Walk East on Beacon! (1952) Online

"Walk East on Beacon" is a 1952 film starring George Murphy, about a G-man after a Communist sleeper cell. Set in Boston, it's a dry, unexciting look at police procedure, which we all know is plodding to begin with.

Narrated by Westbrook Van Vorhees, the film uses a documentary style often used for this type of film in the '50s. It usually signals an unexciting film, which this is.

George Murphy wasn't a great actor, but he was certainly charming. He isn't able to use much of his charm in this. The theme of the film isn't uncommon and has been better done.

The Boston locations were fun, but that's about it. If you're looking for thrills, go elsewhere.

PLOT: Commy spies attempt to gain secrets.

a docu-drama style movie~ This starts as the FBI receive a hot trip about a Communist cell in Boston. WE see the newly arrived KGB contact played by Karl Stepanek who urges the spies to even more ruthless means to get secrets. Finley Currie as the Professor Kefer who is being black mailed by the spies with his son being captive in Berlin by the REDS. MADE with the cooperation of the FBI. Some of the men are actual FBI agents. BASED on story by J Edgar Hoover himself the Crime of the Century a short story in the Readers Digest. BETTER than I expected. Moves along very well and the ADDED "dedication" of the spies to the RED commy cause at times is comical and interesting. MADE at time of the RED SCARE (COMMUNIST) days of the 1950s. I give this 7 out of 10 for interesting COMMY spies inside the USA. Also recommend is the HOUSE on 92nd STREET.

An hysterical anti-communist screed dolled up in the drag of a police procedural, Walk East On Beacon simply isn't up to the task of alerting us to the dangers of a Fifth Column in our midst. Well filmed but weedily written (and based on a magazine article by the Dark Prince of the F.B.I., J. Edgar Hoover), the film stars Republican senator-in-waiting George Murphy as a G-Man hot on the heels of a Red sleeper cell. Murphy was never much of an actor, and here he's strictly in Jack Webb just-the-facts-ma'am territory. Location photography in Boston gives the film a boost, but overall Walk East On Beacon! can't match either the red hot emotional power of Pickup On South Street or the creepy intensity of My Son John, two other Red Menace films of the period.

Or the Red Sox....

This is a spy drama which takes the viewer inside the intrigue as seen through the Communist eye, at least through the writings of anti-communists. It's a film noir cold war thriller well acted by a mostly unknown cast, although future politician George Murphy is recognizable as the head FBI agent. The Scottish Finlay Currie is excellent as the scientist the commies (a combination of mostly both American born and Russian, as well as some from a few other countries) want to get their hands on for his complicated formula, and they have held his son as prisoner as leverage for getting him to do what they need him to do. It's not strictly just the desire for the secret formula and everything it can do which makes this tense, but each step they take and every action which occurs, making them sly and calculating as agents who don't even know each other must prove their identities when they first encounter each other (usually through a torn dollar or photo).

Don't cast judgment on all of the communist characters involved in the quest for the formula because as this film will reveal, some are communists through youthful error, some blackmailed into participating and some actually double agents. This is a brilliantly written and well made film noir which turns the naked city into the cradle of liberty where that liberty is definitely being threatened. Such innocuous shops such as flower stores, photography labs and even a mortuary are the fronts for commie activity. This isn't one of those cold war era anti-communist propaganda films that is simply out to discredit communism, just the actions of those involved in stealing vital secrets and the danger in the world of espionage where nobody is safe.

Egomaniac, Hypocrite, and Big Brother J. Edgar Hoover's stain is all over this Red Scare Movie. Another McCarthy Era Propaganda Piece that the Government, in League with Hollywood, pushed on the Public in the early Post War Years. It is a Movie that is Cold and without Emotion, ironically just like the Commies.

Among its many Sins, one is the way it inaccurately equated the Russians with the Nazis for nothing more than analogous Angst. Did anyone remember that it was just a few short Years prior that Germany invaded Russia, and Russia invaded Germany. They hated each other. But in the World of Government Mind Control, that memory is wiped.

This is an interesting Artifact of the Time to be sure, and a reflection on the Temperament. As Entertainment it is so stilted that the whole thing barely has a Heartbeat although it tries, so seriously, to make its case that anything resembling a Human Being is lost in the Fog of the Cold War. If there's still any doubt about the Evil of Hoover and his Megalomania, check out all the dismembered Head Shots of J. Edgar floating about in quite a few of the office Scenes.

Worth a view for Cold War Historians and "Safety for Freedoms" researchers. It is a Movie masquerading as your Friend. Early on the Film mentions how in the USA Citizens go about their Daily Lives freely because of the Bill of Rights. That creepy, prying TV Camera in the Shop was just the beginning. A Harbinger for sure.

The story was developed some years after the close of World War II, and as some of the techniques of Soviet agents of the time. The basic story, a "professor" is developing mathematics that can be used for the development of missiles and the like, with Soviet agents trying to find out details -- apparently some exotic math -- from a project code-named Falcon. The story follows the various mechanations of enemy agents, and the details of how the F.B.I. coped with the covert actions of the enemy agents. Since the film is in monochrome, it's a bitironic to point out that the plot is In black and white, as are the characters. This follows the tradition of such films during the World War II period. The covert activities of the F.B.I. are a bit humorous to a modern eye -- for example, the call litters of the local Bureau home radio transmitter are WFBI, which would be anything but a low profile in case of people monitoring frequencies. Bugging a suspect's business with an early TV camera and audio link was more to show off the latest postwar technology than to show any practical means of snooping. To a modern eye, the precomputer "calculating machine" used somehow to develop what in the brief glimpse we see of it looks like a set of differential equations, seems to the modern eye rather amusing, but accepting it for the sake of the story isn't difficult: the developed sheet of equations is what the spy ring is seeking. A rigid analysis of the espionage and counteroffer's makes little more sense than counting the number of shots a six-gun in a Roy Rogers western manages to fire without reloading; some things one can't take too seriously. Entertaining, but not documentary.

I give this a "6" for the location filming and the police procedural format. The use of relatively unknown actors, save for George Murphy, enhance the film. The story itself is far-fetched, only loosely based on the Rosenthal case of the early 50s. WARNING Spoiler AHEAD: It has a spy master from Moscow entering from a Polish ship in Boston Harbor; a cell of agents already in place, a kidnapping of a refugee scientist and a sea "chase" climax. All in all, if you want to see what Boston looked like in 1952 and enjoy the quasi-documentary film, watch this. Don't expect accurate history, or any history for that matter. If you want to see squared-jawed, All-American FBI agents chasing evil communists, watch "Big Jim McCain" with John Wayne or the "FBI Story" with Jimmy Stewart. Both almost as fictional as this, but each has a more interesting and dynamic story and lead actor.

"Walk East on Beacon" was filmed at the height of the communist scare heightened by the investigation of the House on Un-American Activities committee of the U.S. Senate. It was filmed in a documentary style and was sanctioned by J. Edgar Hoover and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Mr. Hoover's name by the way, is mentioned frequently throughout the picture.

The film shows how communists have blended seamlessly into American society and the FBI's efforts to ferret them out through their detailed investigations. This particular story follows the efforts of Soviet spies to steal defence secrets from a secret project known only as "Falcon".

The FBI investigation is headed up by Inspector Jim Belden (George Murphy) who has the full support of Mr. Hoover and has all of the resources of the FBI at his disposal. Soviet spy Alexi Laschenkov (Karel Stepanek) comes to Boston to take over the "Falcon" mission because of slow returns from the previous agent. Dr. Albert Kafer (Finlay Currie) is developing the formula for a futuristic defence system.

The film then goes on to show the various contacts between the embedded agents and the FBI's surveillance of the meetings. The Soviets force Dr. Kafer to cooperate because they have his only son (whom we never see) in captivity. Through detailed investigation, the G-men slowly unravel the mystery and close in on the spy ring.

This picture turned out to be future U.S. Senator Murphy's final film. There are no grizzly murders or beatings and gun play is held to a minimum and whatever violence there is happens off screen for the most part.

A great flag waver for the FBI and the aforementioned Mr. Hoover.

"Walk East on Beacon!" is a product of the times. Following WWII, the good will between the US and USSR bottomed out quickly and instead of being friends, the Soviets took over Eastern Europe and parts of East Asia. In response, the US became very paranoid about communism and the notion of communists infiltrating the county....so a movie like this isn't the least bit surprising. Some of the movies are fun to watch...some, like this one, are surprisingly ordinary.

The film is about an attempt by communist moles to capture a top scientist and force him to work for the USSR. Professor Kafer (Finlay Currie) is worried because his son disappeared. Apparently, the communists have kidnapped him and say they'll return him IF the Professor cooperates. Fortunately, American FBI agents are on the case and hope to not only rescue the son but break up this network of spies.

The story was interesting. But it also was surprisingly low energy considering the subject matter. Also, having George Murphy anchor the film didn't help, as he always seemed more passive than most actors....and here he gives a typically bland performance. Overall, not a bad film....but I would have expected more fireworks considering the topic.

This is definitely not a "hysterical anti-communist screed" but a plodding 1950's manhunt story with Westbrook Van Vorhees as the narrator.It would be simple to ignore the ineffective demagoguery of Joe McCarthy as based on fiction, but the U.S.S.R. did aggressively spy on the U.S. and other allies during and after W.W.2 and its party organization and members were totally controlled by Moscow. This whole picture was shot on location but it lacks the punch of such other realistic films as CALLING NORTHSIDE 777, BOOMERANG, IRON CURTAIN etc.

Murphy wasn't much of an actor and comes off as bland as he was when the host of MGM PARADE.

This is a most conventional propaganda picture for the glory of the FBI with careful documentation of how expertly they handle their duties and get their commie villains. It is very similar in character to Henry Hathaway's "House on the 92nd Street", which though is a so much more interesting film for its characters, especially Signe Hssso. Here there are no characters except stereotypes.. The one character for which the film is worth seeing is Finlay Currie as the Russian scientist who gets into trouble, and his way of handling his very tricky path out of an immense abyss of trouble. It's not a bad film, but it is supremely superficial, varnished to 101% artificial perfection, but for Finlay Currie. who makes a great performance.

In general I agree with the two previous comments: this is a rather plodding, but competently filmed story within the early 50s parameters of anti-Communist drama. However, I cannot help remarking on the film's weird obsession with "women's shoulder strap bags." Although they have no real impact on the plot, they are repeatedly referred to or shown prominently. Also, I find the Party's tactic of threatening to expose members who wish to quit or are otherwise uncooperative nonsensical. This idea also appears in other films of the period. Even if it were true that such threats were made it would still make little or no sense as a functional threat. The exposed Communist would simply retaliate by exposing other Communists still loyal to the Party, I would imagine.

Commies were and remain filthy scum and they deserve all of the disdain and hatred mankind could give them. The collective disgust of the good guys in this film which resorts to amazing team work, long before these horrible and ubiquitous smartphones, proves that we can defeat our enemies if we only have the will to do so. The Commies are nasty and deceitful and the good guys are dedicated and thorough .I do hope I get a chance to report on freedom hating scum like this in the future in my important film industry job. With this kind of teamwork we could defeat all kinds of threats from abroad and from within.

Produced at the height of the McCarthy purges, a still Stalinist Soviet Union, and the stalemated war in Korea, a movie like this should come as no surprise.

Apart from the political aspect, the movie's a rather plodding account of the FBI breaking up a communist network in Boston. The location filming really helps since it conveys the fashions and street realities of the day. The acting is almost uniformly low-key, as the two sides plot move and counter-move. Neither suspense nor drama is played-up; rather the camera acts more like a detached observer than a player. The docu-drama format also works to establish authenticity, especially to the more controversial political aspects. Overall, this detached element results in a movie more interesting than exciting or suspenseful.

Thankfully, the political side only gets heavy-handed occasionally. Some communists are even portrayed as recognizably human, a departure from the stereotypes of an 'I Led Three Lives" of the TV day. However, characters come and go with such frequency, it's often hard to keep track. Not surprisingly, the FBI is uniformly portrayed as clean-cut, understanding, and efficient, while the lead Soviet agent comes across in contrast as grim and icily efficient.

Despite it's many low-key aspects, the movie remains at bottom a propaganda film, which surfaces in FBI remarks such as, Every loyal American enjoys rights guaranteed by the Constitution (my paraphrase). This, of course, is meant to contrast with the totalitarian Soviets. However, it also conveniently ignores the systematic denial of those rights across the Jim Crow regions of the US, where Blacks were denied even voting rights. By the way, the Soviets made much propaganda use of this fact to their own audiences. My purpose here is not to equate the two Cold War sides, but to point out that the essence of propaganda consists in just such a selective use of facts. As the movie shows, we had ours, and, of course, they had theirs.

Incidentally, George Murphy fans may be disappointed since he gets comparatively little screen time. The real star in terms of screen time is Karel Stepanek, the lead Soviet agent. But few go to the movies to see a non-name like Stepanek. Anyway, in my little book, the 100-minutes holds more interest as an artifact than it does as an entertainment.