Cloak & Dagger

Cloak and Dagger will go down in history as one of the first post-war, atomic power, spy thrillers. Gary Cooper is physics professor Alvah Jesper, sent to Europe on a secret mission to uncover the Nazis' atomic bomb program. The elements are all there for success: the legendary director Fritz Lang, Gary Cooper, World War II, spyies, murder, romance, the beautiful Lilli Palmer, and the danger of atomic power in the hands of the Nazis. But somehow it all falls a little flat. Cloak and Dagger is still worth checking out for fans of post-war espionage films and cinephiles interested in the historical pairing of Lang and Cooper. Unfortunately, most will find the film dated and should seek to satisfy their post-war cravings with Carol Reed's The Third Man --Rob Bracco