British Intelligence
Although the home of cabinet minister Arthur Bennett is a hotbed of spies, moles, and double agents, no one knows the true identity of notorious German spymaster Strendler.
1939 | 61m | English
Popularity: 1 (history)
| Director: | Terry O. Morse |
|---|---|
| Writer: | Lee Katz |
| Staring: |
| During WWI pretty German master spy Helene von Lorbeer is sent undercover to London to live with the family of a high-placed British official where she is to rendezvous with the butler Valdar, also a spy, and help him transmit secret war plans back to Germany. | |
| Release Date: | Nov 10, 1939 |
|---|---|
| Director: | Terry O. Morse |
| Writer: | Lee Katz |
| Genres: | Drama, War |
| Keywords | london, england, world war i, double agent, secret agent, female spy, german spy, spy thriller, counter-espionage, bombing mission |
| Production Companies | Warner Bros. Pictures |
| Box Office |
Revenue: $0
Budget: $0 |
| Updates |
Updated: Jul 23, 2025 Entered: Apr 20, 2024 |
| Name | Character |
|---|---|
| Boris Karloff | Valdar |
| Margaret Lindsay | Helene von Lorbeer |
| Bruce Lester | Frank Bennett |
| Leonard Mudie | James Yeats |
| Holmes Herbert | Arthur Bennett |
| Austin Fairman | George Bennett |
| William Bailey | British Intelligence Agent |
| Louise Brien | Miss Risdon - Bennett's Secretary |
| Glen Cavender | Under Officer Pfalz |
| David Cavendish | Capt. Lanark |
| Joe De Stefani | German Officer |
| Carlos De Valdez | Von Ritter |
| Clarence Derwent | Milkman |
| Arno Frey | German Junior Officer |
| Frederick Giermann | Otto Kurtz |
| Lawrence Grant | Brigadier General |
| Carl Harbaugh | German Soldier |
| Sam Harris | Cabinet Minister |
| Winifred Harris | Mrs. Maude Bennett |
| Leyland Hodgson | Lord Sudbury |
| Stuart Holmes | Luchow - German Soldier |
| Willy Kaufman | German Corporal |
| Crauford Kent | Cmdr. Phelps |
| Morton Lowry | Lt. Borden |
| Lester Matthews | Henry Thompson |
| Frank Mayo | Brixton - Intelligence Agent |
| Paul Panzer | Peasant |
| John J. Richardson | Cockney Soldier |
| Ferdinand Schumann-Heink | German Officer |
| Hans Schumm | German Senior Officer |
| John Graham Spacey | Crichton - Intelligence Agent |
| Robert R. Stephenson | Cockney Soldier |
| Evan Thomas | Maj. Andrews |
| David Thursby | Agent Reporting Strengler's Identity |
| Frederick Vogeding | Baron Kuglar |
| Leonard Willey | Capt. Stuart |
| Maris Wrixon | Dorothy Bennett |
| Henry Zynda | German |
| Name | Job |
|---|---|
| Lee Katz | Screenplay |
| Anthony Paul Kelly | Theatre Play |
| Thomas Pratt | Editor |
| Terry O. Morse | Director |
| Name | Title |
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| Organization | Category | Person |
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Popularity History
| Year | Month | Avg | Max | Min |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 4 | 5 | 11 | 2 |
| 2024 | 5 | 9 | 18 | 4 |
| 2024 | 6 | 6 | 20 | 1 |
| 2024 | 7 | 4 | 6 | 2 |
| 2024 | 8 | 5 | 11 | 2 |
| 2024 | 9 | 2 | 4 | 1 |
| 2024 | 10 | 3 | 5 | 1 |
| 2024 | 11 | 3 | 6 | 1 |
| 2024 | 12 | 3 | 4 | 1 |
| 2025 | 1 | 4 | 10 | 2 |
| 2025 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 1 |
| 2025 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| 2025 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2025 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 2025 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 2025 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| 2025 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 2025 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2025 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Trending Position
| Year | Month | High | Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 7 | 620 | 719 |
On the face of it, this is just another wartime espionage story where the ending is never really in any doubt. Actually, though, the plot is a bit more interesting. Set during WWI, Margaret Lindsay ("Helene von Lorbeer") is sent to London, to the home of Cabinet Minister "Arthur Bennett" (Holmes Her ... bert), where she is to rendezvous with his already treacherous butler "Valdar" (Boris Karloff). Once there, we embark on the usual round of who to trust/not to trust storylines as they try to get hold of secret war plans. What stands it out a bit is that is has a certain propheticism about it: it isn't so much telling us the tale set in 1917, but one of the likely pitfalls of megalomania and unbridled ambition in the future; clearly a reference to events looming in 1940 when this was released. It's watchable enough, the small cast is tightly knitted and perform well; the writing does it's job fine and Terry Morse kept me interested for an hour.