''Mission in Tangier'' (French: ''Mission à Tanger'') is a 1949

French French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...

spy Espionage, spying, or intelligence gathering, as a subfield of the intelligence field, is the act of obtaining secret or confidential information (intelligence). A person who commits espionage on a mission-specific contract is called an ''e ...

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

André Hunebelle André Hunebelle (; 1 September 1896 – 27 November 1985) was a French maître verrier (master glassmaker) and film director. Master Glass Artist After attending polytechnic school for mathematics, he became a decorator, a designer, and then a m ...

and starring

Raymond Rouleau Raymond Rouleau (; 4 June 1904 – 11 December 1981) was a Belgian actor and film director. He appeared in more than 40 films between 1928 and 1979. He also directed 22 films between 1932 and 1981. Rouleau studied at the Royal Conservatory o ...

Gaby Sylvia Gaby Sylvia (March 24, 1920 – July 26, 1980) was an Italian actress who appeared in many French films and television series.Goble p.37 Partial filmography * ''The Gutter (1938 film), The Gutter'' (1938) - Denise * ''Behind the Façade'' (1 ...

and

Mila Parély Mila Parély (7 October 1917 – 14 January 2012), born Olga Colette Peszynski, was a French actress of Polish ancestry best known for the roles of Félicie, Belle's eldest sister, in Jean Cocteau's '' La Belle et la Bête'' (1946), and as Ge ...

. It was the first in the trilogy of films featuring dashing reporter Georges Masse, and was followed in 1950 by '' Beware of Blondes''. It was shot at the

Billancourt Studios Billancourt Studios was a film studio in Paris which operated between 1922 and 1992. Located in Boulogne-Billancourt, it was one of the leading French studios.Szczepanik & Vonderau p.141 It was founded in the silent era by Henri Diamant-Berger. Dur ...

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

. The film's sets were designed by the

art director Art director is a title for a variety of similar job functions in theater, advertising, marketing, publishing, fashion, live-action and animated film and television, the Internet, and video games. It is the charge of a sole art director to supe ...

Lucien Carré Lucien Carré (born 1904) was a French art directorCapua p.127 active in the French cinema designing film sets from the late 1920s to the late 1950s. He worked frequently with the director André Hunebelle as well as Julien Duvivier and Anatole ...

. It has been described as a French

film noir Film noir (; ) is a style of Cinema of the United States, Hollywood Crime film, crime dramas that emphasizes cynicism (contemporary), cynical attitudes and motivations. The 1940s and 1950s are generally regarded as the "classic period" of Ameri ...

.Spicer p.455

Plot

During the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, Georges Masse undergoes a dangerous mission by taking secret documents from

Tangiers Tangier ( ; , , ) is a city in northwestern Morocco, on the coasts of the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. The city is the capital of the Tanger-Tetouan-Al Hoceima region, as well as the Tangier-Assilah Prefecture of Morocco. Many c ...

to London.

Cast

as Georges Masse *

as Lily *

as Barbara *

Henri Nassiet Henri Nassiet (1895–1977) was a French actor. Selected filmography * ''Maman Pierre'' (1922) * ''La griffe du hasard'' (1937) - Séverac (uncredited) * '' Life Dances On'' (1937) - Un policier * '' The Innocent'' (1938)- Gregor * ''La Glu'' ( ...

as Alexandre Segard *

Louis de Funès Louis Germain David de Funès de Galarza (; 31 July 1914 – 27 January 1983) was a French actor and comedian. He is France's favourite actor, according to a series of polls conducted since the late 1960s, having played over 150 roles in fi ...

as a

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...

general officer * Christian Bertola as Henri Pelletier *

Pierre Destailles Pierre Destailles (1909–1990) was a French film, stage and television actor. He was also a noted lyricist.Cenciarelli p.249 Selected filmography * '' Dropped from Heaven'' (1946) * '' The Spice of Life'' (1948) * '' Mission in Tangier'' (1949) ...

as Maurin * Jo Dest as Herr von Kloster * Max Révol as the barkeeper *

Madeleine Barbulée Madeleine Barbulée (2 September 1910 – 1 January 2001) was a French film, stage and television actress.''French Cinema in the 1970s: The Echoes of May'' p.265 Selected filmography * ''Métier de fous'' (1948) * '' The Spice of Life'' (1948) - ...

as the typist in the editorial department * Billy Bourbon as the cabaret spectator *

Gregori Chmara Gregori Mikhailovich Chmara ( Ukrainian: Григорій Михайлович Хмара, Russian: Григорий Михайлович Хмара; 29 July 1878 – 3 February 1970) was a Ukrainian-born stage and film actor whose career spanne ...

as the Russian singer * Monique Darbaud as von Kloster's female escort * Gisèle François as La jeune vendeuse de fleurs du Cabaret * Lucien Frégis as Un journaliste *

as Le colonel espagnol * Claude Garbe as La secrétaire de Segard *

Jacques Henley Jacques Henley (born Jacques Dhote) was a French actor. Selected filmography * '' Our Masters, the Servants'' (1930) * '' The Mystery of the Villa Rose'' (1930) * ''The Threepenny Opera'' (1931) * '' The Yellow Dog'' (1932) * ''The Regiment's Cha ...

as Le colonel britannique au cabaret * Jacqueline Huet as La dame du vestiaire au cabaret * Nicole Jonesco as Une standardiste *

Véra Norman Marguerite Trediakowski (28 December 1924 – 19 May 2023), better known as Véra Norman, was a French film actress. Norman died in Saint-Arnoult, Calvados on 19 May 2023, at the age of 98. Selected filmography * '' The Sea Rose'' (1946) * '' ...

as La militaire dans l'avion * Jean Richard as Le président *

Andrée Tainsy Andrée Micheline Ghislaine Tainsy (26 April 1911 – 19 December 2004) was a Belgian actress. She worked with several notable actors like Philippe Noiret, Jean Louis Trintignant, Charlotte Rampling and famous directors like Claude Chabrol, Cos ...

as La balayeuse du cabaret *

Gérard Séty Gérard Séty (; 13 December 1922 – 1 February 1998) was a French actor. Partial filmography *'' The Temptation of Barbizon'' (1946) - Le chauffeur (uncredited) *'' Night Warning'' (1946) - Un pilote américain (uncredited) *''Patrie'' ...

as Un client du cabaret * Van Doude as Un client du cabaret *

André Valmy André Valmy (8 October 1919 – 18 November 2015) was a French film actor. He was born André Antoine Marius Dugenet in the 14th arrondissement of Paris. He appeared in more than 60 films between 1940 and 2001. He is also known in France to ...

as Beaudoit *

Bernard Lajarrige Bernard La Jarrige (25 February 1912 – 29 May 1999) was a French film and television actor.Paietta p.17 His name is sometimes written as Bernard Lajarrige. Selected filmography * '' Orage'' (1938) - Un copain (uncredited) * ''La cité des lumi ...

as P'tit Louis *

Nadine Tallier Nadine de Rothschild (née Nadine Nelly Jeannette Lhopitalier; born 18 April 1932) is a French author and former actress. She is the widow of banker Edmond Adolphe de Rothschild, a member of the Rothschild family. Biography Nadine Lhopitalier ...

as Une jeune femme dans le cabaret

References

Bibliography

* Moine, Raphaëlle. ''Cinema Genre''. John Wiley & Sons, 2009. * Spicer, Andrew. ''Historical Dictionary of Film Noir''. Scarecrow Press, 2010.

External links

* 1949 films 1949 drama films 1940s French-language films Films directed by André Hunebelle Films set in 1942 Films set in Tangier Films about journalists Films with screenplays by Michel Audiard French black-and-white films French drama films Films shot at Billancourt Studios 1940s French films Films scored by Jean Marion 1940s thriller films 1940s spy films French spy films French thriller films {{1940s-France-film-stub