I Was a Spy *** (1933, Madeleine Carroll, Herbert Marshall, Conrad Veidt, Edmund Gwenn) – Classic Movie Review 10,829

‘TO ANSWER THE LURE OF HER LIPS WAS FATAL!’

Director Victor Saville’s 1933 I Was a Spy stars Madeleine Carroll as Marthe Cnockaert, a real-life World War One nurse who in German-occupied Belgium in 1914 cares for injured German soldiers but is coached as a Belgian secret agent passing information to the British. This strongly cast, thoroughly enjoyable Thirties spy drama was very popular with film-goers and really successful at the box office.

Carroll makes a lusty heroine as the feisty spy and Conrad Veidt is in his lip-smacking element, relishing his role as a nasty Nazi commandant, Kommandant Oberaertz, while Edmund Gwenn is on top form as the Burgomeister [Burgomaster}.

The screenplay by W P Lipscomb (dialogue and scenario) and Ian Hay (additional dialogue) is based on Martha Cnockhaert McKenna [Marthe McKenna]’s 1932 autobiographical memoir tale about the real-life Belgian heroine Martha Cnockhaert, who nursed German soldiers during World War One and helped to smash the invading Germans’ communications by passing intelligence on to the British.

Also in good roles and giving performances to relish are Herbert Marshall, Gerald du Maurier, Donald Calthrop as Cnockhaert, May Agate as Mme Cnockhaert, Martita Hunt (in her debut), Nigel Bruce, Anthony Bushell, Eva Moore and George Merritt.

Marthe McKenna also wrote the story for Lancer Spy.

It is produced by Michael Balcon, who sent assistant director Herbert Mason with the script to Belgium to give Marthe Cnockaert approval.

It was released on DVD on 19 May 2014.

© Derek Winnert 2021 Classic Movie Review 10,829

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