In real life, John Bolton was a code name for Benjamin Tallmadge, an espionage agent for the Continental Army who ran the Culper Ring, a spy network that operated out of New York City. Tallmadge briefly met British officer John Andre when Andre was a prisoner waiting to be hanged as a spy.
In the 1955 movie The Scarlet Coat, directed by John Sturges, Bolton is the real name of a ruthless spy working for the Americans. He's not a bad guy, but he doesn't blink at--for instance--back-shooting a courier to get the message being carried.
Bolton is played by Cornel Wilde, who brings an admirable subtlety to the role. We can instantly see that Bolton is a man doing his duty, not a psycho, and who must forceable turn off his emotions to get his job done.
While staying at a tavern, he discovers a Continental officer also staying there is really a British spy. In the ensuing struggle, the Englishman is killed. Bolton is briefly arrested for murder, which serendipitously sets him up for a dangerous mission. He can "escape" and defect to the British who currently occupy New York City. His specific goal is to discover the identity of a spy known only as Gustavos.
He meets John Andre and fools him. The two soon become friends. A Tory doctor (George Sanders) is perpetually suspicious of Bolton, but the American spy manages to tread a thin line. He sets up some British troops to march into an ambush, but in such a way that it looks like he was warning the British against the manuever.
There's also the beautiful Sally Cameron (Anne Francis) to consider--she seems to side with the British, but Bolton has reason to think she might sympathize with the rebels.
No comments:
Post a Comment