Foreign Correspondent (1940)

Far from showing its age this Hitchcock film which ends urging America to involve itself in the war in Europe remains fresh and riveting, full of set pieces that remain in the mind's eye -- the chase through a sea of umbrellas, the windmill moving against the wind.  Since he is remembered for his Western roles during the second half of his career, one forgets that Joel McCrea started as a light leading man in romantic comedies back in the 30's, and he becomes the reluctant action hero here.  Hitch has more fun with his casting of a group of memorable character actors. In particular, Herbert Marshall the most debonair of leading men makes the suavest of villains, George Sanders - often a villain - plays a stalwart good-guy and Edmund Gwenn forever associated with Kris Kringle turns up as a Cockney assassin.