Plot

A timely film when first released in 1943, Tonight We Raid Calais survives as an entertaining adventure some fifty years later. John Sutton plays a British intelligence officer, sent into occupied France with a small unit to local a German munitions depot. While travelling under cover of darkness, Sutton confronts a French maiden (Annabella) who hates the British and the Germans with equal fervor. She eventually determines which side is the right side and allows Sutton to continue his mission. The officer is captured by the Nazis, but his comrades locate the munitions plant and notify the Allied bombers. The screenplay for Tonight We Raid Calais was written by future blacklistee Waldo Salt, whose liberal stance was politically correct during wartime but considered a "no no" once peace was declared. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Review

Propaganda films such as Tonight We Raid Calais were common during World War II, and most of them seem dated and/or insulting when seen by modern audiences. Calais is definitely dated, but it doesn't come across as particularly insulting, just a manipulative and a bit contrived. Surprisingly, accomplisher scenarist Waldo Salt is the writer and presumably he was working on a "made to order" project here. There's little of the distinctive style that Salt brings to other film scripts; rather, it's as if he were given a bunch of elements and told to work them into an appropriately patriotic screenplay. Certainly it works and has a decent amount of drama in it, but it lacks style; it also stretches credulity in a few places, notably the end. But that's not so unusual for many war films. John Brahm"s direction is efficient if not especially inspired, and there's fine work from cinematographer Lucien Ballard. John Sutton is unmemorable as the hero, but Annabella does very well as Odette, and {$Howard Da Silva impresses as the nasty Nazi that desires her. ~ Craig Butler, Rovi

Cast

• Annabella - Odette Bonnard
• John Sutton - Geoffrey Carter
• Lee J. Cobb - M. Bonnard
• Beulah Bondi - Mme. Bonnard
• Blanche Yurka - Widow Grelieu

Howard Da Silva - Sgt. Block; Ann Codee - Mme. Grandet; Nigel de Brulier - Danton; Robert Lewis - Maurice Bonnard; Richard Derr - Captain; Leslie Denison - Capt. Baird; William Edmunds - Bell Ringer; Lester Matthews - Maj. West; Reginald Sheffield - Commander; John Banner - Kurz; Leslie Vincent - English Pilot; George Lynn - Lieutenant; Rudolph Anders; Marcel Dalio - Jacques Grandet

Credit

Richard Day - Art Director, Russell J. Spencer - Art Director, John Brahm - Director, Allen McNeil - Editor, Cyril Mockridge - Composer (Music Score), Emil Newman - Composer (Music Score), Lucien Ballard - Cinematographer, André Daven - Producer, Waldo Salt - Screenwriter, L. Willinger - Short Story Author, Rohama Lee - Short Story Author

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