The Spy in Black (1939): Film Noir UK

Part of the BFI's Cinema Unbound: The Creative Worlds of Powell + Pressburger season, the Electric Picture House and Film Noir UK are proud to present a special double bill looking at the darker side of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger's output.

The Spy in Black (1939)

Director: Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger Starring: Conrad Veidt, Valerie Hobson, Sebastian Shaw and Marius Goring UK / PG / 82mins

Captain Hardt (Conrad Veidt), a World War I German submarine commander, is ordered to lead a mission to attack the British Fleet at Scapa Flow. He puts ashore on the Orkney Islands to meet his contact but finds more than he bargained for in the local schoolmistress (Valerie Hobson).

Produced by Alexander Korda and based on the World War I spy thriller U Boat 29 by Joseph Store Clouston, The Spy in Black (1939) was named by the National Board of Review as one of the Top 10 films of 1939. Starring the great Conrad Veidt (The Cabinet of Dr Caligari, Casablanca), The Spy in Black showcases the early talents of one of the important collaborations in film history, Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger.

Special introduction by Powell and Pressburger specialist Mark Fuller (Film Noir UK). This event is produced by Film Noir UK and is part of Cinema Unbound: The Creative Worlds of Powell + Pressburger, a UK-wide film season supported by National Lottery and BFI Film Audience Network: bfi.org.uk/powell-and-pressburger