Confirm or Deny

Don Ameche is an American newspaperman waiting for the Germans to invade London in "Confirm or Deny," a 1941 film also starring Joan Bennett, Roddy McDowall, and Eric Blore. Ameche plays the conniving, fast-talking Mitch, who meets Jennifer (Bennett) during an air raid and falls for her. When his office building is bombed, he moves the staff into the basement of a hotel and persuades someone to let him use a teletype machine to give him a 40-minute lead on the other papers when the invasion happens. He arranges for Jennifer to be loaned out as a teletypist. Meanwhile, Mitch becomes angry that the censor (John Loder) isn't letting him report on some of the news.

This is a small movie from 20th Century Fox, but it really conveys the atmosphere, tension, and tragedy of wartime and has interesting and likable characters. Ameche does his usual terrific job, Bennett is lovely, and Roddy McDowall is adorable as a little volunteer watching out for homing pigeons with coded messages.

Recommended.