I tend to think of the atomic scare as being something long in the past and confined roughly to two eras of the 20th century, the 50’s and the 80’s. Go figure, it is 2025 and, as I write this, there is uncertainty as to whether the US and Israel have taken out Iran’s capability to make such weapons. Whether or not we have, I suspect the country will now be hellbent on making a bomb. And the UK today just announced the purchase of some jets that have the capability to drop such bombs. The worst thing is we don’t have Prince around anymore to write a catchy pop song about the possibility of nuclear annihilation. Then again, 2025 could be worked into the tune from “1999”.
1946’s Cloak and Dagger is a bit ahead of the first big era of nuke fears. This plot has US officials investigating whether the Nazis have the bomb. A telegraph is intercepted concerning pitchblende, a type of rock which is rich in uranium. The telegraph operator was shot while sending this message and I like to think they kept keying while they were dying, telegraphing their death throes.
Gary Cooper’s atomic scientist is recruited by the feds to get in touch with fellow scientist Helene Thimig, who has apparently been coerced by Nazis into working on a nuclear bomb. That he speaks fluent German is a plus. But that’s not enough for an operation which will require a great deal of tact, and Cooper makes a misstep as soon as he arrives in Switzerland. An undercover agent was taking photos of disembarking passengers, and Cooper averting his face is actually what draws the attention of the authorities. Still, Cooper will manage to speak to Thimig. Alas, he cannot prevent her from getting killed shortly thereafter. Nazis had been coercing her by killing people on a daily basis and sending her the photos and bios of the deceased, so they can at least stop doing that.
Next, it is off to Italy, where he tries to sway nuclear scientist Vladimir Sokoloff towards working with the allied powers. Not sure why they didn’t send a different agent for this mission, as the only Italian Cooper admits to knowing is a line from Dante. Yeah, that’s going to come in handy when going undercover in Italy.
There will be a couple of people there helping him in his fight, underground resistance fighters played by Lilli Palmer and Robert Alda (father of Alan). Neither is given much to do, but there is far more focus on Palmer because she will become Cooper’s love interest, as was the convention of the time. At first, she is dismissive of Cooper and especially upset he feeds a stray cat while children are going hungry across the country. Then a seemingly arbitrary switch is flipped, and she’s in love with him.
I find it strange Cooper is leading the charge in Italy, as he seems to be little more than a potential liability for others. In addition to not knowing the language, he has an unearned confidence in this situation. At one point, Palmer points out he isn’t even dressed properly for the part of the mission underway, a journey which involved a sub voyage, a raft to the mainland and then concealing themselves in the back of a cargo truck. He explains those clothes are back in his suitcase. Then why the hell didn’t he change into those before he left there to do this mission?
There is some decent suspense involving the journey they take on that truck. Another decent scene has Cooper having just killed a man in a building lobby when a child’s ball comes bouncing down the stairs. Cooper now urgently needs to find a quick hiding place for the corpse. But these scenes alone don’t push this largely dry and ineffectual wartime noir into the win column. I expected more from director Fritz Lang.
Admittedly, I’m not sure what any director could have done with this script, with its awkward and episodic construction. A further hindrance is the casting, with so many performers in roles which are appropriate for them. Palmer isn’t believable as the love interest, especially since her personality does an inexplicable and abrupt change from freedom fighter to hopelessly romantic girl. Cooper is unlikeable and unbelievable as the brainiac who can also think with his fists. I keep thinking I like Cooper, but I’ll be damned if I can recall at this time anything I have liked him in except High Noon.
One thing I kept thinking while watching this is how Cooper seemed to channel some cranky old man vibe even early in his career. His lab at the university has a pegboard with his various tools on it, making it appear he’s some retiree tinkering in his garage—with nuclear weapons. Also, he’s asked by Thimig if he is really Mr. Wilson, and I hoped he would confirm this by saying that damn Dennis the Menace from next door has been terrorizing him for years. What can I say—first thing that came to my mind, strangely enough.
At least he also delivers some solidly anti-nuke dialogue. He’s angry the emphasis on nuclear science is on weapons instead of eradicating cancer or tuberculosis, concluding “society isn’t ready for atomic energy.” Holding up an apple, he says, “the energy in this one little apple could pulverize this university.” I’d say the concern shouldn’t be whether the Nazis have the bomb—they should focus on destroying that apple.
Dir: Fritz Lang
Starring Gary Cooper, Lilli Palmer, Robert Alda
Watched on Kino Lorber blu-ray