The W Plan
| Company type | Film |
|---|---|
| Industry | Film industry |
| Founded | 1930 |
| Founder | Victor Saville |
Key people | Victor Saville (producer and director), Miles Malleson (screenplay), Frank Launder (screenplay) |
| Products | Film |
The W Plan is a British espionage film from 1930, both produced and directed by Victor Saville. The cast features Brian Aherne, Madeleine Carroll, Gibb McLaughlin, and Gordon Harker. The screenplay, crafted by Saville alongside Miles Malleson and Frank Launder, adapts the 1929 novel authored by Graham Seton. At the time of its American debut, Aherne was also gaining recognition for his performance in The Barretts of Wimpole Street on Broadway. Despite receiving positive reviews from critics, the movie did not achieve significant commercial success.
Plot
During World War I, British officer Colonel Duncan Grant (portrayed by Brian Aherne) is tasked with infiltrating enemy territory to gather intelligence on a German operation known as The W Plan. This mission follows information obtained from a dying German Major, Ulrich Muller (played by George Merritt). Having lived in Germany previously, Grant speaks fluent German, which aids his undercover efforts. He is deployed near Essen and investigates the residence of the individual responsible for the plan, where he unexpectedly encounters Rose Hartmann (Madeleine Carroll), a former romantic interest. When German officers request his identification, suspicions arise despite his possession of Major Muller's documents, compelling him to escape. After his plane is shot down during his flight out, Grant is captured and accused of desertion.
Rather than facing execution, Grant is assigned to work on the very secret tunnel project he sought to expose—an extensive underground network designed to undermine British lines. He manages to sabotage a vital segment of the tunnels and successfully returns to British-controlled territory. The story concludes with an implication that he will reunite with Rose in Switzerland.
Cast
- Brian Aherne as Colonel Duncan Grant
- George Merritt as Major Ulrich Muller
- C. M. Hallard as Commander in Chief
- Frederick Lloyd as Colonel Jervois
- B. Gregory as Flight Commander Mayne
- Mary Jerrold as Frau Muller
- Madeleine Carroll as Rosa Hartmann
- Clifford Heatherley as Café proprietor
- Austin Trevor as Captain of military police
- Norah Howard as Lady of the town
- Cameron Carr as Private Otto Goddern
- Milton Rosmer as President of the court martial
- Alfred Drayton as Prosecuting counsel
- Charles Paton as Defending counsel
- Wilhelm Koenig as Prison commandant
- Gordon Harker as Private Waller
- Gibb McLaughlin as Private 'Ginger' McTavish
(Cast details sourced from the BFI database)
Reception
Although The W Plan did not achieve strong box office results in the United States, it was met with favorable critical response. The New York Times critic Mordaunt Hall commended the performances of Aherne and Carroll, describing the film as "... an exciting and splendidly staged English espionage melodrama," further labeling it "... the most satisfactory production sent over here from the Elstree Studios."