Beautiful, moving film.

Absolutely Fantastic

It is not deep, but it is fun to watch. It does have a bit more of an edge to it than other similar films.

It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

Tyrone Power is obviously, as the title suggests, a diplomatic courier. He is thrown into a new mission just after completing one and changes planes before he is given time to turn around. Exhausted, he promptly falls asleep, taking two seats, but Patricia Neal, the last one on, needs it and he ultimately sleeps on her shoulder.Right off the bat, they hit it off and have great chemistry. He would love to spend time with her, but he has his mission. This is a thoroughly engrossing espionage film that is a lot of fun and moves at a break-neck pace, with Ty constantly chasing the "bad guys" or being chased by them. Hildegarde Neff is great in a supporting role.I'm sure this is hard to find. (I taped it some time ago off Fox Movie Channel, and recently watched it.) But if you happen to catch it, you'll be very glad you did. Costarring Stephen MacNally and Karl Malden and with James Coburn and Charles Bronson in small roles, this is one good little film that should be discovered.

This is one of the best of the post-war intrigue/suspense flicks. What all of these have in common is the gritty black-and-white look of cities that haven't recovered from the war, usually in ruins, to varying degrees. (Think The Third Man, The Search, Berlin Express) There are no ruins in Diplomatic Courier, but you still get that shadowy, melancholy, sinister, exotic atmosphere that marks the genre.Others, who pick apart the "accuracy" or logic of certain parts of Diplomatic Courier are pedantic prigs who don't know how to watch a movie. Sure, there are a few lapses, but in such a fast-paced movie, with so many plot points, it's amazing that the story holds together so well. This is due, I think, to Henry Hathoway, one of the great line directors of the studio system. Add the cinematography of the great Lucien Ballard, and you have a handsome production.As for the cast, who cares if Bogart would have been better? Tyrone Power is, well, Tyrone Power. No, he's no Bogart, but who doesn't enjoy just watching him? And he is one of the great action film stars. And we have Patricia Neal, at her most beautiful and vampish, in that mink coat for Ty Power to nestle his face in. I think the Power-Neal thing is essential because it serves as a light-hearted counterpoint to the severe, portentous relationship of Power-Neff.And speaking of Hildegard Neff, I agree with a previous reviewer, that this film showcases the talent and beauty of one of the finest actresses that Hollywood ever trashed.

Tyrone Power had charm. Not much here. He tried hard, in movies like "Nightmare Alley." Not here.Hildegard Knef is the real female lead. I must admit that I found her somewhat uninteresting. Believable in the role: yes, certainly. But she has little screen presence, at least here.Patricia Neal is a superb actress and exciting personality. Hollywood didn't seem to know how to use her. She was in some good movies (including "Hud" and "The Hasty Heart." She was in some not so good movies but thrilling in them; and I am thinking, yes, of "The Fountainhead." Here she has a rather small part and she seems miscast. Additionally, in one scene, she wears a truly hideous hat and is filmed from the most unflattering angle possible. Could this have been intentional? If not, somehow a beautiful woman was made, for five or ten minutes, to look like a complete frump.

In the Cold War, Mike Kells (Tyrone Power) is a courier, who has the mission to meet his friend Sam Carew (James Millican) in a train in Europe and bring some documents back to Washington. However, Sam is killed in the train, and Mike finds a hint in his pocket, indicating he should go to Trieste to find Janine (Hildegard Knef), the last contact of Sam before he dies. Meanwhile, Joan Ross (Patricia Neal), an American widow that Mike met in the plane, shows a great interest in Mike. Mike does not know, but he is used by American government as a bait. This movie has aged a lot, by remains very attractive. The story, full of plot points, is still very good. In Brazil, it is only available on cable television. The DVD and the VHS have not been released. My vote is sevenTitle (Brazil): `Missão Perigosa em Trieste' (`Dangerous Mission in Trieste')