Secret File, U.S.A. (1955– ) User Reviews (4)

Attention : Buyers Of $1 DVD's ... Beware !

[happipuppi13 · 4/10 · 5 December 2008]

I'd first like to thank the 1st reviewer for giving us the episode descriptions,now I wont have to bother. Second if you see this on the shelf anywhere you happen to shop be forewarned.... I've watched all of these shows more than once (and in slow motion & freeze frame) and ALAN ALDA is "not" in any of them! This is a marketing ploy to help the DVD to sell.

Alan Alda would be 18 or 19 at this time but it's very doubtful the producers or even Robert Alda himself would cast Alan then,having never acted professionally yet.

Early last year I bought this show on DVD for a buck + change,mainly out of curiosity and also that I like oddball things like this to begin with. I take nothing so serious in movie or TV show watching that I can't find some humor in what I see on the screen. I very much knew that this would be quite laughable.

Now the first reviewer said these shows were boring bur I feel the opposite. I'm not saying they're exciting like James Bond movies but 2 of the episodes are so bad they're funny and the other two are just slightly interesting,in terms of ideas.

The best of the four,in my view,is where Robert Alda's character Major Morgan must impersonate a very famous Aviator in order to prevent the testing of a special rocket powered aircraft he must ultimately destroy.

Simply,the show was not on any network but was made for syndicated TV. (Shown at different times in different cities on various channels.) It's budget is low and it's product of the era of anti-communism. That in itself makes it interesting enough but writing and a need for more realistic acting (plus very little interest) hurt it's overall chances from the start.

If for any reason to buy & view this,it should be only if you have a historic interest or like things that offbeat or just so bad they're funny. 4 out of 10 stars,that's certainly no secret. (END)

04/10/2017 : I only said there were 4 shows because that's all that were on my DVD. Also, to the more recent reviewer, Robert Alda is Alan Alda's FATHER , not his brother.

Something is Wrong Here!!!

[sataft-2 · 5/10 · 9 January 2009]

With no disrespect meant to the first commentator, something is definitely wrong here! First of all, I remember this show as being quite intriguing when I was age 14, which would have been in 1954.

In New York City where I lived, the show usually came on about 8:00 pm, right after the news which we watched on CBS with Douglas Edwards. After it was over, we switched to another network to see this show.

Secondly, I remember the show as having 'more' than 4 episodes and, thirdly, I remember the show having changed time venues in relationship to its scripts.

Why am I so certain of this? Because I remember the Major going behind enemy lines in Nazi Germany, being led by an undercover German citizen. And while they are traveling on foot toward their destination, at a roadblock, a staff car containing Adolph Hitler stops for a moment, and the major actually reaches for a hidden gun. His German companion then stops him and says, "No, even I cannot allow that!"

Just to check myself and recollection, I called an old childhood friend in Pennsylvania who is now a TV producer. He was also incredibly fond of this show: which he had to watch in my home in and as his parents couldn't afford a TV set.

His recollection is the same as mine. He too remembers the show's time venue changing mid run. And he too remembers more than 4 episodes. However, being that he is in the business, he comments that it is highly unlikely that any production company would have made only 4 shows, as it would be expensively foolish - even at that time.

He points out that even the studio that made the "Rocky Jones Space Ranger" TV series in 1954, produced 39 episodes before abandoning the project in the same year.

That said, I personally think the earlier episodes that dealt with the end of WW ll were better! And they must be out there somewhere.

Enemies of America beware!

[Gorbo · 1/10 · 2 May 2007]

Enemies of America beware. Deep within the files of the American Intelligence Services are the heroic, never before told stories of the gallant men and women who penetrate enemy lines in order to collect the information necessary for the defense of The United States. This 1955 classic television series stars Robert Alda as international American intelligence agent, Major William Morgan, capturing the entire absurdity of the "cold war" which takes form in these boring stories.

Episode 1 - Mission Assassin: Intelligence has uncovered a terrorist plot to assassinate the American delegate to the International Peace Conference. The delegate stubbornly insists on going ahead with his speech outlining his plan to unite the free world against aggression, even though it may cost him his life.

Episode 2 - Mission Chopin: The mastermind behind an enemy agency is suspected of being the famous music promoter Paul Simoneff. Major Morgan is sent to France to recruit famous pianist, Helene Van Loon, to participate in a dangerous mission of cat and mouse.

Episode 3 - Mission Firebird: The most carefully guarded atomic secrets of the United States have been leaked to terrorists. In order to stop these enemies from using the information, Major Morgan is ordered to locate and stop them from building a nuclear powered aircraft, code-named "Firebird." Episode 4 - Mission "M": Major Morgan is ordered to investigate an international gangster being held in customs at an airport in Amsterdam for carrying a forged passport.

from not very good to not half bad

[Whitehill · 5/10 · 17 December 2010]

Forget the plot lines. The not-very-good parts were the plot lines, all rather incredulous. The "Mission Firebird" episode had a story that felt like (and sets that looked like) something from Captain Video or earlier.

The acting, overall, showed every foreign-accented nemesis as a caricature or stereotype. And the most annoying thing (which a previous reviewer mentioned) was that the 4-episode DVD with its nice color cover (the shows are in black and white) highlights (with photo) Alan Alda as one of the two stars, even though he was not in --and apparently had nothing to do with--this series.

So what's not half bad? The on-location street scenes were great. The general anti- communist tone was a nice throwback to the '50s. And the star, Robert Alda (Alan's brother) had a certain kind of charm plus a great speaking voice; the fact that he narrated parts of each episode made it much more interesting.

Would I watch these episodes again? No. Would I buy another "Secret File USA" DVD with different episodes, if it ever came out? Sure.