The Devil's Agent 1962

(German title: Im Namen des Teufels)

 

Director: John Paddy Carstairs

 

Writers: Robert Westerby, Hans Habe, John Paddy Carstairs

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Rôle: General Greenhahn

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Release Date: September 1962

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Synopsis: Mild-mannered Viennese wine merchant George Droste (Peter van Eyck), an intelligence expert during the second world war, unexpectedly encounters old friend Baron Von Staub (Christopher Lee), and spends a weekend with him on his estate in the Soviet zone. The two revive a friendship interrupted by the war. However, when Von Straub's sister asks Droste to transport a small package to a friend in West Germany, the bewildered Droste is set up for a series of complicated spy games, at first becoming an unwilling dupe for the Russians, and then retaliating by offering his services to a US intelligence agency.

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Comment: Marius once again hams it up as a one armed, half mad general obviously battling with numerous demons. They really made him look a lot older with his hair greyed and a lined face.

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Review: Review by The_Dying_Flutchman on IMDb: "This flick is a passable representation of what one can call an "economical espionager". Something like what Sean Connery's wayward son Jason might have made if he beat his dad to the punch. It was co-produced by any number of countries, but mostly friendly ones, after-all, it was the early 1960's. Directed by John Paddy Carstairs of British B movie fame who did films like George Sanders "The Saint in London" which was a rarity for the time because it was shot on location. Its all about a Viennese wine merchant becoming a double agent for the United States. The agent is ably played by German and/or Dutch actor Peter Van Eyck, I've never been able to tell what his true nationality was. He gets suckered into the profession by Russian brutes and in those years they were the biggest and baddest of the bads. The cast is good for the time and offered it some good scenery chewing. Macdonald Carey, Mr. Stone Face as usual, Christopher Lee, minus fangs, Billie Whitelaw, a sweetener for certain and Marius Goring doing a dance with numerous demons. "The Devil's Agent" holds up OK though its past is definitely passed."

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Availability: DVD on various sites. Release date: 2014