Secret People (film)

Secret People
Secret People
	Original UK poster
Directed by	Thorold Dickinson
Written by	Thorold Dickinson; Wolfgang Wilhelm; Joyce Cary; Christianna Brand
Produced by	Sidney Cole
Starring	Audrey Hepburn; Valentina Cortese; Serge Reggiani; Charles Goldner
Cinematography	Gordon Dines
Edited by	Peter Tanner
Music by	Robert Gerhard
Production; company	Ealing Studios
Distributed by	General Film Distributors
Release date	8 February 1952 (UK);
Running time	96 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English
Box office	£60,000

Secret People is a 1952 British drama film, directed by Thorold Dickinson and produced by Sidney Cole for Ealing Studios, with a screenplay from Thorold Dickinson, Wolfgang Wilhelm, Joyce Carey and Christianna Brand. Secret People stars Valentina Cortese, Serge Reggiani and Audrey Hepburn and premiered in the U.K. on 8 February 1952. The film provided Audrey Hepburn with her first significant film role, leading to her big breakthrough in Roman Holiday.

Plot

In 1930, Maria Brentano and her younger sister Nora flee to London as their father is about to be executed by his country's dictator. Seven years later, Maria unexpectedly meets Louis, her childhood sweetheart, who is engaged in a plot to assassinate the dictator. Maria is persuaded to play an active part in the plan, but it all goes horribly wrong when the bomb they plant kills an innocent waitress, causing Maria much distress.

Cast

Valentina Cortese as Maria Brentano
Serge Reggiani as Louis Balan
Audrey Hepburn as Nora Brentano
Charles Goldner as Anselmo
Michael Shepley as Manager of the British Pavilion
Angela Fouldes as Nora (as a child)
Megs Jenkins as Penny
Irene Worth as Miss Jackson
Reginald Tate as Inspector Eliot
Norman Williams as Sergeant Newcombe
Athene Seyler as Mrs Reginald Kellick
Sydney Tafler as Syd Burnett
Geoffrey Hibbert as Steenie
John Ruddock as Daly
Michael Allan as Rodd
John Field as Fredor Luki
Charlie Cairoll as themselves (clowns)
Hugo Schuster as General Galborn
Lionel Harris as Frack
Rollo Gamble as Bentley
John Penrose as Bill
John Chandos as John
Michael Ripper as Charlie
Yvonne Coulette as Woman on London Committee
Louis Mansi as Member of Paris Committee
John Gabriel as Member of Paris Committee
Olga Landiak as Member of Paris Committee
Frederick Schiller as Galbern's Bodyguard
Gaston Richer as Queval
Derek Elphinstone as Plain Clothes Man
Edward Evans as Plain Clothes Man
Jack McNaughton as Postman
Ingeborg von Kusserow as Shoe Shop Girl
Bob Monkhouse as hairdresser
Sam Kydd as Detective Sergeant

Audrey Hepburn

After having appeared in a string of bit parts and small speaking roles, the film provided Audrey Hepburn with her first significant film role, leading to her big breakthrough in Roman Holiday: on 18 September 1951, shortly after Secret People was finished but before its premiere, Thorold Dickinson made a screen test with the young starlet and sent it to director William Wyler, who was in Rome preparing Roman Holiday. Wyler wrote a glowing note of thanks to Dickinson, saying that "as a result of the test, a number of the producers at Paramount have expressed interest in casting her."^[3]

Release

Although finished before August 1951 (the film was screened by the BBFC censors on 7 August 1951^[4]), it didn't premiere at Odeon Leicester Square in London until 8 February 1952.^[1]

Reception

The film reviewer for The Times found Secret People to be "a confused, inarticulate, disappointing film, neither as imaginative nor as intellectually exciting as it should be."^[5]

In contrast, George Perry wrote in Forever Ealing that "...there is much of interest in the Ealing film, such as the moral dilemma of those who have to resort to force to overcome force." He also praised "a sensitive performance by Valentina Cortesa, ...a substantial role for Audrey Hepburn", and felt that the film had been misinterpreted and "was in some respects ahead of its time."^[6]^[7]

The film was a box office flop.^[2]