy movies I have seen.
So it's worth the ride, and worth seeing James Cagney who is at the top of his game here (he is about to make his masterpiece, White Heat, after 15 years of gangster portrayals.) Of course here his tough guy persona is put to use for the good of us all, a patriot training a group of high level war time spies.
It is made to be exciting and even fascinating, but most of all dangerous.Though purely fiction, for legal reasons (the pre-CIA OSS spy organization didn't want too much revealed in the movie), the filming is meant to seem realistic in a documentary way, and it begins with an authoritative voice-over and what looks like some vintage footage.
But as Sharkey arranges his agents missions, and that of the mole, things go wrong and Sharkey himself must go into occupied France and risk the wrath of the Gestapo at 13 Rue Madeleine.13 Rue Madeleine is a very efficient and enjoyable War/Spy/Thriller, it's directed by multi genre helmsman Henry Hathaway and stars acting legend James Cagney as Sharkey.
Tho playing a tough guy, this is quite far removed from the sort of roles that defined Cagney's career, he's ably supported by Richard Conte and Walter Abel, but in all honesty it's Cagney's film all the way.
James Cagney stars as the crafty leader of American secret agents of the 077 during World War II.
James Cagney stars in "13 Rue Madeleine," a routine WW II spy drama also starring Richard Conte, Annabella, and a several familiar faces in smaller roles: Sam Jaffe, Karl Malden, and E.G. Marshall.
He is not eliminated so that he can be fed the wrong date for D-Day. When he kills one of the other spies, Cagney has to go in as a replacement.Despite some nice performances, notably from Cagney and Conte, the film under Henry Hathaway's direction was quite slow; he was lumbered with a script where it was difficult to develop any feelings for most of the characters, as they were underdeveloped.
In the final scene I found myself saying out loud James Cagney's above quoted title phrase from "White Heat".Yet again the producers elected for the lowest common denominator of making the actors, whether playing German or French, only speak in English to each other so that largely American audiences could understand the action.Darryl F Zanuck showed the correct method of producing realistic WW11 films with his 1962 film "The Longest Day" when Germans only spoke in German, French only spoke in French to each other but with English sub-titles, thus providing a more realistic and intelligent dialogue.The beginning held my attention but when the action moved to France and even the Resistance and Gestapo spoke in English to each other the film rapidly reduced itself to farce.I can never understand why American film producers insist on an English only script.America with all its immigrants, must surely have had in 1946 representation of both German and French speaking actors in its ranks.Even Tyrone Power made an effort speaking French in "The Razors Edge" and his co star Gene Tierney made herself almost fluent in the language.Another factual error was that the location of the D-day landing on 6/6/44 was only known to a very few of the allied high command.For this reason I could only vote it average at 5/10..
Henry Hathaway directed this spy thriller that stars James Cagney as O.S.S. secret agent Bob Sharkey, who is in charge of training future agents to be sent out into the field.
It's not as good as others in this category like Kiss of Death, Calling Northside 777, or The House on 92nd Street.Try as you may I don't think most viewers will think of James Cagney as being able to pass himself off as French.
But Cagney, maybe the most dynamic player from the Hollywood Studio age is always fun to watch even in films far worse than 13 Rue Madeleine.The story is about espionage agents being trained by Cagney and then sent on a mission in France just before D-Day. The title of the film is the Gestapo headquarters where the Cagney crew is operating.The story is a bit hard to fathom.
I have a feeling 20th Century Fox couldn't use the OSS title because Paramount had it and put out a better film on this same topic with Alan Ladd.I think viewers will enjoy Sam Jaffe as the small town French mayor and Richard Conte as a very clever and unscrupulous double agent.
So the answer to whether 13 Rue Madeleine is worth viewing educationally is probably "yes".The film begins with a rapid pace, 10-minute long section of narration explaining the relevant geopolitical basics of American spies during World War II.
Eventually, we're introduced to Robert Emmett Sharkey (Cagney), a Secret Service Agent who has been commissioned to train an elite group of spies.
It still has awkward moments--the worst being that the ending feels a bit rushed--but fans of anything approaching war, thrillers, action or film noir of the era should feel that 13 Rue Madeleine isn't time wasted.
I was only really part-time anyway.A couple of scenes stand out in this film – the plane jump where there is actual tension thanks to a staring Conte and the ending which provides us with a scary giggling Cagney.
The final scene is tremendous for its effect and implication, a last laugh indeed.Richard Crenna is also very credible as his counterpart, and Henry Hathaway succeeds in getting his face in a final expression as well.I don't know how true the story is, but it could very well be true all the way, just like "House on the 92nd Street" was, and even more, the subsequent one, "Call Northside 777" with James Stewart, which is the best of the three..
Good WWII espionage tale has secret agent James Cagney training a group of recruits.
Instead, Cagney's character of Bob Sharkey was loosely modeled on the exploits of the film's technical adviser, Peter Ortiz, a former OSS operative, who himself had parachuted into France in August 1944 and been captured by the Nazis.
This "13 rue Madeleine " is the address of the gestapo's headquarters,the place where they tortured their prisoners.Hathaway's movie looks like the propaganda works which were thriving during WW2.French Annabella who lost a brother in the conflict was a committed actress who played for the soldiers on stage in Italy.It was the second time she had been cast in a WW2 movie (the first was "tonight we raid Calais" in 1943.Unfortunately she's (like all the actors) outstripped by James Cagney,and as soon as we know about her husband's fate ,her part is so underwritten she does not have a single chance to shine.The same goes for Richard Conte and Frank Latimore.In consequence,the most interesting part of the movie is its first part,almost a documentary ,which shows the training of the secret agents,with voice over galore.Then when the story really begins,after 30 min,it is sometimes confused and only the moving last scenes ,13 rue Madeleine,have a true emotional power..
And to crisply shoot the picture, in brilliantly lit Monochrome, he retained his great Cinematographer Norbert Brodine as well as utilizing the same impressive voice of Reed Hadley (uncredited) to narrate the opening of the movie("What is past is prologue").James Cagney (on loan from Warners) is Bob Sharkey a director of training operations for 077 (pseudonym for O.S.S.
Then - while on route to France -one of the group is murdered by the Nazi agent and with no time to train another it falls to Sharkey himself to fill the void and carry on with the mission.Cagney is terrific in it!
He ends up briefing the other mole and divulging secret plans for a "fake" mission set up to trap the other German.The two German spies exchange information regularly so the outed man is given the information and manages to avoid falling into the trap; he actually outsmarts Sharkey and joins the rest of the O.S.S. agents on a real mission into France to find a V-2 rocket.Piecing together the clues, Sharkey goes behind enemy lines to find the moles - but is captured by Germans at 13 Rue Madeleine.This movie has so many twisty turns that it reminded me of "The Usual Suspects," "Spy Game" and "Basic." (As far as modern films go.) It's better than "Basic" and "Spy Game" put together, though.As an espionage thriller its dramatic irony is delectable (I hate to use clichéd descriptions here but it's the only word that comes to mind).
For once technical verbiage seems to work okay as does the documentary style narration, due to the rapid fire pace that culminates in a great ending sequence featuring Cagney looking somewhat like he did in White Heat while Conte is left cowering amidst the falling bombs..
I couldn't help thinking that if made today, it might prove worthy as a contender for a number of major film awards.James Cagney is top billed as a successful espionage agent, now training recruits for Secret Intelligence.
However rather than simply exposing the agent, the mission intriguingly evolves to planting false information regarding a second front in Europe to misdirect the Nazis and gain time for the Allies in preparation for D-Day. An associated goal of locating a scientist in the employ of Vichy France would also help uncover the location of German warheads aimed at England.A major part of the story revolves around the Nazi double agent Kuncel (Richard Conte) masquerading as a recruit for Sharkey's (Cagney) outfit.
For film buffs, it's a hoot to catch uncredited performances by future stars like Karl Malden, E.G. Marshall and Red Buttons.The picture's title comes from the address of Gestapo Headquarters in Paris, and trivia fans might be interested in something I picked up after watching this quite a while ago for the first time.
This movie starts kind of slow, more of a documentary about the intelligence services than a drama.The plot is that Cagney is training a group of spies to help prepare for the landing in Europe.
This is where the plot actually starts to move, and Cagney parachutes into France to complete the mission.An interesting part in the beginning of the movie shows stock footage of Federal Agents rounding up German and Japanese citizens suspected of being spies.
13 RUE MADELEINE is a good war effort telling of corruption and espionage in Nazi-occupied Holland.
It stars former gangster actor James Cagney as a man who is tasked with training some secret service agents to be parachuted into Holland to retrieve a figure crucial to the Allied cause.
The agents featured are: Bob Sharkey, a world-traveler and adventurer; Suzanne de Bouchard, a Frenchwoman; Jeff Lassiter, a high-school teacher; and Bill O'Connell, an American university graduate who has lived abroad.The major portion of the mission assigned to the quartet is to locate a German rocket-bomb launching site in France so that the Air Corps can bomb it before D-Day. To make things more intriguing, one of their own group is a German agent.COMMENT: "In order to gain the maximum of realism and authenticity, all exteriors and interiors in this motion picture were photographed in the field, wherever possible at the actual locations." So runs the Foreword to this superbly exciting semi-documentary in which a great cast (including Karl Malden as a pilot and Roland Winters as the chief of Dutch Intelligence) are allowed full rein by that master of action directors, Henry Hathaway.The creditable and credible script does deal with the moral aspects of secret service ("Put away all sense of decency and fair play.
The story is that Bob Sharkey (James Cagney), master spy, is asked to come to the place where class 77 of the OSS, precursor to the CIA, is being trained.
No, because the plan is to feed the spy a bunch of false information about the upcoming "D-Day", have him parachute behind enemy lines with a group of real OSS agents, and then figure he will high tail it back to German high command with a bunch of bogus information on the upcoming allied invasion.
With Christmas coming up,I started to search round on Amazon UK for a James Cagney DVD that I could give as a present.Being interested in going for a lesser-known film of Cagney's,I was pleased to stumble upon an espionage title starring Cagney,which led to getting ready to see Cagney spy at 13 Rue Madeleine.The plot:Desperate to infiltrate the Nazis activities,the US government sets up a new war-time spy agency,whose goal is to go behind enemy lines,and to spy on the Nazis.As he begins training his latest group of would-be spies,Bob Sharkey is told that one of his students is actually an undercover Nazi spy.Standing out from the pack, Sharkey's suspicions instantly turn to a student called Bill O'Connell,due to O'Connell showing a surprising level of espionage skills,despite having only had a weeks' worth of training.Asking his superior's about O'Connell being arrested,Sharkey is told that he must feed O'Connell false info,due to there being info about O'Connell being linked to the Nazi- occupation of France.Sniffing out the lies just before he and his fellow spies are dropped in France,O'Connell kills one of the agents via cutting his parachute,and then jumps safely to the ground himself.Horrified about what O'Connell has done to one of his students,Sharkey decides that he must go behind enemy lines,and get hold of O'Connell.
James Cagney's Bob Sharkey, an OSS agent who goes to France to stop the Germans from firing V-2s on Britain.
Trying to get the German high command into thinking that Operation Overlord would in fact take place some 300 miles north the US intelligence service, OSS, has a number of agents slated to be dropped into Nazi-occupied France.
This was an attempt to cause all kinds of confusion among the German authorities there, military & civilian, by getting them to have the bulk of the German Army & Luftwaffe as far away from Northern France and the Normandy beaches as possible.Training a number of agents for this dangerous mission the head of the group, #077, Bob Sharkey, James Cagney, is told by his boss the head of US Secret Intelligence Charles Gibson, Walter Able, that one of those under his command is a German agent.
Many wartime Hollywood blood & guts films that came out at that time where you wondered just how could a bunch of buffoons like the Nazis have gotten as far as they did with the caliber of leadership, in both civilian & military, that they had.Starky despite his best efforts ends up getting captured by the Germans and is brought to La Harve Gestapo headquarters where he's tortured and beaten mercilessly by the secret police who's boss just happens to be his former secret agent and friend Kuncel.