Spy fiction is a genre of literature involving espionage as an important context or plot device. It emerged in the early twentieth century, inspired by rivalries and intrigues between the major powers, and the establishment of modern intelligence agencies. It was given new impetus by the development of fascism and communism in the lead-up to World War II, continued to develop during the Cold War, and received a fresh impetus from the emergence of rogue states, international criminal organizations, global terrorist networks, maritime piracy and technological sabotage and espionage as potent threats to Western societies. As a genre, spy fiction is thematically related to the novel of adventure, the thriller and the politico-military thriller.
The spy film, also known as the spy thriller, is a genre of film that deals with the subject of fictional espionage, either in a realistic way or as a basis for fantasy. Many novels in the spy fiction genre have been adapted as films, including works by John Buchan, le Carré, Ian Fleming (Bond) and Len Deighton. It is a significant aspect of British cinema, with leading British directors such as Alfred Hitchcock and Carol Reed making notable contributions and many films set in the British Secret Service.
Notorious is a 1946 American spy film noir directed and produced by Alfred Hitchcock, starring Cary Grant, Ingrid Bergman, and Claude Rains as three people whose lives become intimately entangled during an espionage operation.
Eric "Red" Erickson was a Swedish oil executive who worked as an operative for the Office of Strategic Services during World War 2.
Lilli Palmer was a German actress and writer. After beginning her career in British films in the 1930s, she would later transition to major Hollywood productions, earning a Golden Globe Award nomination for her performance in But Not for Me (1959).
Anatoly Mikhailovich LitvakOBE, better known as Anatole Litvak, was a Ukrainian-born American filmmaker who wrote, directed, and produced films in various countries and languages. He began his theatrical training at age 13 in Petrograd, Russia.
36 Hours is a 1964 American war thriller film written and directed by George Seaton from a story by Carl K. Hittleman and Luis Vance, based on the 1944 short story "Beware of the Dog" by Roald Dahl. The film stars James Garner, Eva Marie Saint, Rod Taylor, and Werner Peters. In the plot, a Nazi German army doctor tries to obtain vital information from an American military intelligence officer by convincing him that it is 1950 and World War II is long over.
Benedict Richard Pierce Macintyre is a British author, reviewer and columnist for The Times newspaper. His columns range from current affairs to historical controversies.
Operation Crossbow is a 1965 British espionage thriller set during the Second World War. This movie concerns an actual series of events where British undercover operatives targeted the German manufacturing facilities for experimental rocket-bombs.
Peter van Eyck was a German-American film and television actor. Born in Prussian Pomerania, he moved to the United States in the 1930s and established a career as a character actor. After World War II, he returned to his native country and became a star of West German cinema.
Leonard Max Gumpel was a Swedish building contractor and Olympic swimmer and water polo player.
The Pleasure of His Company is a 1961 comedy film starring Fred Astaire, Debbie Reynolds and Tab Hunter directed by George Seaton and released by Paramount Pictures. It is based on the 1958 play of the same name by Samuel A. Taylor and Cornelia Otis Skinner.
The Two-Headed Spy is a 1958 British spy thriller film directed by Andre de Toth and starring Jack Hawkins, Gia Scala, Erik Schumann, Donald Pleasence and Alexander Knox. The film, which has elements of film noir and is set in the Second World War, was based on a story by J. Alvin Kugelmass called Britain's Two-Headed Spy and is notable for having been scripted by blacklisted writers.
Lilli Marlene is a 1950 British war film aimed for the US market and directed by Arthur Crabtree. It stars Lisa Daniely, Hugh McDermott, and Richard Murdoch. Stanley Baker is seen in one of his early support roles.
The Traitors is a 1962 British thriller film directed by Robert Tronson and starring Patrick Allen, Jacqueline Ellis, Zena Walker and James Maxwell.
Thriller film, also known as suspense film or suspense thriller, is a broad film genre that evokes excitement and suspense in the audience. The suspense element found in most films' plots is particularly exploited by the filmmaker in this genre. Tension is created by delaying what the audience sees as inevitable, and is built through situations that are menacing or where escape seems impossible.
I Deal in Danger is a 1966 American DeLuxe Color spy film compiled from the first four episodes of a television series, Blue Light, which aired on ABC-TV in early 1966. Directed by Walter Grauman, it starred Robert Goulet as David March, an Allied spy in Nazi Germany during World War II. He is aided by a French agent, Susanne Duchard, played by Christine Carère.
Deep State is a British espionage thriller television series, written and created by Matthew Parkhill and Simon Maxwell, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on Fox on 5 April 2018. The first eight-part series, which began filming in May 2017, stars Mark Strong as Max Easton, a former field agent for MI6 who is recruited back into the field. The series co-starred Walton Goggins, Joe Dempsie, Karima Adebibe, Lyne Renée, Anastasia Griffith and Alistair Petrie.
Halfway to Shanghai is a 1942 American adventure film directed by John Rawlins and written by Stuart Palmer. The film stars Kent Taylor, Irene Hervey, Henry Stephenson, J. Edward Bromberg, George Zucco and Charles Wagenheim. The film was released on September 18, 1942, by Universal Pictures.
