Kind of a poor man's "39 Steps" what with Nazi spies, The Isle of Man standing in for Scotland, and action/adventure romance between the two leads featuring trains, hotels and moors. However, if Hitch had directed it instead of the journeyman Frank Launder you can bet your kippered herring it would be faster paced...that second half with the bumbling police officials really drags...with better cinematography (i.e. Mixing day for night and broad daylight in the same scene!) and a stronger story (i.e. Bridie first finding out Miller was a German spy AFTER he told her, while dying, that he's dying for Germany). As for the acting Deborah Kerr, in an early role, does the flirtatious/callow stuff pretty well but lays the Irish schtick on a bit thick and Trevor Howard, in one of his stiffer acting jobs, will not exactly make you forget Robert Donat. Actually, the best performance, in my opinion, is turned in by Raymond Huntley as the oddly likable yet still menacing Nazi spy. His slow death with cigarette is the best scene in the film and a lot of air is let out of the balloon when he's gone. C plus.
Review of I See a Dark Stranger
