''Alert in the Mediterranean'' (French: ''Alerte en Méditerranée'') is a 1938 French

thriller film Thriller film, also known as suspense film or suspense thriller, is a broad film genre that evokes excitement and suspense in the audience. The suspense element found in most films' plots is particularly exploited by the filmmaker in this genre ...

directed by

Léo Joannon Léo Joannon (21 August 1904 – 28 March 1969) was a French writer and film director. Born in Aix-en-Provence, Joannon was originally a law student who became a novelist and journalist before entering the film industry in the 1920s as a camerama ...

and starring

Pierre Fresnay Pierre Fresnay (4 April 1897 – 9 January 1975) was a French stage and film actor. Biography Born Pierre Jules Louis Laudenbach, he was encouraged by his uncle, actor Claude Garry, to pursue a career in theater and film. He joined the company a ...

, Nadine Vogel and

Rolf Wanka Rolf Wanka (14 February 1901 – 28 November 1982) was an Austrian actor. Biography He was of Czech, German and French origin. His father was Dr. Josef Wanka was head physician in Vienna. His mother was Emma Pippich. His family owned a mans ...

. It was the fifth most popular film at the French box office in 1938.Driskell p.207 It also proved a success in

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...

after being released in

Brussels Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...

in October 1938. The film's sets were designed by the art director

Robert Gys Robert Gys (1901–1977) was a French art director.O'Shaughnessy p.238 Selected filmography * '' Imperial Violets'' (1924) * ''The Phantom of the Moulin Rouge'' (1925) * ''Miss Europe'' (1930) * ''Dance Hall'' (1931) * '' The Dream'' (1931) * '' ...

. The following year it was remade in Britain as ''

Hell's Cargo ''Hell's Cargo'' is a 1939 British adventure film directed by Harold Huth and starring Walter Rilla, Kim Peacock and Robert Newton. It was made at Elstree Studios.Wood p.100 The film is a remake of the 1938 French hit '' Alert in the Mediterran ...

'' directed by

Harold Huth Harold Huth (20 January 1892 – 26 October 1967) was a British actor, film director and producer. Biography Early life He was born in Huddersfield, Yorkshire, in 1892. He was a nephew of Eva Moore and a cousin of the actor Roland Pertwee. Fo ...

Synopsis

After meeting in

Tangiers Tangier ( ; ; ar, طنجة, Ṭanja) is a city in northwestern Morocco. It is on the Moroccan coast at the western entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar, where the Mediterranean Sea meets the Atlantic Ocean off Cape Spartel. The town is the capi ...

three naval officers, British, French and German, are able to overcome their national antipathy and come to the assistance of a neutral ship in distress.

Cast

as Le commandant Lestailleur * Nadine Vogel as Claire Lestailleur *

as von Schlieden *

Kim Peacock Kim Peacock (1901–1966) was born on 24 March 1901 in Watford, Hertfordshire, England. He was an actor and writer, known for ''Midnight at the Wax Museum'' (1936), ''BBC Sunday-Night Theatre'' (1950) and ''Hit Parade'' (1952). He died on 26 Decem ...

as Le commandant Falcon * Jean-Claude Debully as Le petit Pierre *

Jean Témerson Jean Témerson (1898–1956) was a French actor. Selected filmography * '' The Lover of Madame Vidal'' (1936) - Guillaume - le domestique * '' With a Smile'' (1936) - Cam (uncredited) * '' Pépé le Moko'' (1937) - Gravère * ''Blanchette'' (1 ...

as Le docteur Laurent *

Louis Seigner Louis Seigner (23 June 1903 – 20 January 1991) was a French actor. He was born in Saint-Chef, Isère, France, the son of Louise (Monin) and Joseph Seigner, and died in Paris. He was the father of actress Françoise Seigner, with Marie Cazeaux, ...

as Le juge d'instruction * Raymond Aimos as Huguenin, le second-maître * Jean Tissier as Le journaliste * Fernand Ledoux as Martin * René Bergeron as Le capitaine Dulac *

Jean Daurand Jean Daurand (1913–1989) was a French actor. He starred in ''La Nuit Merveilleuse'' and ''Derrière la Facade''. Selected filmography * ''Rothchild'' (1933) * ''Le secret d'une nuit'' (1934) * ''Pension Mimosas'' (1935) - Un groom (uncredit ...

as Le matelot Calas *

Edmond Ardisson Edmond Ardisson (23 October 1904, in Marseille Marseille ( , , ; also spelled in English as Marseilles; oc, Marselha ) is the prefecture of the French department of Bouches-du-Rhône and capital of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region ...

as La matelot Jaubert * Michael Hogarth as Le matelot anglair * Kroneger as Le matelot allemand *

Robert Pizani Robert Pizani (26 April 1896 – 17 June 1965) was a French stage and film actor whose 45-year career encompassed leading roles in numerous plays, revues and operettas as well as dozens of films. In operetta Pizani's roles in operetta and musica ...

as Le médecin du port *

Jacques Berlioz Jacques Berlioz (9 December 1891, Paris – 21 December 1975) was a French zoologist and ornithologist, specializing in hummingbirds. He was a grand-nephew of composer Hector Berlioz (1803–1869). Berlioz was born in Paris, where the family h ...

as Le commandant du paquebot * Tony Murcie as Le second du paquebot *

Frédéric Mariotti Frédéric Mariotti (1 April 1883 – 22 February 1971) was a French stage and film actor whose career spanned more than four decades through the early silent film era into the early 1950s. Biography Frédéric Mariotti was born in Marseille and ...

as Un homme de main * Jean d'Yd as Le père Blanc *

Georges Tourreil Georges may refer to: Places * Georges River, New South Wales, Australia * Georges Quay (Dublin) *Georges Township, Fayette County, Pennsylvania Other uses *Georges (name) * ''Georges'' (novel), a novel by Alexandre Dumas * "Georges" (song), a 19 ...

as L'officier des Spahis *

Georges Prieur Georges may refer to: Places *Georges River, New South Wales, Australia *Georges Quay (Dublin) *Georges Township, Fayette County, Pennsylvania Other uses * Georges (name) * ''Georges'' (novel), a novel by Alexandre Dumas * "Georges" (song), a 197 ...

as L'amiral * Duluard as Le second du torpilleur * Jacques Vitry *

Henry Bonvallet Henry may refer to: People * Henry (given name) *Henry (surname) * Henry Lau, Canadian singer and musician who performs under the mononym Henry Royalty * Portuguese royalty ** King-Cardinal Henry, King of Portugal ** Henry, Count of Portugal ...

* Marc Dantzer

References

Bibliography

* Crisp, Colin. ''Genre, Myth and Convention in the French Cinema, 1929-1939''. Indiana University Press, 2002. * Driskell, Jonathan. ''The French Screen Goddess: Film Stardom and the Modern Woman in 1930s France''. I.B.Tauris, 2015.

External links

* 1938 thriller films French thriller films 1938 films 1930s French-language films Films directed by Léo Joannon Films scored by Michel Michelet Seafaring films Films set in Tangier French black-and-white films 1930s French films {{1930s-France-film-stub