Review – Espionage Agent

Like Confessions of a Nazi Spy, this was a 1939 attempt by Warner Studios to get the United States jazzed about taking a more active role in the war in Europe. Our hero is all set to begin an illustrious career in the State Department when it turns out his new bride is actually a Nazi agent. However, because she loves her husband more than she loves Der Fuhrer, she helps him crack a German spy ring and restore hubby’s credibility. Though this is mostly a typical action movie from the late 30s, there’s a disturbing undercurrent in here as well. Several times throughout the picture characters mention that Nazi spies would be much easier to fight if Congress would just change the law to restore some of the war powers lost after the conclusion of World War One. Though I’d like to play along – anything that’s bad for Nazis is okay by me – this just sounds far too much like the Bush administration begging for a renewal of the USA Patriot Act. That element notwithstanding, this was a fun piece of propaganda and not much else. Mildly amusing