State Secret

In State Secret, Douglas Fairbanks Jr. swaps his sword for a stethoscope and his cape for a trenchcoat, but the picture lacks none of the swashbuckling verve of his earlier efforts. Without benefit of a princess, a stolen treasure, or a single duel, the old master manages to find in the Twentieth Century all the components of absorbing high adventure.

But this is adventure with a sense of humor and some modern twists which set the film considerably above most of Fairbanks' previous efforts. An Anglo-American venture, the picture was released two years ago, but was somehow buried as The Great Manhunt in the second spot on double bills. Now, under its original title, it emerges a smooth, suave thriller, speckled with some bright bits of comedy.

State Secret is set in the grim environs of Stepna, the mythical capitol of a mythical Balkan country ruled by the all-powerful mythical dictator Niva. As a brilliant young American doctor, Fairbanks is involved in the complicated machinations of a totalitarian state. He consequently also become involved with a beautiful young music-hall singer, Glynis Johns.

Starting slowly with an unnecessarily long exposition, the film gradually picks up momentum until the start of the hour-and-a-half-long chase. From that point on it clicks along at a merry rate as doctor and girl, in possession of the Great Secret, flee from a determined state police. The flight, which carries them up a cable car and over a series of Alp-like peaks, is beautifully executed.

The supporting cast is uniformly competent, with Herbert Lom turning in a superlative bit as a Peter Lorretype Balkan shyster who smuggles Fairbanks out of the country.

Perhaps the weakest part of the film are the political dialogues between Fairbanks and the minister of State Service, played zestfully by Jack Hawkins. Filled with platitudes like "You can't deceive a whole people indefinitely," these could well have been left out of the film without detracting anything.

Unfortunately, towards the end, the film lets itself be carried away by the secondary theme for political ethics, giving way to a rather implausible denouement. Nevertheless, for those who can thoroughly enjoy a fast-moving thriller, simply on its merits as a good adventure story, State Secret makes a fine evening's entertainment.