13 Rue Madeleine 1946 DVD - James Cagney / Melville Cooper

Bob Sharkey is put in charge of the 77th group of American espionage candidates. However, he is informed by his boss Charles Gibson that one of his students is a German Abwehr agent. He accepts the challenge of identifying him. He correctly chooses "Bill O'Connell". Gibson reveals that O'Connell is actually Wilhelm Kuncel, one of Germany's top spies. He tells Sharkey to pass him through the course, as they know his mission is to determine the date and location of Operation Overlord (the Allied invasion of Europe). They assign him a job in London that gives him full access to false information about "Plan B", the invasion of Germany through the Lowlands, hoping he will pass it along to his superiors.

At the end of their training, three of the new agents—Frenchwoman Suzanne de Beaumont, American Jeff Lassiter, and Kuncel—are sent to Great Britain. There, they prepare to fly into German-occupied territory. Kuncel is given a mission in Holland, supposedly because of his familiarity with the region. Lassiter is assigned to kidnap and bring back to England the French collaborator Duclois. Duclois designed and built the main assembly and supply depot for V-2 rockets that will be used against the key Allied invasion port of Southampton, and what he knows will be vital for achieving its destruction. Suzanne goes along as Lassiter's radio operator. Sharkey tells Lassiter about Kuncel and orders him to kill his friend and former roommate if he thinks Kuncel has not been deceived. However, on the airplane, Lassiter cannot conceal his uneasiness from Kuncel. Kuncel sabotages his parachute, and when the trio are sent to Holland, Lassiter plummets to his death. Gibson and Sharkey realize that Kuncel knows that the information he was given is false.

With no time to brief another agent, Sharkey volunteers to take Lassiter's place. Gibson is reluctant to do so, as Sharkey knows the date and location of the invasion, but finally agrees. With the help of the local French resistance led by the town's mayor, Sharkey takes Duclois prisoner. However, in stopping Kuncel from interfering with the airplane taking off with Duclois, Sharkey is captured. Suzanne is killed while transmitting the news to England. Kuncel takes Sharkey to Gestapo headquarters at 13 Rue Madeleine in Le Havre and supervises his torture when Sharkey refuses to talk. Back in Great Britain, Gibson has no choice but to order a bombing raid to destroy the building before Sharkey cracks. When the bombing starts, Sharkey laughs in triumph in Kuncel's face. .

Cast:

James Cagney as Robert Emmett 'Bob' Sharkey
Annabella as Suzanne de Beaumont
Richard Conte as Wilhelm Kuncel / William H. 'Bill' O'Connell
Frank Latimore as Jeff Lassiter
Walter Abel as Charles Gibson
Melville Cooper as Pappy Simpson
Sam Jaffe as Mayor Galimard
Trevor Bardette as Resistance fighter (uncredited)
Red Buttons as Second Jump Master (uncredited)
Arno Frey as German Officer (uncredited)
Karl Malden as B-24 Jumpmaster (uncredited)
E. G. Marshall as Emile (uncredited)
Donald Randolph as La Roche (uncredited)
Roland Winters as Van Duyval (uncredited)
Blanche Yurka as Madame Thillot (uncredited)

Runtime: 95 Minutes