On Secret Service
Encyclopedia
On Secret Service is a 1933 British thriller film directed by Arthur B. Woods
and starring Greta Nissen
, Karl Ludwig Diehl
, Don Alvarado
and Austin Trevor
. It was produced by British International Pictures, and based on a novel by Robert Baberske.
identifies Marcella Galdi, an Italian noblewoman who is visiting Vienna
, as an Italian spy. To avoid diplomatic confusions, she is kidnapped while dancing with the Austrian General Staff officer Michael von Hombergk at a ball at the famous hotel Sacher in Vienna, and sent back to Italy. Shortly afterwards, a secret plan of an Austrian fortress appears in Hombergks office desk, and as he himself is unable to explain this, the secret service urges him to commit suicide, but instead he manages to escape from Vienna.
Three years later, Italy and Austria stand against each other in World War I. Von Hombergk has returned to Vienna and asks the secret service for a chance to clean his name from the suspicion of being a spy
and a traitor. At least, he is given an Italian uniform and flies to Italy to look for the traitor who put the plans in his office desk three years ago. When landing in Italy, he gets wounded as Italian artillery fires at him, but manages to get out of danger before falling unconscious. When he reaches consciousness again, he is in a military hospital. Here he re-meets Marcella, who is looking for enemy agents and is really shocked when recognizing him. As she is in love with him, she offers him the chance to leave Italy as a free man. But to his disappointment she is unwilling to tell him the name of the agent who threw suspicion on his name. Therefore, Hombergk stays in Italy and sets off to Rome as soon as he has got well again. He wants to talk to an antique dealer called Da Villa there who is a faithful Austrian agent. Among Davila's regular customers is also Count Valenti, who is well-known as a collector of valuable pictures. At this journey Hombergk meets a dubios Mr Bluenzli, whom he does not consider to be trustworthy. Once arrrived in Rome, he easily discovers that the traitor he is looking for acts under the code name of K 77. At a meeting with Da Villa, he gets connections to Coronello Ramenelli, chief of the Italian counterintelligence, who is Marcella Galdis boss and also a friend of Count Valenti. At a dinner party at Ramenellis villa, she and Hombergk re-meet again, and again she does not tell him on. They even spend the night together, but even now Marcella is unwilling to discover him the name of the man who threw suspicion on him. Suddenly Ramenelli appears on the scene. Marcella manages to hide Hombergk, but she cannot avoid him from overhearing that K 77 will arrive soon from Vienna. For her boss does not know the man personally, he orders Marcella to introduce them to each other at a party at Count Valenti's. Hombergk manages to get back to his hotel room without being discovered. When he arrives there, Bluenzli, the man he met on the train to Rome, is waiting for him and tries to blackmail him with the information he has collected about the affair. In a long discussion, Hombergk finally convinces him to work for the Austrian side instead. Wíth Bluenzlis help, Hombergk arranges to fly the machine which will get "K 77", who has turned out to be a high-ranking Austrian General Staff officer of Italian origin, back to Austria himself. When Marcella gets wind of his plans, she tries to stop him, but is shot dead by Bluenzli shortly before the plane takes off. While Bluenzli is arrested, Hombergk takes off and - after a risky flight - hands over the traitor to the Austrian authorities. Even though he is re-established now, he cannot forget the loving woman he has lost yet and therefore reports for military service.
Arthur B. Woods
Arthur Bickerstaffe Woods was an English film director with 27 credits between 1933 and 1940. Woods' films were mainly quota quickies but were diverse in style, from light comedy and musicals to dark crime thrillers. His most acclaimed film is 1938's They Drive by Night...
and starring Greta Nissen
Greta Nissen
Greta Nissen was a Norwegian-born American film and stage actress.-Stage and Screen Actress:Born Grethe Rüzt-Nissen in Oslo, Norway, Nissen was originally a dancer. She debuted as a solo ballerina on the National Theatre in 1922. She toured in Norway and participated in several Danish films.Nissen...
, Karl Ludwig Diehl
Karl Ludwig Diehl
Karl Ludwig Diehl was a German film actor. He appeared in 66 films between 1924 and 1957.-Selected filmography:* The Squeaker * Rasputin, Dämon der Frauen * On Secret Service...
, Don Alvarado
Don Alvarado
Don Alvarado was an American actor, assistant film director, and film production manager.-Life and career:Born as José Paige in Albuquerque, New Mexico...
and Austin Trevor
Austin Trevor
Austin Trevor was a Belfast born actor who had a long career in British films and television.He was the first actor to play Agatha Christie's detective Hercule Poirot on screen in three British films during the early 1930s: Alibi , Black Coffee and Lord Edgware Dies...
. It was produced by British International Pictures, and based on a novel by Robert Baberske.
Plot summary
In 1912, the Austrian secret serviceSecret service
A secret service describes a government agency, or the activities of a government agency, concerned with the gathering of intelligence data. The tasks and powers of a secret service can vary greatly from one country to another. For instance, a country may establish a secret service which has some...
identifies Marcella Galdi, an Italian noblewoman who is visiting Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, as an Italian spy. To avoid diplomatic confusions, she is kidnapped while dancing with the Austrian General Staff officer Michael von Hombergk at a ball at the famous hotel Sacher in Vienna, and sent back to Italy. Shortly afterwards, a secret plan of an Austrian fortress appears in Hombergks office desk, and as he himself is unable to explain this, the secret service urges him to commit suicide, but instead he manages to escape from Vienna.
Three years later, Italy and Austria stand against each other in World War I. Von Hombergk has returned to Vienna and asks the secret service for a chance to clean his name from the suspicion of being a spy
SPY
SPY is a three-letter acronym that may refer to:* SPY , ticker symbol for Standard & Poor's Depositary Receipts* SPY , a satirical monthly, trademarked all-caps* SPY , airport code for San Pédro, Côte d'Ivoire...
and a traitor. At least, he is given an Italian uniform and flies to Italy to look for the traitor who put the plans in his office desk three years ago. When landing in Italy, he gets wounded as Italian artillery fires at him, but manages to get out of danger before falling unconscious. When he reaches consciousness again, he is in a military hospital. Here he re-meets Marcella, who is looking for enemy agents and is really shocked when recognizing him. As she is in love with him, she offers him the chance to leave Italy as a free man. But to his disappointment she is unwilling to tell him the name of the agent who threw suspicion on his name. Therefore, Hombergk stays in Italy and sets off to Rome as soon as he has got well again. He wants to talk to an antique dealer called Da Villa there who is a faithful Austrian agent. Among Davila's regular customers is also Count Valenti, who is well-known as a collector of valuable pictures. At this journey Hombergk meets a dubios Mr Bluenzli, whom he does not consider to be trustworthy. Once arrrived in Rome, he easily discovers that the traitor he is looking for acts under the code name of K 77. At a meeting with Da Villa, he gets connections to Coronello Ramenelli, chief of the Italian counterintelligence, who is Marcella Galdis boss and also a friend of Count Valenti. At a dinner party at Ramenellis villa, she and Hombergk re-meet again, and again she does not tell him on. They even spend the night together, but even now Marcella is unwilling to discover him the name of the man who threw suspicion on him. Suddenly Ramenelli appears on the scene. Marcella manages to hide Hombergk, but she cannot avoid him from overhearing that K 77 will arrive soon from Vienna. For her boss does not know the man personally, he orders Marcella to introduce them to each other at a party at Count Valenti's. Hombergk manages to get back to his hotel room without being discovered. When he arrives there, Bluenzli, the man he met on the train to Rome, is waiting for him and tries to blackmail him with the information he has collected about the affair. In a long discussion, Hombergk finally convinces him to work for the Austrian side instead. Wíth Bluenzlis help, Hombergk arranges to fly the machine which will get "K 77", who has turned out to be a high-ranking Austrian General Staff officer of Italian origin, back to Austria himself. When Marcella gets wind of his plans, she tries to stop him, but is shot dead by Bluenzli shortly before the plane takes off. While Bluenzli is arrested, Hombergk takes off and - after a risky flight - hands over the traitor to the Austrian authorities. Even though he is re-established now, he cannot forget the loving woman he has lost yet and therefore reports for military service.
Cast
| actor | role |
|---|---|
| Karl Ludwig Diehl Karl Ludwig Diehl Karl Ludwig Diehl was a German film actor. He appeared in 66 films between 1924 and 1957.-Selected filmography:* The Squeaker * Rasputin, Dämon der Frauen * On Secret Service... |
Captain von Hombergk |
| Greta Nissen Greta Nissen Greta Nissen was a Norwegian-born American film and stage actress.-Stage and Screen Actress:Born Grethe Rüzt-Nissen in Oslo, Norway, Nissen was originally a dancer. She debuted as a solo ballerina on the National Theatre in 1922. She toured in Norway and participated in several Danish films.Nissen... |
Marchesa Marcella |
| Don Alvarado Don Alvarado Don Alvarado was an American actor, assistant film director, and film production manager.-Life and career:Born as José Paige in Albuquerque, New Mexico... |
Count Valenti |
| Lester Matthews Lester Matthews Lester Matthews was an English actor born in Nottingham, England, UK. In his career, he made more than 180 appearances in film and on television. He was on occasion erroneously credited as Lester Mathews and especially in later years was sometimes known as Les Matthews. He died on the 6 June 1975... |
Coronello Ramenelli |
| Esmé Percy Esme Percy Saville Esme Percy was an English film actor. He appeared in 40 films between 1930 and 1956. He was born in London and died in Brighton.-Selected filmography:* Murder! * The Lucky Number... |
Bluentzli |
| C. M. Hallard | Waldmüller |
| Austin Trevor Austin Trevor Austin Trevor was a Belfast born actor who had a long career in British films and television.He was the first actor to play Agatha Christie's detective Hercule Poirot on screen in three British films during the early 1930s: Alibi , Black Coffee and Lord Edgware Dies... |
adjutant Larco |
| Cecil Ramage | Da Villa |
| Wallace Geoffrey Wallace Geoffrey -Selected filmography:Actor* Brown Sugar * The House Opposite * The Flying Fool * Life Goes On * Aren't We All? * On Secret Service * The Outcast... |
B 18 |