This spy story begins in the Kettwig factory (somewhere in south-west Germany) doing metallurgy and especially wires. Their latest research product is a lightweight but very strong wire, which can be used by the military to hold high-flying blimps in order to ward off air attacks. (Don't know how plausible that story is, but it sure is nicely presented.) We get to know Herr Kettwig, the CEO, his son, and other assorted white-collar and blue-collar staff. The main spy suspect is also early presented - a German who had long lived in Britain, and so is even surprised about the autobahns. Further, we have a women's fashion shop in Baden-Baden, and a strange credit company in Strasbourg that won't accept paybacks (it prefers espionage info).
The film uses a lot of time to introduce the varied players and their interrelations, mostly talking ("he said, she said, ..."). Slowly, it picks up speed, first with dangerous amorous relations forming in the Baden-Baden casino, and in its final third it becomes a quite decent spy/action movie, with running and shooting, and even an air battle between Luftwaffe and the British spy who stole the young hero's airplane, but ultimately dramatically fails on.. let's say, technology.
It's Nazi propaganda, but I could easily imagine a similar film made in Britain or in the US. And the high-flying blimp idea both looks good and seems to make sense.. maybe every city (and nuclear power plant) should have one :) Final note: Beate Uhse is reported to have flown the Bücker Student plane for stunts in this film. After WW2, she became kind of a "sex goddess" (well-known owner of a sex-store chain) in Germany.
The film uses a lot of time to introduce the varied players and their interrelations, mostly talking ("he said, she said, ..."). Slowly, it picks up speed, first with dangerous amorous relations forming in the Baden-Baden casino, and in its final third it becomes a quite decent spy/action movie, with running and shooting, and even an air battle between Luftwaffe and the British spy who stole the young hero's airplane, but ultimately dramatically fails on.. let's say, technology.
It's Nazi propaganda, but I could easily imagine a similar film made in Britain or in the US. And the high-flying blimp idea both looks good and seems to make sense.. maybe every city (and nuclear power plant) should have one :) Final note: Beate Uhse is reported to have flown the Bücker Student plane for stunts in this film. After WW2, she became kind of a "sex goddess" (well-known owner of a sex-store chain) in Germany.