The Four Just Men (1939)

Frenchman Léon Poiccard (the redoubtable Francis L. Sullivan) leads a vigilante gang which includes Hugh Sinclair, who is super as a sort of "Scarlet Pimpernel" character ("Mansfield"), consummately slipping in and out of disguise, Griffith Jones ("Brodie") and Frank Lawton ("James Terry"). Their mission is to thwart a plan they have learned of by the Nazis to invade the UK. When these four men start to become the focus of the attentions of journalist "Ann Lodge" (Anna Lee) their efforts to thwart this plan become all the more perilous for them, and for her, as they must now evade the pursuing authorities and their enemy. This was written well before either World War and Edgar Wallace has written a story with certain portentous qualities. His usual attention to the detail in his writing is well reflected in this complex, if a little verbose, thriller with plenty of action and cleverly devised activity to keep us engaged and although the slightly propagandist nature of the screenplay leaves little room for jeopardy, the plot is creatively constructed, the performances are good and it's still good watch.