Second Bureau (French: Deuxième bureau) is a 1935 French spy romance film directed by Pierre Billon and starring Jean Murat, Véra Korène and Janine Crispin. It is based on the novel Second Bureau by Charles Robert-Dumas. The following year it was Second Bureau by Victor Hanbury. The book was one of a spy series Ceux du S. R. published in France by Librarie Arthème Fayard in 1934. The film's sets were designed by the art director Aimé Bazin. It was followed by a sequel Wolves Between Them in 1936.
Contents
Synopsis
Capitaine Benoit of the French secret service manages to steal the plans of Germany's new fighter plane. German intelligence assigns one of their top female agents to recover the stolen designs.
Partial cast
Jean Murat as Capitaine Benoit
Véra Korène as L'Espionne Erna Flieder
Janine Crispin as Dorothee
Jean-Max as Comte Brusilot
Pierre Alcover as Weygelmann
Pierre Magnier as Colonel Guerraud
Georges Prieur as General Von Raugwitz
Geno Ferny as L'Aubergiste
Pierre Larquey as Asjundant Colleret
Jean Galland as Lieutenant Van Strammer
Andrée Moreau as Nageberger
Henry Bonvallet as Schaffingen
Critical reception
Writing for The Spectator in 1936, Graham Greene characterized the film as "a rather dull film, [and as] a long packed melodrama". With the exception of the "sinister and satiric" first scene that was described as "brilliant", Greene took the view that on the whole "the film is too thick with drama". Taking issue with the film's genre, Greene suggests that satire and realism would have been more effective in handling the picture's themes.