Freedom Radio [A Voice in the Night] **** (1941, Clive Brook, Diana Wynyard, Raymond Huntley) – Classic Movie Review 9160

Director Anthony Asquith’s 1941 Freedom Radio [A Voice in the Night] is a tense, exciting, well-meaning, intelligent British wartime propaganda thriller, in which a Nazi-sympathiser actress, Irena Roder (Diana Wynyard), chums up to Hitler in Berlin, while her Austrian throat-expert husband Dr Karl Roder (Clive Brook) runs a clandestine radio service called Freedom Radio from Vienna, denouncing The Fuhrer.

Engineer Hans Glaser (Derek Farr) and his girlfriend Elly (Joyce Howard) help Brook. Freedom Radio [A Voice in the Night] is much better than perhaps it sounds, mainly thanks to an expert screenplay, Asquith’s polished direction and the involving performance of the splendid cast.

Also in the cast are Howard Marion-Crawford, John Penrose, Morland Graham, Ronald Squire, Reginald Beckwith, Clifford Evans, Bernard Miles, Gibb McLaughlin, Muriel George, Martita Hunt, Hay Petrie, Manning Whiley, Katie Johnson, George Hayes, Everley Gregg, Marie Ault, Abraham Sofaer, Joan Hickson, Pat McGrath, Wyndhan Miligan and Bunty Payne. William Hartnell has an uncredited role as a radio location aerial operator.

Freedom Radio [A Voice in the Night] is directed by Anthony Asquith, runs 95 minutes, is made by Two Cities Films, is released by Columbia Pictures, is written by Roland Pertwee (scenario), Bridget Boland (scenario), Jeffrey Dell (screenplay and dialogue), Basil Woon (screenplay and dialogue) and Anatole de Grunwald (screenplay and dialogue), based on a story by Gordon Wellesley and Louis Golding, is shot in black and white by Bernard Knowles, is produced by Theo Lageard and Mario Zampi, is scored by Nicholas Brodszky and is designed by Paul Sheriff.

It is based on an earlier original screenplay by Wolfgang Wilhelm and George Campbell, and earlier story by Rob Roy.

It was shot at Sound City, Shepperton, Surrey, England.

It is the first feature of Reginald Beckwith, playing Fenner.

Although the film is set in Germany, the cars are right-hand drive.

© Derek Winnert 2019 Classic Movie Review 9160

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