Robert Newton plays an MI5 man who infiltrates a gang of Nazi agents involved in the capture of a Swedish scientist whose work on developing the Atom bomb is being smuggled out via neutral Ireland. The eponymous night boat plays an important part in the early part of the story though most of the film takes place in England.
Not a film of any great depth, its intricate plot and considerable amount of dialogue is directed with speed and skill by Lawrence Huntington, adroitly steering around several implausibilities in the plot. There are likable performances from Robert Newton, and the admirable Raymond Lovell, who seemed to appear in every other 1940s British film, gives a typically urbane performance as the chief villain; John Ruddock is creepily sinister as his secretary. Newton is assisted by the jaunty Guy Middleton, and the pair get away with several double entendres.
With superb black and white photography by Otto Heller, it's a ripping yarn from a bygone age of trilby hats, clipped accents, and British pluck.
Night Boat to Dublin
1946
Thriller / War
Night Boat to Dublin
1946
Thriller / War
Keywords: world war iiboat
Plot summary
A Swedish atomic scientist, Professor Hansen, is kidnapped in Stockholm by Nazi agents and brought to the neutral Republic of Ireland to continue his work. The Nazis hope to build an atomic weapon. British Intelligence gets wind of this and sends two undercover military intelligence agents to infiltrate the Nazi spy network and find the kidnapped scientist. The British agents are Capt. David Grant and Capt. Toby Hunter. The opposition is comprised of Paul Faber, network chief and various underlings such as Keitel, Bowman, Lily and George Leggett and phony Austrian refugee Marion Decker. British Police Inspector Emerson is assisting British military intelligence and Sir George Bell is the British Government representative assigned to the case. The Nazi spy network operates in both London and Dublin. The Nazi agents frequently travel from the UK to Ireland by ferry boat, hence the title of the film.
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Director
Movie Reviews
Fast-paced wartime espionage yarn
Not much intrigue but still watchable.
"Night Boat to Dublin" should have been a lot better. The storyline is an interesting one on the written page and Robert Newton is an underrated leading man. The plot is thin when it comes to sustaining any kind of narrative and the pace tends to drag its own feet. Some scenes feel as though they have been merely cobbled together. Even so, there is plenty to like. Robert Newton does well as the Government operative who goes undercover as hired help for the villains of the film. The classical theatre actor, Marius Goring, is completely wasted in his one scene appearance. His screen time amounts to about three minutes, if that. There is some good photography and this creates some tension, especially when Robert Newton and his colleagues are searching for incriminating evidence. You won't find a lot of action but the ending is still good.
Ably made British spy thriller with plenty of peril to see it through
NIGHT BOAT TO DUBLIN is a fun spy thriller that must have been shot in the dying days of World War 2. Espionage and its deadly results are the name of the game here, as the British authorities pursue a Nazi organisation running out of Ireland and in particular aim to rescue a kidnapped Swedish scientist who may have the secret to unlocking the atomic bomb. Half of the action is centred around the titular ship, with plenty of cloak and dagger shenanigans to pass the time.
And this film certainly passes the time well enough, coming across as fast paced and with just the right level of suspense to see it through. There's an early plot twist to rival PSYCHO and a delightfully urbane villain in the form of the charming Raymond Lovell, who has a real ball with the part. The sneaking around in hotel room material is good fun, too, and Robert Newton is a British hero in the finest stiff-upper-lip tradition. A triumvirate of Herbert Lom, Marius Goring, and Leslie Dwyer flesh out villainous parts, and the action-packed climax is delightful.