Conspirator * (1949, Robert Taylor, Elizabeth Taylor, Robert Flemyng, Harold Warrender, Honor Blackman, Marjorie Fielding, Thora Hird) – Classic Movie Review 11,379

Director Victor Saville’s undistinguished 1949 American-British film noir suspense espionage crime thriller film Conspirator stars Robert Taylor as British Guards officer Major Michael Curragh, who is a Russian Communist spy (you can tell because he is wearing a cruel moustache) and this comes as a bit of a shock to his new much younger American wife Melinda (Elizabeth Taylor).

After she discovers his true identity, she demands he chooses between her and his political beliefs, but then his Soviet handlers order him to kill her.

MGM’s second film at its new London studio (hence the support cast of Brits) is distressingly uninspired and undynamic, with little tension or thrills, and the two Taylors not at all a happy couple, though the teenage Elizabeth Taylor (just 16) looks amazing and out-acts her grumpy-seeming co-star.

Sally Benson and Gerard Fairlie took their feeble script from Humphrey Slater’s 1948 novel.

Also in the cast are Harold Warrender, Robert Flemyng, Marie Ney, Honor Blackman, Thora Hird, Wilfrid Hyde-White, Marjorie Fielding as Aunt Jessica, Jack Allen, Cicely Paget-Bowman, Helen Haye, Karel Stepanek, Cyril Smith, Nicholas Bruce, and Janette Scott (the daughter of actors Thora Hird and Jimmy Scott) as Aunt Jessica’s grandchild Coupie.

There was controversy over the age difference between Robert Taylor, in his late 30s, and Elizabeth Taylor, 16 at the time of filming.

The film omits any mentions of Second World War British traitors such as John Amery and Norman Baillie-Stewart.

It cost $1,832,000, earned $1,591,000, and lost MGM $804,000.

© Derek Winnert 2021 Classic Movie Review 11,379

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Honor Blackman.