Cloak Without Dagger
{{Short description|1956 British film by Joseph Sterling}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2016}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2016}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Cloak Without Dagger
| image = "Cloak_Without_Dagger"_(1956).jpeg
| caption = British quad poster
| director = Joseph Sterling
| writer = A. R. Rawlinson
| producer = A. R. Rawlinson
| starring = Philip Friend
Mary Mackenzie
Leslie Dwyer
| narrator =
| cinematography = Gerald Gibbs
| editing = Carmen Beliaeff
| music = Wilfred Burns
| studio = Balblair Productions
| distributor = Butcher's Film Service (UK)
| released = {{Film date|1956|02||UK}}
| runtime = 69 minutes
| country = United Kingdom
| language = English
| budget =
| gross =
}}
Cloak Without Dagger (U.S title Operation Conspiracy{{cite web |title=Operation Conspiracy |url=http://www.tvguide.com/movies/operation-conspiracy/review/108342/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304212149/https://www.tvguide.com/movies/operation-conspiracy/review/108342/ |archive-date=4 March 2016 |work=TVGuide.com}}) is a 1956 British second feature ('B'){{Cite book |last=Chibnall |first=Steve |title=The British 'B' Film |last2=McFarlane |first2=Brian |publisher=BFI/Bloomsbury |year=2009 |isbn=978-1-8445-7319-6 |location=London |pages=66}} comedy thriller film directed by Joseph Sterling and starring Philip Friend, Mary Mackenzie and Leslie Dwyer.{{Cite web |title=Cloak Without Dagger |url=https://collections-search.bfi.org.uk/web/Details/ChoiceFilmWorks/150027053 |access-date=19 October 2024 |website=British Film Institute Collections Search}}{{cite web|url=http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/29616|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090114073413/http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/29616|url-status=dead|archive-date=2009-01-14|title=Cloak without Dagger (1955)|work=BFI}} It was written and produced by A. R. Rawlinson.
Plot
A fashion reporter is united with a former boyfriend, after a chance meeting, and helps him to track down an enemy spy.
Cast
- Philip Friend as Major Felix Gratton
- Mary Mackenzie as Kyra Gabaine
- Leslie Dwyer as Fred Borcombe
- Allan Cuthbertson as Colonel Packham
- John G. Heller as Peppi Gilroudian dress designer
- Chin Yu as Yan Chu
- Bill Nagy as Mario Oromonda
- Patrick Jordan as Captain Willis
- Marianne Stone as Mrs. Markley
- Frank Thornton as Mr. Markley
- Gerrey Levey as night club entertainer
- Boris Ranevsky as Antoine
- María Mercedes as Spanish girl
- Larry Taylor as Sergeant Blake
Critical reception
The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "Medium-paced British comedy thriller. Despite an obvious denouement and a somewhat disconcerting number of loose ends, the plot builds up a reasonable degree of suspense; and the leading players, notably John Heller as the professional spy, give confident performances."{{Cite journal |date=1 January 1956 |title=Cloak Without Dagger |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/1305821521 |journal=The Monthly Film Bulletin |volume=23 |issue=264 |pages=31 |url-access=subscription |via=ProQuest}}
The Radio Times described it as "an uncomfortable mix of romance and myster.y"{{cite web|url=http://www.radiotimes.com/film/k4wwv/cloak-without-dagger|title=Cloak without Dagger|author=David Parkinson|work=RadioTimes}}
Britmovie called it a "light-hearted spy story with a touch of romance."{{cite web|url=http://www.britmovie.co.uk/films/Cloak-Without-Dagger_1956/|title=Cloak Without Dagger|work=britmovie.co.uk|access-date=26 June 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150629042300/http://www.britmovie.co.uk/films/Cloak-Without-Dagger_1956/|archive-date=29 June 2015|url-status=dead}}
In British Sound Films: The Studio Years 1928–1959 David Quinlan rated the film as "mediocre", writing: "Some thrills, some unintentional laughs."{{Cite book |last=Quinlan |first=David |title=British Sound Films: The Studio Years 1928–1959 |publisher=B.T. Batsford Ltd. |year=1984 |isbn=0-7134-1874-5 |location=London |pages=293}}