The Iron Curtain

Some viewers consider William Wellman's The Iron Curtain to be an early anti-Communist propapganda film. It is definitely anti-Russian Communist, but it should not be labelled as propaganda because it is a true story and accurate in its details, so much so that Wellman filmed it in a semi-documentary style. The villians in this film are all very well acted. Dana Andrews is a bit wooden and Gene Tierney doesn't have much to do, but we do feel their basic goodness, her warmth, and his ramrod-straight sense of duty, all important elements for the denouement of the story. It was a nice treat that all the outdoor shots were done in Ottawa in the places where the story actually happened.

William A. Wellman superbly directs The Iron Curtain which is the most realistic film depicting the despotic morbidness of communism. This early Cold War thriller is well documented and shot in real locations in Canada. The story centers around Dana Andrews (Igor Gouzenko) a cipher clerk freshly assigned to the Soviet embassy in Canada. He is increasingly troubled by his work for duplicitous Soviet officials. He is tested early by Secretary Nina Karanova (June Havoc) who tries to seduce him, but Gouzenko keenly contemplates the scheme by his communist handlers. Karanova is disconcerted again as his wife joins him. None other than Gene Tierney (Anna Gouzenko) gives an outstanding performance as a wife then mother who is effectuating a painful epiphany to Karanova. Berry Kroeger (John Grubb, aka 'Paul'), masterfully protrays a menacing Soviet vassal masterminding the spy network. Also a noteworthy performance by Eduard Franz (Major Kulin), whose contempt for the oppressors is unmasked by his alcohol consumption. The remainder of the cast was superb including Edna Best (Mrs. Foster), Stefan Schnabel (Ranov), Mauritz Hugo (Leonard Laetz), Leslie Barrie (Editor), Nicholas Joy (Dr. Norman), Frederic Tozere (Col. Trigorin), and Victor Wood (Captain Class).

In the fourth of fifth pairing between Dana Andrews and Gene Tierney, Iron Curtain gives viewers some clue as to the subject of the film. It's one of those "don't let the Commies get the better of you" movies that were popular at that time in old Hollywood. If you don't like those movies, you won't like this one. Not even Dana Andrews can save it, and I don't think he should have even taken this part. Dana plays a code cracker who works at the Russian embassy in Canada. He's a very good, loyal employee - but if he's good and loyal to Russia, doesn't that put a bad taste in audiences' mouths? If his career had died immediately after this movie, I wouldn't have been surprised; but thankfully, he kept making classics like My Foolish Heart and Where the Sidewalk Ends. Dana's not only loyal to his job and his country, he's also loyal to his wife, Gene Tierney. It's very cute to see them married - in fact, this is the only movie in which they play husband and wife! As always, they have great chemistry together, and you hope that everything works out for them. Since this isn't my genre of choice, it wasn't my favorite flick. But you're welcome to check it out if you do.

The overt Cold War propaganda that came out of Hollywood and the Soviet Union tends to be treated with an embarrassed silence these days, but this documentary-style drama by veteran William Wellman shot in vivid black & white in Ottawa with pounding musical accompaniment by Shostakovich and others probably looks much better now than it did at the time.

Wedged between the famous Otto Preminger Film Noir LAURA and WHERE THE SIDEWALK ENDS and almost a decade past TOBACCO ROAD is the sublime pair-up of Dana Andrews and Gene Tierney under the direction of William A. Wellman in a Cold War Thriller at the rudimentary stages of that very thing: the movie takes place during and right after WWII and was released only three years after the war ended... Based on the true story of "Soviet cypher-clerk Igor Gouzenko who was posted to the Soviet Embassy in Ottawa, Canada in 1943... to reveal the extent of Soviet espionage activities directed against Canada," Dana Andrews takes a sort of reverse risk since nothing's worse than an American actor caught doing a bad-hammy foreign accent, especially one as thick as Russian... And so, Dana basically speaks exactly like Dana. Meanwhile, Tierney slips in a very subtle accent and either way, both do a good enough job, making an otherwise passable programmer worth viewing: Although the real scene-stealer is Texas-born Berry Kroeger as "Paul," taking that risk and succeeding with flying colors, seeming and sounding like a Russian Orson Welles type of classy, distinguished yet nefarious thug with a scowl that's genuine, menacing and lethal... He's the person to truly fear, for both the audience and our hero, who will eventually attempt to defect with information about Canadian spies for the Soviets. "Paul" also keeps a narrowed eye on those spies who might have lost their tight grip on the dream of communism. Berry's scenes without either Dana or Gene are beyond-effective, and provide a dark Noirish vibe when needed - as does the initial setup concerning Andrews when Russian Femme Fatale-like secretary June Havoc tests his loyalty with vodka and attempted passion. The suspense that's supposed to occur as Andrews and Tierney, with their newborn baby in her arms and secret documents stuffed into his clothing, just isn't there as he tries locating any form of authority willing to listen to what seems like a nutcase conspiracy involving the Russian Embassy. Before that, Igor's transition is much too quick and easy; after listening to quirky, vulnerable comrade Stefan Schnabel's drunken speech against their country, he's converted as a loyal Canadian with defecting on the brain. During his most effect scenes, Dana remains the most square-jawed as a true Russian who believes in something that we, and not yet he, know will eventually change.

Dana Andrews is Igor Gouzenko, a Russian spy in Canada in "The Iron Curtain," a 1948 film based on a true story. Andrews plays a Russian during and after World War II who is sent to work as a code clerk for a ring in Canada; once the bomb is dropped on Hiroshima, the Communists become particularly interested in documents pertaining to it. Eventually his wife (Gene Tierney) joins him and tells him that she is pregnant. With the birth of his son, and the disillusionment of one of the ring (Eduard Franz), whose father was a great leader, Gouzenko slowly begins to realize that he's on the wrong side and decides that he and his family will not return to Russia. He steals important documents from his office with the idea of handing them over to the Department of Justice before his bosses realize what has happened, but fate plays against him. It becomes a race against time to get the documents into the right hands as well as save his family, even if he can't save himself. Done in semi-documentary style, this is a pretty good propaganda drama with fine performances from an always attractive couple, Andrews and Tierney, and a great performance by Eduard Franz in a showy role. Andrews is one of the few leading men under contract at 20th Century Fox who was served well, particularly once Fox's biggest star, Tyrone Power, went to war; the hard-bitten roles Andrews played in many film noirs have given him a place in film history. Like both Power and John Payne, he was versatile, appearing in every type of film. Not realizing he was trained as an opera singer, the studio dubbed him in "State Fair" - they'd thrown so many non-singers into musicals, it never occurred to them he actually might be one. Alcoholism cut his star years short though he continued to work and speak on behalf of facing up to alcoholism. Tierney's career had its ups and downs due to her personal life as well, but in three films, they made a wonderful couple. Toward the end, "The Iron Curtain" becomes quite intense and exciting. Well directed by William Wellman, it's worth watching though some may not like its definite propaganda bent.

Who doesn't love a good piece of anti-Communist propaganda? Admittedly, 'The Iron Curtain (1948)' is a rather average example of the art-form {with Sam Fuller's 'Pickup on South Street (1953)' being the best} but at least Wellman's film is given a boost by the winning combination of Dana Andrews and Gene Tierney… the latter of whom being the main reason that I watched this film. Another reason to watch 'The Iron Curtain' is its magnificent soundtrack, plundered from the repertoires of Russian composers Dmitri Shostakovich, Sergei Prokofiev, Aram Khachaturyan and Dominik Miskovský (each of whom ran into political turmoil back home for their perceived collaboration on a Hollywood picture). The music is unique to 1940s cinema, suggesting a grandeur that, back then, could only be found in the cinematic scores of Hungarian-born Miklós Rózsa. This sense of grandness is crippled somewhat by the film's documentary-like approach. 'The Iron Curtain' was based on the true story of Igor Gouzenko, a Russian cipher clerk living in Canada with his wife and child. When Gouzenko defected in 1945, he exposed Stalin's efforts to steal the Allies' nuclear secrets, even while WWII was still raging. Like most Cold War films, this one starts off a little slow, utilising plenty of furtive glances and lengthy silences, but the suspense really kicks in when Gouzenko steals classified Soviet documents and tries to find somebody who'll take them. Dana Andrews, one of the most underrated leading man of the 1940s, brings a tired determination to the film's final gripping moments, as he pleads with a Canadian Mountie to protect him. Gene Tierney, looking as lovely as ever, is still denied the emotional depth of her role in 'Laura (1944)' {in which she and Andrews had previously starred}, but otherwise performs well.

Clearly, this was a TCF prestige production. Impresario Sol Siegel produced, auteur William Wellman directed, popular leads Andrews and Crain starred, while Canadian locations were as accurate as possible. Based on a true story of Soviet espionage, the framing lends genuine authenticity. Not too much exciting happens until the last 20-minutes, when defector Gouzenko tries to get skeptical Canadian authorities to believe his story. That must have been hair-raising, his life on the line. But make no mistake, the narrative is turned into propaganda, sometimes crude, sometimes slick. It's not a question of basic facts. Those I take to be true. Instead, it's a question of stagecraft, namely, how the facts are presented. In short, it's not the 'what' but the 'how'. Note how Soviet officials are presented by the movie makers. How they apparently hate full light— seemingly only to exist in noirish shadow; how they never smile, apparently having no inner feelings; how they only speak in a mechanical manner, apparently having no thoughts of their own; and how they apparently don't love their wives, Gouzenko's fidelity marking him as a potential defector. Indeed, this is Hollywood's attempt to turn on a dime, yesterday's ally becoming today's enemy. In short, TCF had to take up the Cold War too, of which this film was a key entry. Speaking of spying on allies, we might ask Germany's current chancellor Angela Merkel how she likes having her phones bugged by our own NSA. Understandably, it created quite a diplomatic stir (Google 'merkel and spying'). My point is not to defend the Soviets specifically. Rather, it is to point out an important part of cinematic propaganda. Namely, that it's not sufficient to present the basic facts, as some folks believe; it's also how those facts are presented, and here the manner is clearly propagandistic. Soviet stereotypes are created that would endure. My larger point is to beware of any effort to de-humanize an enemy no matter how detestable they may seem. For such an effort can also be turned around on us.

In reviewing this movie, I have to admit my personal bias as a Canadian living in Ottawa where the movie was shot. I had seen it many years ago and liked it so I was excited when it was shown on TCM on Easter eve. I had forgotten many of the scenes, although I know the story well. I appreciated the crisp cutaway shots of Ottawa with Gothic public buildings and brick houses shown against the stark winter backgrounds. I also liked the way the movie was shot in darkness and shadows evoking the Cold War atmosphere. Director Wm. Wellman got the details correct with his script and the visual references to Ottawa landmarks. The Justice Building is the actual Confederation Building still used by the Dept.of Justice. The railway shown running along the Rideau Canal is no longer there but that was the location used by trains in and out of Union Station in downtown Ottawa. The actual apartment where Gouzenko lived is shown. It still stands along with the park across the street where there is signage indicating the historical significance of the site nearby. We also see Somerset St. with a streetcar passing the building where he resided. The Parliament Buildings, the Château Laurier and the National Research Council are all shown and all were pivotal locations for the story. There is a reference to the child of Igor and Anna Gouzenko born at St. Vincent's Hospital, which still stands in the neighbourhood where Gouzenko lived. I like the documentary style also used effectively in other films from that era, such as The House on 92nd Street, Naked City and the Wrong Man. The film noir look is typical of the era and suits the espionage story. Where the movie falls short, however, is in the characters of Igor and Anna Gouzenko as performed by Dana Andrews and Jean Tierney. I can certainly respect the choice of two accomplished actors for the roles; however, these Hollywood icons are a stretch for the Russian couple in the story, especially for a movie that pays such close attention to other details. Nevertheless, I can see that two acting stars would attract attention to the movie and the story. For example, a Cold War museum outside Ottawa, built as a bunker for government leaders in the 1950's, features photos from the movie to highlight the story. As someone with a passion for Canadian history and movies, I have great affection for The Iron Curtain. I was very grateful for TCM bringing this little known movie to its viewers.

The defection of Igor Gouzenko from the Soviet Embassy in Ottawa, Canada, in 1946, was one of the most electrifying events of the Cold War. The documents and information which he brought with him, gained from his work as a top-secret cipher clerk, resulted in the destruction of the main Soviet spy ring in Canada, which included a Member of Parliament and a nuclear scientist who was working on the atomic bomb. This film, with all the locations shot in Ottawa, and its details drawn from the official reports of a Royal Commission, is a fascinating depiction of the true story of Gouzenko from the moment of his arrival in Canada, his first time outside the Soviet Union, till his defection with his wife and child. William Wellmann directed the film in a low-key style, with some documentary linking narration from time to time. Dana Andrews was never so subdued and soft-spoken as Gouzenko in this film, and Gene Tierney is remarkably self-effacing as the devoted wife and mother of an infant. She has no particularly interesting scenes. The really powerful performances in this film are by Berry Kroeger, in his first film appearance, as an insidious, swaggering and menacing mastermind of a Soviet espionage ring, and Eduard Franz as a Soviet major who 'just cannot take it any more' and turns into a drunk. The film is tense and gripping, and follows closely the real life events of this notorious story. June Havoc is effective in a minor role as the resident Soviet honeypot who tests the new staff with alcohol and seduction to see if they are indiscreet. The world inside the Soviet Embassy is convincingly and eerily depicted, a demi-monde and a half-life of people serving Stalin and the Party like grim automatons with dark faces and all humanity stripped out of them. This film gives a nice lesson in the realities of sordid power, and the hollowness of institutionalised betrayal. There are none so low as those who slither.