State Secret (1950 film)

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State Secret is a 1950 British drama thriller directed by Sidney Gilliat and starring Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Glynis Johns, Jack Hawkins, Olga Lowe and Herbert Lom. The film was made at Isleworth Studios with eight weeks of location shooting in Trento and the Dolomites in Italy. It was released in the United States under the title The Great Manhunt.

Plot
American surgeon John Marlowe visits Vosnia to receive the Kepler Gold Medal and to demonstrate his new techniques on a patient who is revealed to be the Vosnian dictator, General Niva. Niva dies during recovery, and Marlowe, knowing he has seen too much, escapes as the regime tries to cover up the death. With elections looming, a double replaces the dictator, and Marlowe is hunted by the state security. After a series of close calls, he enlists the help of Lisa, a half-English music-hall singer, and a smuggler. They travel across the country, seeking a way out. A border escape is nearly thwarted, but a live radio broadcast reveals that the stand-in dictator has been killed, exposing the truth. The government’s cover-up collapses, and Marlowe and Lisa are freed and eventually reach safety in America.

Production and reception
Gilliat based the story on a newspaper article he read before World War II and aimed for a fast, chase-thriller style. The fictitious Vosnian language was created for the film. Douglas Fairbanks Jr. was cast as Marlowe, with Glynis Johns as Lisa; filming began in August 1949. The production faced challenges in Italy over political reactions and unions.

The New York Times praised the film, calling it lively and well-photographed, with strong performances. In Britain, it was a notable box-office success in 1950. Gilliat later said the film was underrated and that Fairbanks’s colder persona may have hurt its reception, but he still regarded it as profitable.