''Candlelight in Algeria'' is a 1944 British

war film War film is a film genre concerned with warfare, typically about navy, naval, air force, air, or army, land battles, with combat scenes central to the drama. It has been strongly associated with the 20th century. The fateful nature of battle s ...

directed by

George King George King may refer to: Politics * George King (Australian politician) (1814–1894), New South Wales and Queensland politician * George King, 3rd Earl of Kingston (1771–1839), Irish nobleman and MP for County Roscommon * George Clift King (184 ...

and starring

James Mason James Neville Mason (; 15 May 190927 July 1984) was an English actor. He achieved considerable success in British cinema before becoming a star in Hollywood. He was nominated for three Academy Awards, three Golden Globes (winning once) and two ...

, Carla Lehmann and

Raymond Lovell Raymond Lovell (13 April 1900 – 1 October 1953) was a Canadian actor who performed in British films. He mainly played supporting roles, often somewhat pompous characters. Lovell initially trained as a physician at Cambridge University, but g ...

. The story is loosely based on an October 1942 secret conference in

Cherchell Cherchell () is a town on Algeria's Mediterranean coast, west of Algiers. It is the seat of Cherchell District in Tipaza Province. Under the names Iol and Caesarea, it was formerly a Roman colony and the capital of the kingdoms of Numidia ...

, Algeria between American general

Mark W. Clark Mark Wayne Clark (1 May 1896 – 17 April 1984) was a United States Army officer who fought in World War I, World War II, and the Korean War. He was the youngest four-star general in the U.S. Army during World War II. During World War I, he wa ...

and a group of high-ranking

Vichy Vichy (, ; ) is a city in the central French department of Allier. Located on the Allier river, it is a major spa and resort town and during World War II was the capital of Vichy France. As of 2021, Vichy has a population of 25,789. Known f ...

French commanders. At the conference, the Vichy French commanders agreed to not resist the

Operation Torch Operation Torch (8–16 November 1942) was an Allies of World War II, Allied invasion of French North Africa during the Second World War. Torch was a compromise operation that met the British objective of securing victory in North Africa whil ...

landings in

Vichy France Vichy France (; 10 July 1940 – 9 August 1944), officially the French State ('), was a French rump state headed by Marshal Philippe Pétain during World War II, established as a result of the French capitulation after the Battle of France, ...

-controlled

French North Africa French North Africa (, sometimes abbreviated to ANF) is a term often applied to the three territories that were controlled by France in the North African Maghreb during the colonial era, namely Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia. In contrast to French ...

that occurred one month later.

Plot

In 1943, before the Allied invasion of North Africa, Algiers is under the control of the Vichy government and the headquarters of the German Armistice Commission. General Mark Clark's secret mission is vital in enabling a conference among the British, American, and French, paving the way for military landings critical to Allied victory without heavier loss of lives. As the Allies celebrate a victory, Susan Foster, suffering from a concussion sustained in the bombing, awakens in a hospital and is concerned for the fate of Alan Thurston, who she fears dead. Asking a nurse about her whereabouts and being informed of the victory, she claims that Thurston bears great credit for enabling the victory and recounts how Thurston involved her in his mission. In flashback, ahead of the conference, British agent Alan Thurston has been assigned to travel to Algiers to recover a camera containing photos that reveal where the meeting will take place. Thurston is not aware of the meeting or the content of the photos, but he has orders to prevent the camera from reaching the Germans. He is shadowed by German spy Dr. Müller, who intends to steal the camera as soon as Thurston acquires it. Thurston is arrested by the Vichy French and held captive by the Germans in a fort but escapes. Pursued by the Germans, he takes refuge in the house in which Susan Foster, an American sculptor living in

Biskra Biskra () is the capital city of Biskra Province, Algeria. In 2007, its population was recorded as 307,987. Biskra is located in northeastern Algeria, about from Algiers, southwest of Batna, Algeria, Batna and north of Touggourt. It is nickna ...

, is staying. Thinking the intruder a burglar, Susan holds him at gunpoint until Thurston explains his situation to her and appeals for her help as a patriot. As the Vichy agents search for their escapee, Susan hides Thurston in a secret cellar to elude a search of the property. Dr. Müller finds traces of Thurston's presence in fresh condensation on a glass of milk and a cigarette without any trace of lipstick and warns Susan against getting involved in politics. Susan assures him that she is leaving the next day for Algiers on passage back to the America. After the searchers leave, Thurston warns Susan that Müller will keep her under surveillance but asks her to help in retrieving the camera hidden by a deceased agent in a bureau at the home of the agent's lover, the nightclub singer Maritza, who is unaware of its importance. Needling the reluctant Susan for tepid patriotism, he convinces her to take on the mission as more vital than her vapid plan to join the WACs. In Algiers, Susan steals the camera from Maritza's bedroom. Not fully trusting Thurston, who she comes to regard as a rascal after being told of his "shady dealings" from his associate, Yvette, Susan plans to take it to the American consulate instead of giving the camera to Thurston. However, her opinion of Thurston quickly changes when Müller detains and questions her while her friend Henri de Lange, a Vichy officer, proves ineffective against German intimidation tactics. Müller mocks Susan and Lange about the importance of selecting one's friends carefully. Thurston arrives on scene and succeeds in rescuing her. Susan and Thurston take cover in a

kasbah A kasbah (, also ; , , Maghrebi Arabic: ), also spelled qasbah, qasba, qasaba, or casbah, is a fortress, most commonly the citadel or fortified quarter of a city. It is also equivalent to the term in Spanish (), which is derived from the same ...

with Yvette, who confesses to Susan that she lied about Thurston's dishonesty out of jealousy to discourage her. After developing the film, Thurston recognizes the place in the photos. Schultz, Müller's confederate, finds Thurston, while Susan hides above them in a closet, and Schultz holds Thurston at gunpoint, demanding the camera. Thurston turns over the camera, which no longer contains the film. While Schultz counts to 10 before shooting an uncompliant Thurston, Susan jumps down on him, enabling Thurston to overpower Schultz. They run for it with Schultz in pursuit, but Yvette shoots Schultz, risking the consequences to enable Thurston to complete the mission. Stealing Müller's vehicle, Thurston and Susan race to warn the Allied officers against possible exposure. Using Müller's car as a decoy, they lead the Germans away as the Allies land. Susan and Thurston part as he drops her off before intentionally crashing the vehicle over a cliff. As the Allies celebrate their Victory, Susan finishes her story to the nurse, lamenting Thurston's absence. Thurston presents himself as she finishes her story, and they embrace.

Cast

as Alan Thurston * Carla Lehmann as Susan Foster *

as von Alven * Enid Stamp Taylor as Maritza *

Walter Rilla Walter Rilla (22 August 1894 – 21 November 1980) was a German film actor of Jewish descent. Siegbert Salomon Prawer, ''Between Two Worlds: The Jewish Presence in German and Austrian Film, 1910-1933'', Berghahn Books (2007), pg. 213 He app ...

as Dr. Müller *Pamela Stirling as Yvette *Lea Seidl as Sister * Sybille Binder as Woman * Hella Kürty as Maid * Paul Bonifas as French Proprietor *

Leslie Bradley Leslie Ernest Bradley (1 September 1907 – 20 July 1974) was an English actor. He died in Desert Hot Springs, California. Filmography * '' The Way of Youth'' (1934) as Lieut. Burton (film debut) * ''Play Up the Band'' (1935) as Jack Heck ...

as Henri de Lange * Harold Berens as Toni *Cot D'Ordan as Hotel Manager *Richard George as Capt. Matthews * Meinhart Maur as Schultz *Jacques Metadier as Elderly French Officer *Michael Morel as Police Commissioner *Bart Norman as Gen.

* Richard Molinas as French Sergeant *

MacDonald Parke MacDonald Parke (1891–1960) was a Canadian film and television actor An actor (masculine/gender-neutral), or actress (feminine), is a person who portrays a character in a production. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medi ...

as American *Graham Penley as Pierre * John Slater as American Officer *Paul Sheridan as Plainclothes Detective *Robert Berkeley as Commando Officer *

Albert Whelan Albert Whelan (born Albert Waxman; 5 May 1875 – 19 February 1961) was an Australian popular singer and entertainer, who was prominent in English music halls during the first half of the 20th century. Biography The son of an immigrant Polish Je ...

as Kadour *Cecile Chevreau as Nun *Christiane De Maurin as Singer *Eric L'Epine Smith as Bit Role

Reception

The film premiered at the Regal, Marble Arch in London on 18 February 1944,The Times, 18 February 1944, page 6: ''Picture Theatres, Regal, Candlelight in Algeria''
Linked 2015-09-16 but the reviewer for ''

The Times ''The Times'' is a British Newspaper#Daily, daily Newspaper#National, national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its modern name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its si ...

'' was somewhat disappointed: "''Candlelight in Algeria'' is not the film it might have been with such a theme to inspire it; it shows itself aware of the possibilities, but fails to exploit them." When the film opened at the Victoria Theater in New York City on 29 July 1944, ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' critic Paul P. Kennedy was somewhat more forgiving: "The British Lion production which came to the Victoria Saturday is, as a whole, well put together, and the acting, while not outstanding, is worthy of the film. Add to this the mysterious background of Algiers and a lot of international intrigue and the result is a generally entertaining picture." According to trade papers, the film was a success at the British box office in 1944.Robert Murphy, ''Realism and Tinsel: Cinema and Society in Britain 1939-48'' 2003 p 207
/ref>

References

External links

''Candlelight in Algeria''
at the

British Film Institute The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves filmmaking and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...

* * * {{George King 1944 films World War II spy films World War II films made in wartime 1940s English-language films Films set in 1942 Films set in Algeria Films set in Tunisia Films set in Algiers Films directed by George King Films scored by Jack Beaver British black-and-white films British war films 1940s war films British Lion Films films 1940s British films English-language war films