cult film freak: DANA ANDREWS & GENE TIERNEY DEFECT IN 'THE IRON CURTAIN'

Dana Andrews in THE IRON CURTAIN Year: 1947 Rating: ***1/2

Between the famous Otto Preminger Film Noir LAURA and WHERE THE SIDEWALK ENDS and almost a decade past TOBACCO ROAD is the sublime pair-up of Dana Andrews and Gene Tierney under the direction of William A. Wellman in a Cold War Thriller at the rudimentary stages of that very thing...

Taking place during and right after The Second World War, and was released only three years after the war ended, based on the "true story of Soviet cypher-clerk Igor Gouzenko, posted to the Soviet Embassy in Ottawa, Canada, 1943... to reveal the extent of Soviet espionage activities directed against Canada," where Dana Andrews takes a reverse risk since nothing's worse than an American actor badly attempting a foreign accent, especially one as thick as Russian...

Dana Andrews and Gene Tierney in THE IRON CURTAIN

And so, Dana basically speaks exactly like Dana. Meanwhile, he and Tierney fit within an otherwise passable programmer worth viewing: Although the real scene-stealer is Texas-born Berry Kroeger as "Paul," taking that risk and succeeding with flying colors, seeming and sounding like a Russian Orson Welles type of classy, distinguished yet nefarious thug with a scowl that's genuine, menacing and lethal...

He's the person to fear, eventually defecting with information about Soviet spies. "Paul" also keeps a narrowed eye on those spies who might have lost their love of communism. Berry's scenes without either Dana or Gene are beyond-effective, and provide a dark Noirish vibe when needed – as does the initial setup concerning Andrews when Russian Femme Fatale-like secretary June Havoc tests his loyalty with vodka, seduction...

Berry Kroeger in THE IRON CURTAIN

The suspense that's supposed to occur as Andrews and Tierney, with their newborn baby in her arms and secret documents stuffed into his clothing, just isn't really there as he tries locating any form of authority willing to listen to what seems like a nutcase conspiracy involving the Russian Embassy... Before that, Igor's transition is much too quick and easy...

After listening to quirky and vulnerable comrade Eduard Franz's drunken speech against their country, he's converted as a loyal Canadian with defecting on the brain (with CANYON PASSAGE Peter Whitney as the guard). During his most effect scenes, Dana remains the most square-jawed as a true Russian who believes in something that we, and not yet he, know will eventually change.