Lancer Spy *** (1937, Dolores del Rio, George Sanders, Peter Lorre, Virginia Field, Sig Ruman) – Classic Movie Review 10,828

‘The most extraordinary venture a man ever faced… the most suspenseful story ever filmed – because it is REAL!’

Director Gregory Ratoff’s 1937 Lancer Spy is a sharp and entertaining World War One spy thriller, with two roles for George Sanders, first as a British naval man, Lieutenant Michael Bruce, and then as his captured and imprisoned German officer double, Baron Kurt von Rohback of the famed Imperial Lancer Guards, a disguise he takes on to obtain German secrets.

Sanders no 1 nips over to Germany, masquerades as heroic no 2 who has gone AWOL, and works undercover as a Lancer Spy for England.

Luckily Sanders is very adept (not to say typecast) in both roles (he looks great in his crewcut) and Dolores del Rio is delicious as Dolores Daria Sunnel, a nightclub singer who doubles as a German spy charged with uncovering the truth about Sanders, but then falls for him.

Director Ratoff keeps the action moving at a crisp, economical pace, and there is a fine gallery of character actors to provide the needed flamboyant support: Peter Lorre, Joseph Schildkraut, Virginia Field, Sig Ruman, Fritz Feld, Maurice Moskovich, Lionel Atwill, Luther Adler, Holmes Herbert, Lester Matthews, Gregory Gaye, Joan Carrol and Frank Reicher. It is all over in a brisk, capable 78 minutes.

Philip Dunne’s screenplay is based on a story by Martha Cnockhaert McKenna [Marthe McKenna], a Belgian woman who was a spy for England in World War One. She previously wrote I Was a Spy, a 1933 British thriller film directed by Victor Saville and starring Madeleine Carroll, Herbert Marshall and Conrad Veidt.

Colin Clive started filming as Colonel Fenwick of British Intelligence, but collapsed during filming and died and had to be replaced by Lionel Atwill.

Filming started in mid May 1937 with French actress Germaine Aussey, who was making her American debut, but by the end of the month she had been replaced by Dolores del Río.

It is shot at 20th Century Fox Studios, 10201 Pico Blvd, Century City, Los Angeles.

© Derek Winnert 2021 Classic Movie Review 10,828

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