Stamboul Quest *** (1934, Myrna Loy, George Brent, Lionel Atwill) – Classic Movie Review 8,374

Director Sam Wood’s 1934 MGM black and white romantic spy thriller movie Stamboul Quest stars Myrna Loy as Annemarie, Germany’s top secret agent in World War One. She cannot resist the charms of US student Douglas Beall (George Brent) while he is on vacation in Turkey, but the German spy boss Herr Von Sturm (Lionel Atwill) comes between them.

The mix of romance and intrigue could have done with a lighter touch, but Loy and Brent are entertaining, and Atwill is a real scene-stealer, while director Wood keeps it ticking along at a fair pace in a short running time of 86 minutes, with a tense atmosphere helped by the distinguished black and white photography by James Wong Howe.

Herman J Mankiewicz’s nifty screenplay is based on Leo Birinsky’s story, which is based on a true story about a female spy dubbed Fräulein Doktor, made again as Mademoiselle Docteur (France, 1937, directed by G W Pabst) and Fräulein Doktor in 1969, an Italian/Yugoslavian co-production. It is a fascinating subject.

A 1937 English version of Mademoiselle Doctor (also known as Under Secret Orders), directed by Edmond T Gréville, was shot at the same time, but with some cast changes.

Also in the cast are C Henry Gordon, Douglass Dumbrille, Mischa Auer, Rudolf Amendt, Robert Gleckler, Reginald Barlow, Joseph Sawyer, Christian Rub, Edward Keane and Georges Renavent.

The German-trained World War One spy Annamarie Lesser, who used the code name Fräulein Doktor after her PhD from the University of Freiburg, ran a training school for espionage agents in Antwerp, Belgium. during the German occupation there.

Myrna Loy recalled that MGM was concerned over being sued for libel and needed to be extra careful how the script portrayed Fräulein Doktor since she was still alive, a drug addict, living in a sanatorium in Switzerland.

[Spoiler alert] Unlike Mata Hari, who may have been exposed by Fräulein Doktor, the latter was never caught.

It was released on July 13, 1934 (US).

Stamboul Quest is directed by Sam Wood and Jack Conway (uncredited), runs 86 minutes, is made and released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, is written by Herman J Mankiewicz and Richard Schayer (uncredited), based on a story by Leo Birinski, is produced by Bernard H Hyman and Sam Wood, is shot by James Wong Howe, and is scored by William Axt (uncredited).

The cast are Myrna Loy as Annemarie, George Brent as Douglas Beall, Lionel Atwill as von Sturm, C Henry Gordon as Ali Bey, Rudolph Amendt as Karl, Mischa Auer as Ameel Roberts, Leo G. Carroll as Kruger. Hooper Atchley as Turkish Colonel, Douglass Dumbrille, Rudolf Amendt, Robert Gleckler, Reginald Barlow, Joseph Sawyer, Christian Rub, Edward Keane and Georges Renavent.

© Derek Winnert 2019 Classic Movie Review 8,374

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