On His Majesty’s Secret Service-Rex Harrison’s Night Train To Munich  

 

 

 

DVD Review

From The Pen Of Frank Jackman

 

Night Train To Munich, starring Rex Harrison, 1940

 

Yes His Majesty’s Secret Service is right in the title as this film’s story line takes place under Queen Elizabeth II’s father, George, the one who determinedly overcame stuttering problem. One can be forgiven though for thinking there had been an error since the dear queen has reigned as the British monarch forever since for the vast majority of humankind know no other living English monarch. Along with the endless tales of her reckless and tiresome progeny which are gist for the tabloids and 24/7/365 media outlets with nothing serious to talk about.

In any case this film, Night Train To Munich, is a mock serious take on the British secret service in wartime, that wartime for those keeping tabs being the early stages of World War II when Mother England had her hands full trying to hold back the Nazi onslaught before it landed right on right on her doorstep, Munich appeasement or not. So as the film moves along we get a demonstration in a half-comic way of the British good old boys secret service which had been keen to grab anybody who could help their cause, and failing that keeping those who could help especially with weapons development out of the Nazis clutches.  

And that turns out to be the premise the plotline of this film works under. After Czechoslovakia was devoured by the Germans one of their key weapons developers escaped to England as the troops marched into Prague. Unfortunately leaving a daughter (played by Margaret Lockwood) behind who winds up in a concentration camp. And winds up escaping from that camp under an insidious German plan to use her as a foil to get to her father by using an SS man as a fellow convict. (That SS man played by Paul Hernreid last seen playing the freedom-fighter Victor Lazlo in the film Casablanca, go figure.)  Well, the German plan worked, for a while, as the scientist was spirited out of England and to Germany. Things looked tough for the benighted British, the spunky scientist, and the fetching daughter (that last part to come in handy later when the boy meets girl part gets heated up).

But here is where the good old boy British secret service network comes in and saves the day. Dickie/Guy played by Rex Harrison is brought in to lure the scientist back from the Germans by impersonating a high German officer full of chutzpah (not very well with that high British accent so we have to suspend a lot of disbelief). And the train part. Well the whole thing revolves around getting the scientist off the train to Munich and by one means or another to neutral Switzerland. Naturally there is much derring-do including a final shoot-out with that pursuing SS officer who originally kidnapped the scientist to put paid to his treachery. I am sure Kim Philby got a kick out of this one.

Oh yeah, to top things off Dickie/Gus/Rex gets the girl-you know like I already told you that had to be part of the mix so I thought I would just let you know in case you were wondering about a romantic interest for Rex (who at one time was voted the “sexiest” man in the world so that daughter had to be fetching).