Clouds over Europe Movie Review

Tim Whelan's Clouds over Europe/Q Planes, released less than six months before World War II, shows how much Great Britain had changed in the 18 months since 1937's Non-Stop New York. There is a not-so-subtle grim edge to this playful treatment of pre-war espionage. Clouds over Europe made a great impression on 16-year-old movie fan Patrick MacNee, who stored away his impressions of Ralph Richardson's wry secret service agent for future reference. (MacNee's memory was to prove handy when he played John Steed in The Avengers television series.) Valerie Hobson, icily portrayed in 1989's Scandal, was a warm and lively presence in British films for over 20 years and she does a fine job here as a persistent journalist. Laurence Olivier costars as a dashing test pilot. AKA: Q Planes.

1939 82m/B Laurence Olivier, Valerie Hobson, Ralph Richardson, George Curzon, George Merritt, Gus McNaughton, David Tree, Sandra Storme, Hay Petrie, Frank Fox, Gordon McLeod, John Longden, Reginald Purdell, John Laurie, Pat Aherne; D: Tim Whelan; W: Ian Dalyrymple; C: Harry Stradling. VHS, LV