The Argyle Secrets
The Argyle Secrets is a 1948 American film noir mystery thriller written and directed by Cy Endfield and starring William Gargan and Marjorie Lord.[2] It was based on a half-hour radio play by Endfield, originally heard on CBS's Suspense.[3][4] The film was made for the micro-budget of $100,000 and shot in eight days.[5]
| The Argyle Secrets | |
|---|---|
.jpg.webp) Lobby card | |
| Directed by | Cy Endfield |
| Screenplay by | Cy Endfield |
| Based on | The Argyle Album 1945 radio play by Cyril Endfield |
| Produced by | Sam X. Abarbanel Alan H. Posner |
| Starring | William Gargan Marjorie Lord |
| Cinematography | Mack Stengler |
| Edited by | Gregg G. Tallas |
| Music by | Raoul Kraushaar (as Ralph Stanley) |
Production company | Eronel Productions |
| Distributed by | Film Classics (US) |
Release date |
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Running time | 64 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $125,000[1] |
Plot
Reporter Harry Mitchell tracks down incriminating papers showing that some leading Americans collaborated with the Nazis during the war.[6]
Cast
- Harry Mitchell - William Gargan
- Maria - Marjorie Lord
- Lt. Samuel Sampson – Ralph Byrd
- Panama Archie – Jack Reitzen
- Winter – John Banner
- Elizabeth Court – Barbara Billingsley
- Jor McBrod – Alex Frazer
- Scanlon – Peter Brocco
- Allen Pierce – George Anderson
- Gil Hobrey – Mickey Simpson
- 'Pinky' Pincus – Alvin Hammer
- The Nurse – Carole Donne
- Mrs. Rubin – Mary Tarcai
- Melvyn Rubin – Cop – Robert Kellard
- Gerald Rubin – Kenneth Greenwald
Critical reception
TV Guide called the film an "often exciting low-budget thriller."[6] Variety called the film "a particularly interesting B movie in its suggestion that the U.S. government secretly brought Nazis into the country to work for the military."[4]
Shown on the Turner Classic Movies show 'Noir Alley' with Eddie Muller on October 15, 2022.
Preservation
The Argyle Secrets was preserved and restored by the UCLA Film and Television Archive. Restoration funding provided by the Film Noir Foundation and the Hollywood Foreign Press Association's Charitable Trust (the HFPA Trust). Restored from a 35mm nitrate composite dupe negative. The restoration premiered at the UCLA Festival of Preservation in 2022.
References
- THOMAS F. BRADY (Feb 29, 1948). "HOLLYWOOD CALM: New Legislative Probes Taken in Stride -- Better Terms for the Independents". New York Times. p. X5.
- The Argyle Secrets at the TCM Movie Database
- "The Argyle Secrets (1948) – Trailers, Reviews, Synopsis, Showtimes and Cast". AllMovie. Retrieved 2014-05-23.
- "Cy Endfield". Variety. 1995-05-01. Retrieved 2014-05-25.
- Andrew Spicer; Helen Hanson (2013-06-24). A Companion to Film Noir. ISBN 9781118523759. Retrieved 2014-05-25 – via Google Books.
- "The Argyle Secrets Trailer, Reviews and Schedule". tvguide.com. Retrieved 2022-10-08.