Cloak Without Dagger

Cloak Without Dagger (U.S title Operation Conspiracy^[1]) is a 1956 British second feature ('B')^[2] comedy thriller film directed by Joseph Sterling and starring Philip Friend, Mary Mackenzie and Leslie Dwyer.^[3][4] It was written and produced by A. R. Rawlinson.

Cloak Without Dagger
British quad poster
Directed by	Joseph Sterling
Written by	A. R. Rawlinson
Produced by	A. R. Rawlinson
Starring	Philip Friend Mary Mackenzie Leslie Dwyer
Cinematography	Gerald Gibbs
Edited by	Carmen Beliaeff
Music by	Wilfred Burns
Production company	Balblair Productions
Distributed by	Butcher's Film Service (UK)
Release date	February 1956 (1956-02) (UK)
Running time	69 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English

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."^[5]

The Radio Times described it as "an uncomfortable mix of romance and mystery".^[6]

Britmovie called it a "light-hearted spy story with a touch of romance."^[7]

In British Sound Films: The Studio Years 1928–1959 David Quinlan rated the film as "mediocre", writing: "Some thrills, some unintentional laughs."^[8]