Saboteur (1942)

Director:

Alfred Hitchcock

Writers:

Peter Viertel (original screenplay) &
Joan Harrison (original screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

24 April 1942 (USA)

Genre:

Mystery | Thriller | War

Tagline:

3000 miles of terror!

Plot:

Aircraft factory worker Barry Kane goes on the run across the United States when he is wrongly accused of starting a fire that killed his best friend.

Plot Keywords:

Factory | Sabotage | Fire | On The Run | Chase

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Priscilla Lane	...	Patricia 'Pat' Martin
Robert Cummings	...	Barry Kane
Otto Kruger	...	Charles Tobin
Alan Baxter	...	Freeman
Clem Bevans	...	Neilson
Norman Lloyd	...	Frank Fry
Alma Kruger	...	Mrs. Sutton
Vaughan Glaser	...	Phillip Martin (as Vaughan Glazer)
Dorothy Peterson	...	Mrs. Mason
Ian Wolfe	...	Robert
Frances Carson	...	Society Woman
Murray Alper	...	Truck Driver
Kathryn Adams	...	Young Mother
Pedro de Cordoba	...	Bones - Circus Troupe
Billy Curtis	...	Midget - Circus Troupe
Marie LeDeaux	...	Fat Woman - Circus Troupe (as Marie Le Deaux)
Anita Sharp-Bolster	...	Lorelei - Circus Troupe (as Anita Bolster)
Jean Romer	...	Siamese Twin (as Jeanne Romer)
Lynne Romer	...	Siamese Twin (as Lynn Romer)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Hardie Albright	...	Detective (uncredited)
Oliver Blake	...	Deputy Sheriff-Driver (uncredited)
Al Bridge	...	Marine MP Sergeant (uncredited)
Ralph Brooks	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Paul E. Burns	...	Farmer (uncredited)
Don Cadell	...	FBI man (uncredited)
James Carlisle	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Jack Cheatham	...	Detective outside movie theater (uncredited)
Hans Conried	...	Edward (uncredited)
Kernan Cripps	...	Man in movie audience (uncredited)
Sayre Dearing	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Helen Dickson	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Ralph Dunn	...	FBI agent at Mason's house (uncredited)
John Eldredge	...	Footman (uncredited)
Paul Everton	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Pat Flaherty	...	George, Elevator Operator (uncredited)
James Flavin	...	Motorcycle cop (voice) (uncredited)
Eddie Foster	...	Driver for saboteurs (uncredited)
Jack Gardner	...	Pat's taxi driver (uncredited)
Eugene Gericke	...	Plant worker (uncredited)
Art Gilmore	...	Radio Broadcaster (voice) (uncredited)
Gus Glassmire	...	Mr. Pearl (uncredited)
William Gould	...	Stranger on sidewalk (uncredited)
Charles Halton	...	Second Sheriff (uncredited)
Sam Harris	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Margaret Hayes	...	Henry's Wife in movie (uncredited)
Vinton Hayworth	...	Will - Other man in the movie (uncredited)
Alfred Hitchcock	...	Man in front of NY drugstore (uncredited)
Selmer Jackson	...	FBI Chief (uncredited)
Milton Kibbee	...	Man killed in movie theater (uncredited)
Rex Lease	...	Plant cafeteria worker (uncredited)
Will Lee	...	Rogers (uncredited)
Alexander Lockwood	...	Marine (uncredited)
Nancy Loring	...	Young mother (uncredited)
Lou Lubin	...	Man (uncredited)
Jimmie Lucas	...	Taxi driver (uncredited)
Frank Marlowe	...	Man in newsreel truck (uncredited)
Kermit Maynard	...	Cowhand (uncredited)
Frank McClure	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Margaret Ann McLaughlin	...	Baby Susie Brown (uncredited)
Dick Midgley	...	FBI agent (uncredited)
Harold Miller	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Belle Mitchell	...	Adele, Tobin's maid (uncredited)
Robert Mitchum	...	Passerby (unconfirmed) (uncredited)
Margaret Moffatt	...	Mrs. Moore, Neighbor (uncredited)
Henry Norton	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Gene O'Donnell	...	Jitterbug (uncredited)
George Offerman Jr.	...	Plant worker (uncredited)
Paddy O'Flynn	...	Counterman at Statue of Liberty (uncredited)
Emory Parnell	...	Henry, Husband in movie (uncredited)
Ruth Peterson	...	Society woman (uncredited)
Lee Phelps	...	Plant security officer (uncredited)
Paul Phillips	...	Driver (uncredited)
Louis Quince	...	Tourist (uncredited)
Cyril Ring	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
William Ruhl	...	Deputy marshal (uncredited)
Jeffrey Sayre	...	Henchman (uncredited)
Shadow	...	Dog (uncredited)
Charles Sherlock	...	Barry's taxi driver (uncredited)
Harry Strang	...	Motorcycle highway patrolman (uncredited)
Virgil Summers	...	Kenneth "Ken" Mason (uncredited)
Jean Trent	...	Blonde aircraft worker (uncredited)
Archie Twitchell	...	Motorcycle cop (voice) (uncredited)
Dale Van Sickel	...	FBI assistant - phone operator (uncredited)
Claire Whitney	...	Wife in movie audience (uncredited)
Matt Willis	...	First Sheriff (uncredited)
Marjorie Wood	...	Farmer's wife (uncredited)
Will Wright	...	J.C. Lormans, Company official (uncredited)
Barton Yarborough	...	First FBI man at Mason's house (uncredited)
Duke York	...	Deputy sheriff (uncredited)

Directed by
Alfred Hitchcock

Writing credits
Peter Viertel		(original screenplay) &
Joan Harrison		(original screenplay) &
Dorothy Parker		(original screenplay)
Alfred Hitchcock		(story) uncredited

Produced by
Frank Lloyd	....	producer
Jack H. Skirball	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Frank Skinner

Cinematography by
Joseph A. Valentine		(director of photography) (as Joseph Valentine)

Film Editing by
Otto Ludwig
Edward Curtiss		(uncredited)

Art Direction by
Jack Otterson

Set Decoration by
Russell A. Gausman		(as R.A. Gausman)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Fred Frank	....	assistant director
Vernon Keays	....	second unit director (uncredited)

Art Department
Robert F. Boyle	....	associate art director (as Robert Boyle)
Dorothea Holt	....	illustrator (uncredited)

Sound Department
Bernard B. Brown	....	sound director
William Hedgcock	....	sound technician

Special Effects by
John P. Fulton	....	special effects (uncredited)

Stunts
Russell Saunders	....	stunt double: Robert Cummings (uncredited)
David Sharpe	....	stunt double: Robert Cummings Horse Riding/Norman Lloyd at the Statue of Liberty (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
James V. King	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Virgil Summers	....	best boy (uncredited)
Charles Van Enger	....	cinematographer: second unit (uncredited)

Music Department
Charles Previn	....	musical director

Other crew
Adele Cannon	....	set continuity

Production Companies

• Frank Lloyd Productions (for)
• Universal Pictures

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (1942) (USA) (theatrical)
• Filmes Alcântara (1945) (Portugal) (theatrical)
• Realart Pictures (1948) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Universal Films (1949) (France) (theatrical)
• Universal Films (1949) (France) (theatrical) (16 mm)
• MCA Home Video (1985) (USA) (VHS)
• Universal Pictures (2001) (Germany) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures (2001) (Germany) (VHS)
• Universal Pictures Benelux (2007) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• CIC Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (USA) (laserdisc)
• Universal Home Entertainment (USA) (DVD)
• Universal Home Video (Brazil) (DVD)

Other Companies

• David O. Selznick Productions Inc.  Alfred Hitchcock through the courtesy of

Runtime:

108 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Certification:

France:U | USA:Approved (certificate no. 8268) | Brazil:12 | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Chile:14 | Finland:S | Germany:16 | Ireland:PG | Peru:14 | Sweden:15 | UK:PG | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Alabama Hills, Lone Pine, California, USA

Company:

Frank Lloyd Productions

Trivia:

The shot of the ship on its side toward the end was an actual shot of the ocean liner SS Normandie, which had caught fire and capsized at its pier in New York. The fire was an accident, not sabotage (a cutting torch accidently set fire to some kapok life vests), though there were rumors of sabotage at the time.

Goofs:

Continuity: After arriving at the Statue of Liberty, a close-up shows Priscilla Lane in a very strong wind mussing her hair. In the next shot her hairdo is perfect.

Quotes:

Patricia "Pat" Martin: Barry, why couldn't I have met you a hundred years ago? On a beach somewhere?
Barry Kane: Bathing suits looked awfully funny a hundred years ago. I bet you'd look beautiful though.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins (1985)

Soundtrack:

Tonight We Love

Pure Hitch

This is one of the classic Hitchcock films. It's not really a great film but its classic Hitchcock all the same. It's got the cross- country chase, the interesting characters and situation along the way, the innocent hero and the blonde, the oily villain and his crazed henchman, the big ending, (North by Northeast?).

I think it's a little weak that every nice person- save for the girl, instinctively knows Bob Cummings is innocent the moment they meet him. If you ran into a guy who is accused of torching a defense plant and his best friend with it, who you immediately decide that he's not so bad? Also the horrendous nature of the accusation would make the `It Happened One Night' type scenes that draw the hero and heroine together rather unlikely. The wartime patriotic speech at the end can certainly be forgiven. What movies in 1942 didn't have a speech like that?

The big thing, of course is the ending. Sweet old Norman Lloyd in his younger days finds, as Ben Hecht said, that `he needs a new tailor.' It's a model for many similar scenes later. One wonders why there was no denouement. Lloyd tells Cummings that he will clear him and then dies. Is Cummings on his way to jail at the end? An earlier scene suggests that the police already on his side. Wouldn't it be better to make that unclear and then have a scene afterwards where we find out he's off the hook?