Journey Into Fear

Orson Welles' touches of cinematic brilliance make Journey Into Fear a stunning success. From Welles' Mercury Theater comes this imaginative and exciting tale of terror (NY TIMES). Under the direction of Norman Foster, Joseph Cotten (who also wrote the screenplay, adapted from the novel by Eric Ambler) stars as an American gunnery engineer pursued by Gestapo agents. His adventures make him cross paths with an impressive array of characters portrayed by Dolores Del Rio, Ruth Warrick, Agnes Moorehead, Everett Sloane, Hans Conried, and Welles himself, who plays Colonel Haki, head of the Turkish Secret Police. The cinematography by Karl Struss in low-key and stylized, with a reviewer of the era pointing to its Brilliant atmosphere, the nightmare of pursuit, and when the shock comes it leaps at the eye and ear. Journey Into Fear is a thriller worthy of the cinematic master Orson Welles.