SABOTAGE
Sabotage is a tense thriller, loosely adapted from Joseph Conrad's 1907 novel The Secret Agent. Protagonist/Antagonist: Karl Verloc (Oskar Homolka) is the owner of a small cinema in London. Unbeknownst to his kind-hearted wife, Mrs. Verloc (Sylvia Sidney), and her young brother, Stevie (Desmond Tester), who live with him, Karl is a secret agent and saboteur for an unnamed foreign power. The Mission: Verloc is tasked by his handlers to execute a major act of terrorism in London: placing a time bomb at Piccadilly Circus. The Detective: A Scotland Yard detective, Sergeant Ted Spencer (John Loder), goes undercover as a greengrocer's helper next door to the cinema to investigate Verloc. He strikes up a friendly relationship with Mrs. Verloc and Stevie. The Tragic Climax (The "Ticking Clock"): When the police net closes in on him, Verloc, desperate to get the bomb to its destination, gives the package (which he claims contains film reels) to young Stevie to deliver. The audience is made aware of the ticking timer on the bomb, creating agonizing suspense as the innocent boy is delayed by a parade and other mundane obstacles.
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