Character Relationship Map: Background to Danger

Characters

• Joe Barton (played by George Raft) — protagonist

  An American machinery salesman who is secretly a United States spy. He accidentally acquires critical maps, witnesses a murder, and becomes entangled in a Nazi-Soviet espionage conflict, ultimately fo...

• Tamara Zaleshoff (played by Brenda Marshall) — protagonist

  A Soviet spy and partner to Nikolai Zaleshoff. She witnesses Joe's escape, later reveals her true allegiance, gets captured alongside him, successfully escapes, and partners with Joe on their next mis...

• Colonel Robinson (played by Sydney Greenstreet) — supporting

  The primary Nazi antagonist orchestrating schemes in Turkey to inflame Turkish-Russian rivalry. He kidnaps Joe, demands the stolen maps, attempts to manipulate public opinion via a newspaper, and is u...

• Nikolai Zaleshoff (played by Peter Lorre) — supporting

  A Soviet spy who initially searches the victim's luggage and later rescues Joe from German interrogators. He reveals his agency, gets captured during a newsroom raid, and is killed during the subseque...

• Ana Remzi (played by Osa Massen) — supporting

  A train passenger carrying a forged inheritance envelope that actually contains secret maps of Turkey. She is fatally wounded in her Ankara hotel, triggering the central espionage plot.

• Hassan (played by Turhan Bey) — supporting

Canonical Relationships

Family, romantic, and professional connections based on plot evidence.

• Ana Remzi → Nikolai Zaleshoff (Professional Investigation Target) — Nikolai's investigation of Ana's belongings links her death to the Soviet search for the maps.

  Nikolai searches Ana's luggage after finding her fatally wounded in the hotel room.

• Joe Barton → Hassan (Professional Assigned Assistant) — Hassan supports Joe's American intelligence assignment in Istanbul.

  After Joe reports to his boss, Hassan is assigned to assist him, and the two men travel to Istanbul.

• Nikolai Zaleshoff → Tamara Zaleshoff (Family Sibling) — Their family bond is joined to a shared espionage mission.

  Tamara is explicitly identified as Nikolai's sister.

Story Dynamics

Alliances, conflicts, and narrative interactions that evolve throughout the story.

• Colonel Robinson → Tamara Zaleshoff (Conflict Enemy Agent) — Robinson's operation directly targets Tamara and her Soviet mission.

  Tamara is a Soviet spy who is captured during Robinson's newspaper operation.

• Colonel Robinson → Nikolai Zaleshoff (Conflict Enemy Agent) — They represent opposing intelligence operations competing over the maps.

  Robinson leads the Nazi operation, while Nikolai is identified as a Soviet spy working against the German scheme.

• Colonel Robinson → Joe Barton (Conflict Interrogator) — Robinson treats Joe as an obstacle and a source of intelligence.

  Robinson has Joe taken to him, demands the maps, and sends him to be interrogated.

• Joe Barton → Nikolai Zaleshoff (Alliance Rescuer) — Nikolai provides decisive assistance before revealing his Soviet allegiance.

  Nikolai rescues Joe before the German agents can complete his interrogation.

• Joe Barton → Ana Remzi (Social Acquaintance) — A brief train acquaintance becomes the trigger for Joe's involvement in the espionage plot.

  Joe meets Ana as a passenger on the Baghdad-Istanbul Express and agrees to hold an envelope for her.

• Joe Barton → Tamara Zaleshoff (Alliance Escape Partner) — Tamara becomes Joe's operational partner during the decisive escape.

  Joe and Tamara escape together after both are captured during the newspaper operation.

Story Analysis

An American spy navigates a Nazi-Soviet struggle over secret Turkish maps while forming a temporary alliance with Soviet agents.

Plot Progression

1. Maps Beneath the Envelope — Joe meets Ana on the train and agrees to carry her envelope. He discovers annotated maps inside and finds Ana fatally wounded in Ankara.
2. Flight Through Ankara — Joe witnesses Nikolai searching Ana's luggage and escapes through a hotel window. German agents capture him and Robinson demands the maps.
3. Allies Behind Enemy Lines — Nikolai rescues Joe and the Zaleshoffs reveal their Soviet allegiance. Joe discovers that the documents have been stolen and reports his own espionage identity.
4. The Newspaper Trap — Robinson uses a newspaper to spread a false invasion story. Joe, Tamara, and Nikolai are captured during the confrontation, and Nikolai dies in the escape.
5. Burning the Evidence — Joe learns Robinson's location, confronts him at the newspaper, and forces him to burn the maps. Robinson is handed over and Joe leaves for Cairo with Tamara.