Joel McCrea and Laraine Day in Alfred Hitchcock’s “Foreign Correspondent”

Foreign Correspondent (1940) is an American spy thriller directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring Joel McCrea, Laraine Day, Herbert Marshall, and George Sanders. The screenplay was written by Charles Bennett and Joan Harrison. The music was by Alfred Newman and the cinematography was by Rudolph Mate.

Before the outbreak of World War II, Mr. Powers (Harry Davenport), editor of the New York Morning Globe, sends crime reporter John Jones (McCrea) to report on the situation there.

While in the Netherlands, Jones attends an event sponsored by the Universal Peace Party led by Stephen Fisher (Marshall). When the keynote speaker Van Meer (Albert Basserman) becomes ill, he is replaced by Carol Fisher (Day), Stephen Fisher’s daughter. Earlier, Jones had insulted Carol but now finds her irresistible.

As Jones continues to delve into European politics, he becomes suspicious of the Universal Peace Party and Carol’s father.

Does the Universal Peace Party really stand for peace or do they have another agenda?

Alfred Hitchcock (1899 – 1980) was an English film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is one of the most influential filmmakers of the 20th century. Hitchcock directed over 50 feature films, many are classics that have been honored and studied for years. Some of Hitchcock’s classic films include The 39 Steps (1939), Rebecca (1940), Suspicion (1941), Shadow of a Doubt (1943), Notorious (1946), Rear Window (1954), Vertigo (1958), North by Northwest (1959), and Psycho (1960).

Joel McCrea (1905 – 1990) was an American movie star who appeared in over 100 films. During his almost-five-decades career, McCrea worked with some of the top directors in Hollywood including Alfred Hitchcock (Foreign Correspondent 1940), Preston Sturges (Sullivan’s Travels 1941, The Palm Beach Story 1942), and George Stevens (The More the Merrier 1943). McCrea worked opposite some of the top leading actresses of the day including Miriam Hopkins, Irene Dunne, Veronica Lake, Claudette Colbert, and Barbara Stanwyck with whom he made six films. He was the first actor to play Dr. Kildare in the film Internes Can’t Take Money (1937) costarring Stanwyck. McCrea married actress Frances Dee in 1933. The two were married until Joel died in 1990.

Laraine Day (1920 – 2007) was an American actress. Day appeared in films, stage, radio, and television. In 1939, she signed with M-G-M and starred as Nurse Mary Lamont in the popular film series Dr. Kildare. She made seven Dr. Kildare movies with Lew Ayres in the title role. In 1946, she signed a contract with RKO. Her contract stipulated that she would make one movie per year at $100,000. During the late 1940s, Day co-starred with John Wayne, Kirk Douglas, and Robert Mitchum. Some of Day’s films include Those Endearing Young Charms (1945), The Locket (1946), and Tycoon (1947) with John Wayne.

 

Foreign Correspondent trivia

• Gary Cooper was offered the John Jones role but turned it down. He regretted it once he saw the film.
• Alfred Hitchcock had two films up for Best Picture of 1940. This film and Rebecca.
• Hitchcock had wanted Barbara Stanwyck or Joan Fontaine for the female lead.
• The film was made before the U.S. had entered the war. The closing scenes of the movie were added when it became clear that the bombing of London was imminent.
• An entire square was built on a ten-acre site for $200,000 (over $4M today).
• A flight on the Clipper 314 cost $675.00 round trip which is roughly $12,000 in today’s dollars.
• Laraine Day was 19 years old during production.
• The film was a box-office hit but the film’s budget was so high that it didn’t make a profit for the filmmakers.

 

Joel McCrea, Laraine Day, and George Sanders

Click HERE to join the discussion on April 15, 2024, at 6:30 p.m. Central Time. Once you RSVP, you will receive an invitation and a link to join the discussion on Zoom.

Click HERE to watch the movie on YouTube.

Discussion questions

1. Where do you think this film ranks with other Hitchcock movies?
2. The film is famous for its elaborate set pieces. Were you impressed with the film’s recreation of Amsterdam?
3. Joel McCrea was Hitchcock’s second choice for the lead. What did you think of his performance?
4. Laraine Day was only 19 years old when she took on the role of Carol Fisher. What did you think of her performance?
5. Were there any other performances that you enjoyed?

 

10 Things You May Not Know About Joel McCrea

Joel McCrea (1905 – 1990) was one of the most underrated stars from Hollwyood’s Golden Age, in my opinion. Unfairly labeled as the poor man’s Gary Cooper, McCrea was a talented actor in his own right. Here are some things about McCrea that you may not know.

1. Joel McCrea was Cecil B. DeMille’s paperboy.

I wonder if Cecil B. DeMille was a good tipper.

2. As a high school student he worked as a stunt double for silent movie cowboys William S. Hart and Tom Mix.

3. He was the first actor to play “Dr. Kildare” on the screen in Internes Can’t Take Money (1937).

McCrea was the first actor to portray Dr. Kildare.

4. When Gary Cooper turned down the part of the hero in Foreign Correspondent (1940), McCrea got one of his best known roles in the iconic Alfred Hitchcock thriller.

5. Writer-director Preston Sturges wrote Sullivan’s Travels (1941) and The Palm Beach Story (1942) with McCrea in mind for the male leads.

6. He starred in six films with Barbara Stanwyck; their first film together was the pre-Code Gambling Lady (1934).

7. McCrea married actress Frances Dee in 1933; they were married for 57 years (his death).

McCrea and Dee were considered one of the most glamorous couples in Hollywood.

8. He and his wife had three sons: David, Peter, and Jody.

9. Due to his shrewd financial and real-estate investments, he was a multi-millionaire by the end of the 1940s.

10. McCrea was inducted into the Western Performers Hall of Fame in 1968.

Hitchcock’s “Foreign Correspondent” to screen June 10, 2014

When: Tuesday, June 10, 2014 6:30 p.m.
Where: The Venue 1550 at the Daystar Center, 1550 S. State Street

Foreign Correspondent was Alfred Hitchcock’s second American film. On loan-out to producer Walter Wanger, Hitchcock enjoyed a level of freedom that he hadn’t experienced on the set of Rebecca with David O. Selznick. Although the director didn’t get the stars he wanted, he had almost unlimited resources to create a first-class suspense classic.

Personal History
Wanger owned a property called Personal History, the memoir of a journalist named Vincent Sheean. He had owned the rights to the memoir since 1935, but was unable to turn it into a workable property. When Wanger learned that Hitchcock was available on loan-out from Selznick, he jumped at the chance to hire him. Hitchcock and his team worked over the memoir, in effect rewriting it so that it would appeal to contemporary audiences.

Laraine Day played nurse
Nancy Lamont in the Dr. Kildare series

Starstruck
The producer was hoping that along with Hitchcock he could borrow Joan Fontaine and Brian Aherne, who were recently married as his stars. Hitchcock wanted Gary Cooper and Barbara Stanwyck. Cooper turned him down, saying he didn’t want to star in a thriller and Stanwyck was unavailable. In the end, the director had to settle on Joel McCrea and Laraine Day. Although not as big a star as Cooper, McCrea was a star in his own right. Day was a contract player at MGM who starred in the popular Dr. Kildare series with Lew Ayers. In spite of the director’s disappointment with the casting, he got terrific performances out of his leads. McCrea and Day had genuine chemistry that is both charming and believable.





Europe on the brink

Joel McCrae, Barbara Stanwyck, and Robert Preston
in publicity photo from Union Pacific

The plot revolves around Johnny Jones, (McCrea) christened “Huntley Haverstock” by his newspaper’s editor (Harry Davenport) as a newly minted American foreign correspondent. On assignment in Europe, he is tasked to find out if the continent is on the brink of a World War. In Holland, Haverstock meets Carol Fisher (Day), daughter of Stephen Fisher, (Herbert Marshall) head of the Universal Peace Party. When a Dutch diplomat named Van Meer, (Albert Basserman) is assassinated, the plot really takes off. Who killed Van Meer and why? And is the head of the Universal Peace Party really working for peace in Europe?

Foreign Correspondent set the template for future Hitchcock films, including Saboteur and North By Northwest. With its amazing set pieces and complicated action sequences, it is a master class in film making. We’ll discuss the film, it’s reception and influence. Join us!

Who is that man reading the paper?

Excellent Support
Besides the other cast members already mentioned, the outstanding supporting players also includes George Sanders (playing a good guy this time), Edmund Gwen, and Robert Benchley, who supposedly wrote his own dialogue.

Have some Joe and Enjoy the Show!
Before the movie, grab a cup of coffee from Overflow Coffee Bar, located within the Daystar Center. You can bring food and beverages into the auditorium; we even have small tables set up next to some of the seats.

Join the Chicago Film club, join the discussion
The Chicago Film Club is for classic movie fans. Once a month we screen a classic film and have a brief discussion afterward. For more information, including how to join (it’s free), click here. To purchase your ticket in advance, click here. The Venue 1550 is easily accessible by the CTA. Please visit Transit Chicago for more information on transportation options.