The House of Intrigue

The House of Intrigue is an Italian wartime espionage film released in 1956 under the Italian title of Londra Chiama Polo Nord (London calling North Pole). It was written and directed by Duilio Coletti. The film score was composed by Nino Rota. Synopsis The film stars Philippe Hersent as Landers (code name North Pole), a British radio operator and cryptographer captured in occupied Holland. Under the watchful eye of Colonel Bernes (Curd Jurgens) and other Nazi officials he is forced to send false and misleading radio messages to London in an attempt to undermine British intelligence. This results in the capture of numerous British operatives and resistance fighters. Meanwhile, in Britain Lt Mary Wintergreen, a pretty female officer (Dawn Addams), says goodbye to her agent boyfriend Cpt John Guinness (Dario Michaelis). Through the radio deception, John and other agents are captured. When John escapes he sends messages to Britain to contradict North Pole's messages but the German's send a balancing message saying that John Guinness himself is the double agent sending misleading information. When Guinness reaches Britain he is put on trial for treason and is sentenced to hang, partly on Mary's own evidence. In Holland the Dutch resistance leader, The Gorilla (Folco Lulli), leads an attempt to free the British agents from the abbey where they are imprisoned. This is unsuccessful and most of the resistance fighters are killed. The Gorilla meets secretly with Col Bernes and tries to trade a list of British agents for his own brother's release (Chris).