Highly Dangerous

Eric Ambler must have enjoyed himself cooking up this daffy blend of espionage spoof and straightforward thriller. Lockwood's the rather prim entomologist who heads for the Balkans, is arrested as a spy, then escapes and teams up with crusading Yank journo Clark while under the influence of a truth serum that makes her believe she's the heroine in a radio serial. It doesn't really come off, but larky moments raise a smile - like casting Naunton Wayne as the Chief of the Imperial General Staff.