13 RUE MADELEINE is a good war effort telling of corruption and espionage in Nazi-occupied Holland. It stars former gangster actor James Cagney as a man who is tasked with training some secret service agents to be parachuted into Holland to retrieve a figure crucial to the Allied cause. However, a series of events including betrayal and murder eventually lead to a mission of revenge, one that is fraught with danger.
This film was directed by the reliable Henry Hathaway and is a visually impressive movie. One key parachuting sequence is hair-raising stuff but there's plenty of suspense and incident throughout to keep you watching. Cagney is a good lead here and acquits himself well physically in some strong fight sequences. Richard Conte has a memorable supporting role. The abrupt ending is certainly one to be remembered too.
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