The Secret Partner (MGM) (1961)

| SCENES FROM “THE SECRET PARTNER” Stewart Granger and Haya Harareet, as husband and wife, face a domestic crisis in this scene from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer’s dramatic thriller, ‘*The Secret Partner.’? Bernard Lee also stars. in the spine-tingling romantic mystery film. Still 5047-35 The Secret Partner Mat 2-E Stewart Granger (left) is interrogated by Scotland Yard detectives Bernard Lee and Lee Montague (right) after the safe of his company has been robbed of $250,000. The scene is from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer’s dramatic thriller, ‘“‘The Secret Partner.”” Haya Harareet also stars in this spine-tingling film in the role of Granger’s mysterious wife. Still 5047-20 The Secret Partner Mat 2-B STARS OF “THE SECRET PARTNER” Haya Harareet follows her triumphant role in ‘‘Ben-Hur’’ with a completely contrasting characterization as a sophisticated woman of today in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer’s dramatic thriller, ‘‘The Secret Partner.”’ Stewart Granger and Bernard Lee play the male starring roles in the spinetingling romantic mystery film. Stewart Granger, as the blackmail victim in Metro-GoldwynMayer’s dramatic thriller, “The Secret Partner.’? Haya Harareet and Bernard Lee also star in the spine-tingling romantic mystery film. Still Harareet-5959 The Secret Partner Mat 1-E Still 5047-49 The Secret Partner Mat 1-D STEWART GRANGER, HAYA HARAREET AND BERNARD LEE STAR IN MGM'S “THE SECRET PARTNER,” MIXING ROMANCE AND SUSPENSE “The Secret Partner,” Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer’s dramatic thriller, stars Stewart Granger, Haya Harareet and Bernard Lee in a story mixing sex and suspense, set against a background of modern London, As Granger’s wife, Miss Harareet plays her first film role since her triumph in “Ben-Hur,” this time cast as a sophisticated, chic and beautifully dressed society woman. Granger is seen as John Brent, executive of a London shipping company —and a man of mystery. Blackmailed because of an episode in his past, his wife threatening to leave him, accused by Scotland Yard of a large scale robbery, he is left with the almost impossible task of proving his innocence, un aided and against seemingly impossible odds. Miss Harareet is Nicole, unable to understand the strange behavior of her husband, believing him to be involved in an affair with another woman, and turning to Dr. Richford, who makes no secret of his love for her. This emotional conflict is only one aspect of a dramatic picture that is as profound in its exposition of human relationships as it is exciting in its action. On Brent’s heels in an ever-closing chase through London is Detective Superintendent Lamont of Scotland Yard, played by Bernard Lee. It is during his tenacious investigation of the robbery and his probing into the unpredictable behavior of Brent and his wife that Lamont unearths a great deal of unsavory truth about those they thought to be their most intimate friends. “The Secret Partner” was produced by Michael Relph and directed by Basil Dearden, the successful team who have produced such international hits as “Sapphire,” “League of Gentlemen” and “Man in the Moon.” The picture is based on an original screenplay by David Pursall and Jack Seddon, with much of the swift action filmed on location against the dramatic. background of London’s East End dockyards. The stars are surrounded by some of England’s outstanding character actors and actresses, including Hugh Burden as Brent’s senior partner, Lee Montague as Detective Inspector Henderson, Melissa Stribling as Burden’s wife, Conrad Phillips as Dr, Richford, and John Lee as another of the men involved in Nicole’s secretive life. BRIEF SUMMARY “The Secret Partner,” from MetroGoldwyn-Mayer, unfolds a tense, taut, dramatic story of a man on the run— for his life, his freedom and his reputation. The picture has a distinguished cast headed by Stewart Granger, Haya Harareet in her first film appearance since “Ben-Hur,” and Bernard Lee. Granger is seen as John Brent, blackmailed, maligned by his wife and friends, accused of a robbery he swears he didn’t commit. Miss Harareet portrays the wife, chic, glamorous Nicole, representing many different things to many different men—lover, informant and secret partner. Bernard Lee is the Scotland Yard detective, Lamont, sure of his evidence against Brent but not so sure why everyone is so eager to place the blame on this one man, Others playing prominent roles in this web of intrigue and mystery are Hugh Burden, Lee Montague, Melissa Stribling, Conrad Phillips and John Lee. Filmed from an original screen play by David Pursall and Jack Seddon, “The Secret Partner” was produced by Michael Relph and directed by Basil Dearden, who have teamed on such successful pictures as “Sapphire,” “League of Gentlemen” and “Man in the Moon.” CAST John’ Brentica2. sce Stewart Granger Nicolet tee Haya Harareet DetinSupt. Hanbury =. Bernard Lee Charles Standish---..........-----.--Hugh Burden Det. Insp. Henderson............ Lee Montague Helen Standish-...-.--......-.. Melissa Stribling Alan Richford..2..22-22 Conrad Phillips Chiveblian Gis os Se ce wee John Lee Ralph Bel don:.22e---se ee Norman Bird SERCO OS atec coe eee oe eee erate Peter Illing Ly | Gia ete ce oe ath eee Basil Dignam BGT Rear ree ee Se William Fox VRGK ONS cocece cs cnceces Reon ceree ee George Tovey Dock) Foreman. =... ee Sydney Vivian Man in Soho Street-.............---. Paul Stassino COTATI Che | eae earns ones ree si Colette Wilde Hotelkeeper -__............. Willoughby Goddard PIGS Mclarenee eae oi Peter Welch Brent's: Secretary... 2.,:222s2 2 Joy Wood Dentist’s Receptionist._........ Dorothy Gordon Produced by Michael Relph. Directed by Basil Dearden. Screen Play by David Pursall and Jack Seddon, A Metro-GoldwynMayer Picture. THE ADDITIONAL SCENE AND PLAYER MATS, SHOWN IN THE COMPLETE CAMPAIGN MAT ON ANOTHER PAGE, MAY BE ORDERED SINGLY. MEN WHO MADE “THE SECRET PARTNER” ARE HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL FILM PARTNERS It is almost impossible to draw a pattern from the work of Michael Relph and Basil Dearden, Britain’s busiest independent production team. Their recent films, for example, have ranged from the socially conscious “Sapphire,” through the melodramatic “League of Gentlemen” and the satire of “Man in the Moon” to their most offbeat picture of all, Metro-GoldwynMayer’s “The Secret Partner,” starring Stewart Granger, Haya Harareet in her first role since her triumph in “Ben-Hur,” and Bernard Lee. “We have always tried not to pin ourselves down to any particular type of film,” says Producer Relph. “But wherever possible, we use the backgrounds, locations and situations we know best. We like to make films in which we feel we have a personal insight, rather than use a subject which we must approach as unsympathetic strangers.” Former art director Relph, tall and with one startling streak of silver in his dark hair, met Basil Dearden when they worked together on “They Came to a City.” Sir Michael Balcon’s Ealing Films was the company which not only set a new trend in picture making, but played a large part in re-establishing the British film industry. And the Ealing stamp can be detected on all Relph-Dearden’s work. Dearden, once an actor and now director of most of the team’s pictures, says, “We feel that without resorting to such catch phrases as ‘the British way of life’ and ‘upholding tradition,’ England is teeming with filmable people, situations and backgrounds. That’s why we have never gone out of the country to make our pictures, “We do not believe in the type of ‘international picture’ which relies on lots of foreign stars and foreign locations. Why should we make an American film, for instance, when the Amer Here’s Granger's Secret Vice: He’s a Collector! What’s Stewart Granger’s hobby? He is a collector. The popular actor, now starring with Haya Harareet and Bernard Lee in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer’s “The Secret Partner,” first started his hobby by collecting old silver. Now something of an expert, he tramps around London’s antique shops. Through bargaining conversations, he has discovered not only a great deal about what constitutes a collector’s item but also has acquired the necessary enthusiasm that is the rock on which a collection is made. Here are some of the items in Granger’s collection: tapestries, playing cards, china eggs, scent bottles, pill boxes and salt and pepper shakers, icans can make them so much better? We think our best chances are with the picture which is indigenously British, showing a contemporary problem—and is acceptable abroad for those very reasons. After all, we welcome American, French and Italian pictures in this country because they are American, French and Italian. Not second rate imitations of the pictures we can make ourselves.” Their policy has paid off. Their films have not only sailed successfully through the acid box-office test, but have won accolades from film reviewers and public alike on both sides of the Atlantic. How has the team managed to maintain such a high output of three to four films a year? “T suppose the answer to that,” declares Relph, “is that over the years we have acquired the facility of really working together and of having complete confidence in each other. Though, in the main, I produce and Dearden directs, we have occasionally changed positions in the past and this ensures a flexible executive organization, “Tt means that as soon as shooting starts on one picture, whoever is producing can get down to thinking about the next without having to worry about what the director is doing. We always have several scripts in hand, ready to go, and fortunately we seem able to concentrate on more than one subject at a time.” HAYA HARAREET HAS SOPHISTICATED ROLE Travel broadens the mind and Haya Harareet should know. Her spectacular rise to international fame followed Director William Wyler’s choosing Miss Harareet to star with Charlton Heston in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer’s “Ben-Hur.” Now she plays her first screen role since that triumphant, Academy Awardwinning picture in “The Secret Partner,” in which she co-stars with Stewart Granger and Bernard Lee. Set against a background of modern London, the role affords the actress a striking departure from that of her portrayal of Esther in “Ben-Hur.” As Granger’s wife, she is seen as a sophisticated, chic and beautifully dressed society woman, Miss Harareet’s acting career has given her wide opportunity to travel. Following the completion of a compulsory two years’ armed service in Israel (she chose the Marine Corps), Haya came to London to study drama. Since then, she has visited half-adozen other world capitals—Rome, where much of “Ben-Hur” was filmed, New York, Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam, Madrid, to name a few. She returned to MGM’s London studios for her role in “The Secret Partner.”