Journey into Fear

[KEV67]

This is my second Eric Ambler book. It was written in the late 30s. Like the other one I read, The Mask of Dmitrious, it is about an Englishman who finds himself in deep water in Eastern Europe.  Eastern Europe in Ambler's books starts around Paris. I quite like all the clipped English speech, and the courteous language,  which somehow sounds threatening,  when spoken by a member of the underworld or secret police. Think Peter Lorre, think Orsen Wells, think Marlene Dietrich.

[KEV67]

I thought this was going to turn into something like Death on the Nile or Death on the Orient Express, but it took a different turn. 

I am afraid my knowledge of 1930's black and white film actors is not extensive. So far I have cast:

Mr Graham, engineer protagonist, David Niven

Dr Haller, elderly German historian, ?

Banat, Romanian hit man, ?

Josette, nightclub dance, Marlene Dietrich

Jose, her boorish husband, ?

Kurtvetli, Turkish businessman,  Peter Lorre,

M. Mathis,  French passenger, ?

Mme. Mathis, his wife, ?

Signora Baronelli, Italian widow, ?

Signor Baronelli, her son, ?

Purser, ?

Steward, ?

Col Haki, Turkish head of secret police, ?

Kopeikin, Turkish agent, Orson Wells

Maria, nightclub hostess, ?

 

I can cast Orson Wells, but I don't think I can cast American actors such as Humphry Bogart. Marlene Dietrich is almost too glamorous. 

[KEV67]

There have been two or three film adaptions of Journey Into Fear. One did have Orson Wells,  but he was playing Col Haki.