Seeking the familiar
Maybe the rules were different, in the shadow of wartime.
This evening, using the resource of YT, I watched a movie that dates back to 1946. Before my time, set in a war that still holds some of its cards face down. The film, 13 Rue Madeleine is a story of espionage. Back then, people still hunted for secrets, and the movie portrays a plot line that never gets too convoluted.
So, why did I pick this one, to watch? Well, parts of it used Quebec City as the backdrop, and I wanted to see if I recognized anything. I think I did, even if it was a study in gray. I’ve passed the reference on to my children, who still hang out there; I’ll wait for their input.
Technically, I was irked by one thing. The radio transmissions lacked amy sidetone. Not the spies. Not the listening equipment on base. Odd. Almost as if someone thought that Morse was snonymous with telegrapy. Believe me; trying to decode Morse from poorly heard key clicks requires more experience that I have, even after a half century.
Also, identifying planes that were crashing… I guess. My feeling is that once the “carcass” hit the ground, we have moved from plane to used-to-be. And where were the trains? In the ‘40s, they were still important. Not everyone could afford to run about in cute ro t=’adsters. But that’s my take, decades later.
I’ll watch this one again, to see if I can garner more details. Movies from this period tended to keep real details as a feature, not a deception.
