Code of the Secret Service
Encyclopedia
Code of the Secret Service is a 1939 film directed by Noel M. Smith
and starring Ronald Reagan
. It is the second of four films in the U.S. Secret Service
Agent Brass Bancroft series, having been preceded by Secret Service of the Air (1939) and followed by Smashing the Money Ring (1939) and Murder in the Air (1940).
The series was part of a late 1930s effort by Warner Bros.
to produce films depicting law enforcement
in a positive light under pressure from Homer Stille Cummings
(Franklin D. Roosevelt
's Attorney General
) and Will H. Hays
(creator of the Motion Picture Production Code, the movie industry's censorship guidelines), due to the studio's part in producing early 1930s films glamorizing gangster
s.
The series also enabled Warner Bros. to create Reagan's acting persona
, with Reagan even showing up to the set of Code of the Secret Service and asking director Noel M. Smith
, "When do I fight and whom?"
Lieutenant Brass Bancroft (Ronald Reagan
) and his partner, Gabby Watters (Eddie Foy, Jr.
, producer Bryan Foy's brother), seek engraving plates stolen from the U.S. Treasury Department
, and the investigation leads Bancroft and Watters to pursue a counterfeiting
ring in Mexico
. Along the way, Bancroft is falsely blamed for the death of a fellow Secret Service agent, escapes from jail, captures the leader of the counterfeiting ring, and wins the heart of his love interest, Elaine (Rosella Towne).
refused to do so, but did agree to not release it in Los Angeles
. Commenting on the film, a ticket taker at a movie theater
in another city reportedly told Reagan, "You should be ashamed."
In a 1939 review, the Calgary Herald
called the movie "quite far-fetched in places and not very interesting as a whole."
was inspired to join the Secret Service. Parr would go on to save the life of the President of the United States
in a 1981 assassination attempt
. The President was Ronald Reagan
, the star of Code of the Secret Service.
Noel M. Smith
Noel Mason Smith was an American film director and writer. He directed 125 films between 1917 and 1952.He was born in California, and died in Los Angeles, California.-Selected filmography:...
and starring Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
. It is the second of four films in the U.S. Secret Service
United States Secret Service
The United States Secret Service is a United States federal law enforcement agency that is part of the United States Department of Homeland Security. The sworn members are divided among the Special Agents and the Uniformed Division. Until March 1, 2003, the Service was part of the United States...
Agent Brass Bancroft series, having been preceded by Secret Service of the Air (1939) and followed by Smashing the Money Ring (1939) and Murder in the Air (1940).
The series was part of a late 1930s effort by Warner Bros.
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
to produce films depicting law enforcement
Law enforcement agency
In North American English, a law enforcement agency is a government agency responsible for the enforcement of the laws.Outside North America, such organizations are called police services. In North America, some of these services are called police while others have other names In North American...
in a positive light under pressure from Homer Stille Cummings
Homer Stille Cummings
Homer Stille Cummings was a U.S. political figure who was United States Attorney General from 1933 to 1939. He also was elected mayor of Stamford, Connecticut, three times before, founding the legal firm of Cummings & Lockwood in 1909...
(Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
's Attorney General
United States Attorney General
The United States Attorney General is the head of the United States Department of Justice concerned with legal affairs and is the chief law enforcement officer of the United States government. The attorney general is considered to be the chief lawyer of the U.S. government...
) and Will H. Hays
Will H. Hays
William Harrison Hays, Sr. , was the namesake of the Hays Code for censorship of American films, chairman of the Republican National Committee and U.S. Postmaster General from 1921 to 1922....
(creator of the Motion Picture Production Code, the movie industry's censorship guidelines), due to the studio's part in producing early 1930s films glamorizing gangster
Gangster
A gangster is a criminal who is a member of a gang. Some gangs are considered to be part of organized crime. Gangsters are also called mobsters, a term derived from mob and the suffix -ster....
s.
The series also enabled Warner Bros. to create Reagan's acting persona
Persona
A persona, in the word's everyday usage, is a social role or a character played by an actor. The word is derived from Latin, where it originally referred to a theatrical mask. The Latin word probably derived from the Etruscan word "phersu", with the same meaning, and that from the Greek πρόσωπον...
, with Reagan even showing up to the set of Code of the Secret Service and asking director Noel M. Smith
Noel M. Smith
Noel Mason Smith was an American film director and writer. He directed 125 films between 1917 and 1952.He was born in California, and died in Los Angeles, California.-Selected filmography:...
, "When do I fight and whom?"
Plot
United States Secret ServiceUnited States Secret Service
The United States Secret Service is a United States federal law enforcement agency that is part of the United States Department of Homeland Security. The sworn members are divided among the Special Agents and the Uniformed Division. Until March 1, 2003, the Service was part of the United States...
Lieutenant Brass Bancroft (Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
) and his partner, Gabby Watters (Eddie Foy, Jr.
Eddie Foy, Jr.
Eddie Foy Jr. was an American character actor.Born Edwin Fitzgerald Jr. in New Rochelle, New York, the son of vaudevillian Eddie Foy and his third wife, Madeline Morando, he was one of the "Seven Little Foys" immortalized in the 1955 film of the same name...
, producer Bryan Foy's brother), seek engraving plates stolen from the U.S. Treasury Department
United States Department of the Treasury
The Department of the Treasury is an executive department and the treasury of the United States federal government. It was established by an Act of Congress in 1789 to manage government revenue...
, and the investigation leads Bancroft and Watters to pursue a counterfeiting
Counterfeit money
Counterfeit money is currency that is produced without the legal sanction of the state or government to resemble some official form of currency closely enough that it may be confused for genuine currency. Producing or using counterfeit money is a form of fraud or forgery. Counterfeiting is probably...
ring in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. Along the way, Bancroft is falsely blamed for the death of a fellow Secret Service agent, escapes from jail, captures the leader of the counterfeiting ring, and wins the heart of his love interest, Elaine (Rosella Towne).
Cast
The cast included:- Ronald ReaganRonald ReaganRonald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
as Lieutenant Brass Bancroft - Rosella Towne as Elaine
- Eddie Foy, Jr.Eddie Foy, Jr.Eddie Foy Jr. was an American character actor.Born Edwin Fitzgerald Jr. in New Rochelle, New York, the son of vaudevillian Eddie Foy and his third wife, Madeline Morando, he was one of the "Seven Little Foys" immortalized in the 1955 film of the same name...
as Gabby Watters - Moroni OlsenMoroni OlsenMoroni Olsen was an American actor.-Biography:Olsen was born in Ogden, Utah to Mormon parents Edward Arenholt Olsen and Marsha Hoverholst who named him after the Moroni found in the Book of Mormon. Some sources have claimed that Olsen's birth name was John Willard Clawson, or even John Willard...
as Parker - Edgar Edwards as Ross
- Jack MowerJack MowerJack Mower was an American film actor. He appeared in 526 films between 1914 and 1962.He was born in Honolulu, Hawaii and died in Hollywood, California.-Selected filmography:* Destination Tokyo...
as Decker - John Gallaudet as Dan Crockett
- Joseph KingJoe King (actor)Joe King was an American actor of silent films and talkies as well as a director and writer.He was born in Austin, Texas as Joseph Sayer King and acted in 211 films from 1912 to 1946. He appeared in his later years mainly in minor, uncredited roles. He directed two films, both in 1916 and wrote...
as Tom "Jim" Saxby - Steve Darrell as Butch, a henchman
- Sol GorssSol GorssSol Gorss was a prominent American movie, and television actor.He was active from the 1930s to the mid-1960s when he died. His birth name was Saul Gorss. He appeared in many films including: Warlock , Penrod and Sam , Flowing Gold and The Asphalt Jungle...
as Dutch, a henchman - George RegasGeorge RegasGeorge Regas was a Greek actor.Born in Sparta, Greece, he was the brother of actor Pedro Regas. He was a stage actor in Athens before coming to the U.S. In New York he played Romeo in a Grecian version of Romeo and Juliet.In 1921 Regas acted in his first motion picture: The Love Light with Mary...
as Mexican police officer
Reception
Reagan called Code of the Secret Service "the worst picture I ever made" and commented on it, "never has an egg of such dimensions been laid." Producer Bryan Foy attempted to shelve the film. Warner Bros.Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
refused to do so, but did agree to not release it in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. Commenting on the film, a ticket taker at a movie theater
Movie theater
A movie theater, cinema, movie house, picture theater, film theater is a venue, usually a building, for viewing motion pictures ....
in another city reportedly told Reagan, "You should be ashamed."
In a 1939 review, the Calgary Herald
Calgary Herald
The Calgary Herald is a daily newspaper published in the Canadian city of Calgary, Alberta.- History :The paper was first published on August 31, 1883 by Andrew Armour and Thomas Braden as The Calgary Herald, Mining and Ranche Advocate and General Advertiser. It started as a weekly paper with only...
called the movie "quite far-fetched in places and not very interesting as a whole."
Saving the President's life
After seeing the movie repeatedly as a child, Jerry ParrJerry Parr
Jerry S. Parr is a retired Secret Service Agent, who is best known for being one of the agents protecting President Reagan on the day of his assassination attempt on March 30, 1981.- Education :...
was inspired to join the Secret Service. Parr would go on to save the life of the President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
in a 1981 assassination attempt
Reagan assassination attempt
The Reagan assassination attempt occurred on Monday, March 30, 1981, just 69 days into the presidency of Ronald Reagan. While leaving a speaking engagement at the Washington Hilton Hotel in Washington, D.C., President Reagan and three others were shot and wounded by John Hinckley, Jr...
. The President was Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
, the star of Code of the Secret Service.