Saboteur (Universal 1942, Robert Cummings, Priscilla Lane)

Alfred Hitchcock’s briskly paced wartime thriller Saboteur was made famous by the unforgettable climax that has the film’s villain dangling from the torch of the Statue of Liberty.

An aircraft worker (Cummings) becomes a fugitive when he’s falsely accused of sabotaging the factory where he works. On a cross-country chase to clear his name, he remains a step ahead of the police and a step behind the real culprit, who’s part of a ring of Nazi spies.

A fascinating, twisty tale penned by Joan Harrison, Dorothy Parker and Peter Viertel, with the action set in some of America’s most recognizable locations, including Radio City Music Hall, Boulder Dam, and, of course, the Statue of Liberty.

Hitchcock thought Robert Cummings, Priscilla Lane and Otto Kruger weren’t engaging enough for Saboteur. He initially lobbied for Gary Cooper, Barbara Stanwyck and Harry Carey, but they were unavailable.

production details
USA | Universal | 108 minutes | 1942
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Script: Joan Harrison, Peter Viertel, Dorothy Parker,

cast
Priscilla Lane as Pat Martin
Robert Cummings as Barry Kane
Otto Kruger as Charles Tobin
Norman Lloyd as Frank Fry
Alma Kruger as Mrs. Henrietta Sutton
Kathryn Adams as Young Mother
Ian Wolfe as Robert
Alan Baxter as Freeman
Clem Bevans as Neilson
Dorothy Peterson as Mrs. Mason
Murray Alper as Truck Driver
Billy Curtis as Midget (Circus Troupe)
Vaughan Glaser as Mr. Miller
Frances Carson as Society Woman
Pedro de Cordoba as Bones (Circus Troupe)
Marie Le Deaux as Fat Woman (Circus Troupe)
Anita Sharp-Bolster as Esmeralda the Bearded Lady
Jeanne Romer as Siamese Twin
Laura Mason as Siamese Twin
Oliver Blake as Policeman