Henry Hathway, who directed Diplomatic Courier, is known for his "semi-documentary" films (such as The House on 92nd Street) – thrillers told in a narrated, "real life" style and using many factual events and details. Courier starts as if it will be in this genre, but it abandons the style fairly early on, which fact gives it an inconsistent tone. Indeed, despite its strengths, Courier feels a bit unfocused all the way through, as if Hathway were not quite certain how he wanted to handle the material. Perhaps the director felt that the screenplay, while neatly put together and offering many compelling moments, was a bit too pat and a bit too mechanical, and couldn't come up with a way to cover its flaws. For those who don't mind an unconvincing twist here and an odd characterization there, Courier should be plenty of fun. It has all the elements of a good espionage thriller – perhaps a few too many of them even – and some delicious Lucien Ballard lensing. The cast is quite good, although the very talented Patricia Neal is a bit miscast – not to the extent of being damaging to the film, however. Tyrone Power is in very good form, and Hildegard Neff is captivating. Karl Malden's energetic performance is perhaps a bit much, but it's also interesting to see him performing in this manner. Those willing to sweep its mis-steps aside should enjoy Courier quite a bit.
by Craig Butler
review
