The Silent Battle (1939 film)

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The Silent Battle
"The Silent Battle" (1939).jpg
UK pressbook cover
Directed by Herbert Mason
Written by Wolfgang Wilhelm
Rodney Ackland
Emeric Pressburger (uncredited)
Based onthe novel "Le Poisson Chinois" by Jean Bommart
Produced by Anthony Havelock-Allan
Starring Rex Harrison
Valerie Hobson
John Loder
CinematographyBernard Browne
Edited byPhilip Charlot
Music by Francis Chagrin
Production
company
Pinebrook Studios
Distributed by Paramount British Pictures (UK)
Release dates
  • March 1939 (1939-03)(UK)
  • 1 March 1942 (1942-03-01)(U.S.)
Running time
73 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish

The Silent Battle (also lnown as Continental Express and Peace in our Time [1] ) is a 1939 British thriller film directed by Herbert Mason and produced by Anthony Havelock-Allan for Pinebrook Studios. The cast includes Rex Harrison, Valerie Hobson and John Loder. [1] [2] It marked the film debut of Megs Jenkins. [3] It was inspired by the novel Le Poisson Chinois by Jean Bommart. Secret agents try to defeat terrorists on the Orient Express. The film was distributed by Paramount British Pictures.

Contents

It is a remake of the French film The Silent Battle (1937).

Cast

Release

The Silent Battle was released to cinemas in the United Kingdom in March 1939.[ citation needed ]

Critical reception

Kine Weekly wrote: "Rex Harrison is both convincing and interesting as the mysterious Sauvin, and Valerie Hobson is effective as the girl. John Loder handles a straight romantic lead efficiently, and good performances in support are contributed by Muriel Aked as a tourist, and Kaye Seely as the crooked armament king. ... Atmosphere of international intrigue and espionage is skilfully built up while suspenseful incident, culminating in kidnapping and blowing up of munitions dump always grips attention and offsets highly imaginative plot." [4]

Picturegoer wrote: "Rex Harrison is more convincing than the story as a mysterious agent and Valerie Hobson is good as the daughter of a Balkan politician who gets involved with revolutionaries. John Loder is sound as a journalist; a straight romantic lead." [5]

Picture Show wrote: "Rex Harrison gives a polished performance as the imperturbable Secret Service man, and John Loder and Valerie Hobson are excellent as the reporter and the girl. Villainy is well handled, and Muriel Aked and Meg Jenkins deserve special mention for their comedy work" [6]

TV Guide wrote, "Competent prewar spy drama with a fairly talented cast, but it doesn't pack the action or suspense of the great espionage drama Night Train to Munich (1940), also starring Harrison." [7]

References

  1. 1 2 "The Silent Battle". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 7 January 2026.
  2. ↑ "The Silent Battle". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on 14 January 2009.
  3. ↑ Tom Vallance (11 October 1998). "Obituary: Megs Jenkins". independent.co.uk. The Independent. She entered films with a small role in Herbert Mason's exciting thriller set on the Orient Express, The Silent Battle (1939), the first of over 50 films in which she was featured
  4. ↑ "The Silent Battle". Kine Weekly . 265 (1667): 26. 30 March 1939. ProQuest   2339711161.
  5. ↑ "The Silent Battle". Picturegoer . 9: 23. 9 December 1939. ProQuest   1776994125.
  6. ↑ "The Silent Battle". Picture Show . 42 (1079): 17. 30 December 1939. ProQuest   1880298992.
  7. ↑ "Continental Express". TV Guide. 5 March 2016. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016.
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