Foreign Correspondent

Synopsis: Johnny Jones is an action reporter on a New York newspaper. The editor appoints him European correspondent because he is fed up with the dry, reports he currently gets. Jones' first assignment is to get the inside story on a secret treaty agreed between two European countries by the famous diplomat, Mr. Van Meer. However things don't go to plan and Jones enlists the help of a young woman to help track down a group of spies.
Director(s): Alfred Hitchcock
Production: Warner Home Video
  Nominated for 6 Oscars. Another 1 win.
 
IMDB:
7.6
Rotten Tomatoes:
94%
NOT RATED
Year:
1940
120 min
1,096 Views


- What's new?

- Same old daily bunkeroo.

Mr. Powers says he wants to see

that foreign stuff as soon as it comes in.

Don't declare war for a few minutes.

"According to a high official,

it is believed"...

Foreign correspondent.

I could get more news out of Europe

looking in the crystal ball.

That Stebbins cable has a morsel in it.

Stebbins makes me sick.

They all make me sick.

Europe about to blow up...

and all I can get from my foreign staff

is a daily guessing game.

- I want some facts, Mr. Bradley.

- For instance?

Any kind of fact.

There must be something

going on in Europe...

beside a nervous breakdown.

Why not try sending me over, Mr. Powers?

You've written a book

on economics or something.

The Twilight of Feudalism?

- Yes. It was very well received.

- Not by me.

I don't want any more economists, sages,

or oracles bombinating over our cable.

I want a reporter.

Someone who doesn't know the difference

between an ism and a kangaroo.

A good, honest crime reporter.

That's what the Globe needs.

That's what Europe needs.

There's a crime hatching

on that bedeviled continent.

Wait a minute.

I've got something

that might pass for an idea.

Who was that fellow that ran down

the payroll robbery last week?

You mean Johnny Jones.

He beat up a policeman, didn't he,

in the line of duty?

Yes. There's some talk at the city desk

of firing him.

Beat up a policeman?

Sounds ideal for Europe.

Send Mr. Jones up here right away.

- Mr. Powers wants to see you, Mr. Jones.

- He does?

- You should come to his office right away.

- What about?

I ain't in his confidence.

Tell him to save his breath.

Tell him I've resigned.

- I'm supposed to bring you there.

- Okay. Wait till I open this.

Where's Mr. Jones?

I told you to send him right up here!

- Are you Mr. Jones?

- Yes.

Sit down, please.

- You mind a personal question?

- No.

- Are you married?

- No luck.

Single?

- Ever been in Europe?

- No.

What's your opinion

of the present European crisis, Mr. Jones?

What crisis?

I'm referring to

the impending war, Mr. Jones.

That. To tell you the truth,

I haven't given it much thought.

You don't keep up

with our foreign news, do you?

If you're gonna fire me,

you can scrap the intelligence test.

It's perfectly okay with me.

I can get a job on any newspaper in town

within an hour. So long.

Wait a minute. Nobody fired you.

How would you like to cover

the biggest story in the world today?

With an expense account,

I'll cover anything.

You'll get an expense account.

- Okay, what's the story?

- Europe.

I'm afraid I'm not exactly equipped,

but I could read up.

No reading up. I like you just as you are.

What Europe needs

is a fresh, unused mind.

- Foreign correspondent?

- No. Reporter.

I don't want correspondence. I want news.

- Can you dig up some news in Europe?

- I'll be happy to try, sir.

This is what I mean:

Mr. Van Meer, when questioned

by our oracle, Mr. Stebbins...

refused to open his mouth.

A 1,200-word cable told...

to the fact that

the great Van Meer had nothing to say.

Know what that's doing? It's driving

our readers crazy with frustration.

- Who's Van Meer?

- Keynote to the European situation today.

If Van Meer stays

at the helm of his country's affairs...

for the next three months,

it may mean peace in Europe.

If we knew what he was thinking

we'd know where Europe stands.

- German?

- No. Holland's strongman.

One of the two signers

of the Dutch treaty with Belgium.

Now, this is your first assignment.

I want you to talk with him...

find out what's in that treaty,

and what he thinks will happen. Facts.

- Van Meer?

- Right.

- Anybody else?

- No.

How about Hitler?

Don't you think we should pump him?

He must have something on his mind.

- Yes?

- Mr. Stephen Fisher to see you.

Tell him to come in.

Ever hear of Stephen Fisher?

- I'm afraid he's not on my beat.

- He is from now on.

He's head of the Universal Peace Party

and very close to Van Meer.

They're both working

to prevent Europe going up in flames.

How do you do, Mr. Fisher?

Nice of you to come over.

- Sit down.

- Thank you.

Mr. Fisher, Mr. Jones,

our new foreign correspondent.

I want you to know each other.

How do you do, Mr. Jones.

Jones. I don't like that name.

It's going to handicap you, young man.

Now, wait a minute.

I've got some sort of a name here.

Yes. Haverstock. Huntley Haverstock.

Sounds more important,

doesn't it, Mr. Fisher?

Yes, very dashing.

Sounds better than Richard Harding Davis.

- What's the matter with that?

- We can't use that.

That's the name of one of our

greatest war correspondents 40 years ago.

Speak up, young man. You don't mind

being Huntley Haverstock, do you?

A rose by any name, sir.

It's exciting being present at the

christening of a newspaper correspondent.

Shouldrt we break

a bottle of champagne?

Break one over my head to see

if I'm still awake. Huntley Haverstock.

Mr. Haverstock, you better get started.

You've got a lot to do.

- Passports, photos, visas...

- Expenses.

I'll send a note to the cashier.

- I hope you brought your Sunday articles.

- I managed three of them.

- See you in London then, Mr. Haverstock.

- Yes, of course.

Thank you, Mr. Powers.

Thank you for everything.

Except Huntley Haverstock.

Get a load of this, Mother.

How's it look? Chic?

Don't wear it over one eye.

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Charles Bennett

Charles Bennett was an English playwright, screenwriter and director probably best known for his work with Alfred Hitchcock. more…

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Submitted on August 05, 2018

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