Foreign Intrigue

During the opening credits, the extensive park site of a mansion can be seen. Palais de Marbre in Nice.

A wider view shows the Palais de Marbre in Nice, originally known as Villa Les Palmiers, which represents the impressive Danemore mansion. Actually we only see a small part of the park grounds.

Victor Danemore (Jean Galland) returns to the house and goes into the library, where he shortly afterwards suffers a heart attack.

In Monte-Carlo, Danemore's private secretary has just arranged plane tickets to Vienna for his boss. As he leaves the travel agency, a tourist follows him and tries to interview him about Victor Danemore as one of the richest men in Europe. In fact, the two are on the steps to the entrance of what was then Hotel des Princes, but disguised as Travel Agency. 7 Ave. d’Ostende, 98000, Monaco, now redeveloped into apartments and offices under the name ‘Les Princes’

Dave Bishop (Robert Mitchum) saves the tourist (Eugene Deckers) from being hit by a passing Vespa scooter (with the blonde on the pillion). In the background, already in the La Condamine ward of Monaco-Ville at the beginning of Boulevard Albert 1er, the then Hotel Renaissance can be seen, recognizable by its round corner tower. 7 Ave. d’Ostende, 98000, Monaco, now redeveloped into apartments and offices under the name ‘Les Princes’

The stranger cannot be shaken off even as, opposite 7 Ave. d’Ostende, Bishop crosses the road to his car, an exclusive 1948 Delahaye 135 Cabriolet by Henri Chapron. .

Bishop remains tight-lipped, gets behind the wheel and simply leaves the annoying stranger standing there. Looking down onto Ave. d’Ostende, Monaco and an entrance to what is now 'Restaurant Le Botticelli’, and beyond, what was the Quai des Etat-Unis, later renamed to Avenue J.F. Kennedy.

Taken from a balcony of the Princes hotel (7 Ave. d'Ostende), Bishop drives towards the Casino. The entrance to Port Hercule can be seen at the top right, where several French frigates are always anchored. The terrace of the Hotel Beau Rivage, which was demolished at the end of the 1950s and replaced by the iconic Beau Rivage residence, comes into view on the left.

On the way back, Bishop crosses the notable Pont du Diable, which also appears in 'The Liquidator', 'Absolutely Fabulous' and 'To Catch a Thief' near Èze Village. The Cap Ferrat peninsula can be seen in the distance.

Mitchum arrives in front of Villa Les Palmiers, located at 9 avenue de Fabron, Nice which is standing in as the Danemore mansion. Commonly known as Marble Palace, the castle-like building also served as the setting for Max Ophüls' 'Lola Montès' (1955) and Luis Buñuel's 'It's Called Dawn' (1956). In 1958, construction began on the surrounding buildings of the residence 'Les Grands Cèdres'. The villa was then handed over to the city of Nice, which established its municipal archives there in 1963.

Bishop enters the villa and shortly afterwards finds the dying Danemore in the library.

Bishop tells the butler that Mr. Danemore is dead and the doctor must be called and asks if Mrs. Danemore is in the upper rooms. At the time, the property belonged to a real estate company that planned to demolish the villa to make room for a residential development. This made it possible to take the interior shots on location as well.

The woman in black, the young and beautiful Dominique Danemore (Geneviève Page), on the steps down to Rue Principale in Èze Village, followed by Dave Bishop, with whom she had an affair years ago, and other wealthy mourners. A similar shot of the stairs, but taken from the other end of the tiny square, appears in 'A Certain Smile' (see Capture 48).

After the funeral of Victor Danemore, the priest accompanies the now richest widow in Europe out of the cemetery. With Dave Bishop in tow, who is again approached by the 'tourist' from Monte Carlo and, strangely enough, asks, just like Dominique before, whether "he said anything before his death". So far unknown location.

After Bishop was informed by Dr. Thibault (Georges Hubert) during the funeral ceremony, through silent signs, that they should meet afterwards, the two return again to the tiny square at Èze Village, named la Placette.

The coroner informs Bishop that he has received a letter from Vienna. In it, a lawyer named Mannheim demands an official attestation about the cause of Danemore's death. In the end, Thibault also asks whether "he said anything before his death", which makes Bishop sit up and take notice. Outside what is now 'Le Cactus’, 7 la Placette, 06360, Èze.

The bald man introduces himself as Jonathan Spring (Frédérick O'Brady) from the life insurance company that manages the Danemore policy. He does not want to disturb for long, he said, but then Dave Bishop is completely perplexed, as Spring in the end wants to know whether "Mr. Danemore said anything that, um, might in any way concern me". The interior shot was taken in the area of the impressive entrance hall of Palais de Marbre with its artistically glazed dome. 9 avenue de Fabron, Nice.

Contrary to the plans of Dominique, who wants to start a new life with Dave in Paris, Bishop decides to fly to Vienna to meet Karl Mannheim (Frederick Schrecker). But the lawyer lies dead in his apartment and Bishop flees from the residents into the street as a murder suspect. So far unknown location.

Upon further investigation, Bishop discovers that Danemore was each year meeting with the Swedish industrialist Olaf Lindquist in Vienna, so he takes the next SAS flight to Stockholm. The establishing shot shows the Skeppsbrokajen along the Stockholms ström. The Slussbron area at the bottom left has since been significantly rebuilt. The appearance of the striking Räntmästarhuset on the corner of Slussplan and Skeppsbron has also changed several times over the centuries, most recently in the early 1970s.

Another establishing shot shows the attic of the Grand Hôtel, founded in 1874 in the Blasieholmen district, where Bishop is staying. Södra Blasieholmshamnen 8, 103 27 Stockholm.

Bishop takes a taxi to the Lindquists house. There he learns from Britta Lindquist, that her father died five years ago. Unknown location, perhaps the statue gives a hint.

The former Public Relations agent poses as a reporter working on a biography about Victor Danemore. However, Britta (Ingrid Thulin) suspects that her mother knows more about the connection between Lindquist and Danemore. Dave uses his charm and is spontaneously invited by Britta to the Lindquists' summer estate, which is located in the Stockholm archipelago. The dialogue scene in the taxi was of course shot by using rear projection, whereby the Nordiska museet (Nordic museum) on the Djurgården island can be seen in the rear window during the ride along the boulevard-like Strandvägen at the Östermalm district.

As the cab makes his way on Strandsvägen the ferries of Waxholmsbolaget moored along Strandvägskajen can be seen. First the 'Skorskär' comes into view, built in 1908 by Lindholmens Verkstads at Göteborg and originally delivered as 'Strängnäs Express'.

Then the Mercedes-Benz 180 type taxi passes the 'Express II', built in 1909 by Eriksbergs Mekaniska Verkstads at Göteborg and originally delivered as 'Brevik'.

The cab reaches Nybrohamnen, rounding the small Nybroviken bay, which separates the district Östermalm from the peninsula Blasieholmen. Opposite in the left background the Kungliga Musikaliska Akademien (Royal Swedish Academy of Music), founded in 1771, can be seen.

Dave and Britta hurry along Strömkajen to catch the ferry. In the left background the Kungliga Operan (Royal Swedish Opera) can be seen. The church tower behind the trees belongs to Jakobs kyrka (St. James' Church).

Shortly before the 'Östan' sets sail, the two go on board, the Strömbron can be seen in the background. Beyond the bridge the Stockholms medeltidsmuseet (Museum of Medieval Stockholm), can be recognized, located onto Helgeandsholmen island. The spire in the distance is that of Riddarholmskyrkan, located on Riddarholmen island. The ferry was built in 1909 by Eriksbergs Mekaniska Verkstads at Göteborg and originally delivered as 'Östanå I'.

The berthing maneuver of the 'Östan' is delayed because of the departure of an excursion boat. Presumably shot at the quai of Vaxholm, well-known for the Vaxholms Kastell, a now disused fortress on the adjacent island of Vaxholmen.

Together Britta and Dave reach the villa of the Lindquists, situated directly at the shores somewhere in the Stockholm archipelago. Presumably at Vaxholm island, but not confirmed so far.

Due to fog, no boat returns to Stockholm, forcing Dave to spend the night at the Lindquist villa. A romance develops between Dave and Britta, and she offers him a return to Stockholm aboard her sailing yacht. Still somewhere in the Stockholm archipelago.

While docking at the Västerbrohamnen marina of the Stockholm Sailing Club, Dave assists Britta by securing the yacht to the guests jetty. The north abutment of the impressive Västerbron, opened in 1935, can be seen in the background.

Due to a telegram from his friend Tony Forrest, played again by John Padovano as in the television series of the same name from 1951 to 1955, Bishop returns to Vienna. At Wien-Schwechat Airport, he is intercepted by the already familiar 'tourist' from the French Riviera, who turns out to be Pierre Sandoz of the Swiss Counter intelligence. Together they make their way to the meeting with high-ranking representatives of the US, British, and Swedish intelligence services. Currently unknown location, but could be an arterial road outside of Stockholm.

While Dave is waiting for his taxi in front of the hotel in Vienna, Dominique tries to dissuade him from his plan to do the job on behalf of the intelligence services. So far unknown location, but in my opinion none of the Vienna sequences were made on location.

Dave, however, is not persuaded by Dominique and gets in when the cab stops to meet with Jonathan Spring. So far unknown location, but the fictional 'Hotel Frontier' is another reminiscence of the original television series, also produced by Sheldon Reynolds.

Dominique has followed Dave and is determined to prevent the meeting with Spring at all costs. When she runs out of arguments, she pulls an automatic out of her pocket, which was already Karl Mannheim's downfall. Suddenly, plainclothes police officers appear from all sides and silently pull Dominique out of the way. Finally, Bishop sets off for England together with Spring to expose one of the remaining Nazi collaborators who, like Lindquist, had been blackmailed by Danemore since the end of the war. So far unknown location.