Directed by:
Michael CurtizScreenplay:
Laird DoyleCinematography:
Ernest HallerCast:
Leslie Howard, Kay Francis, William Gargan, Phillip Reed, Irving Pichel, Ivan F. Simpson, Halliwell Hobbes, J. Carrol Naish, Walter Byron, Cesar Romero (more)VOD (1)
Plots(1)
Based on an intriguing 1932 autobiography of R.H. Bruce Lockhart, who worked for the British Secret Service during the tumultuous days of the Russian Revolution in 1917. British-Hungarian actor Leslie Howard plays British agent Locke, whose main task is to prevent the Bolsheviks, led by Stalin, from signing a separate treaty with the Germans, embroiled in a war on two fronts. By chance Locke meets Elena, Lenin's attractive secretary and also a spy (played by the feisty Kay Francis) on the night of the first revolution, and they are both instantly smitten. Michael Curtiz (born Manó Kaminer in Austro-Hungarian Budapest) wastes no time however on romantic shenanigans. Instead, his direction is balanced and fast-paced, presenting a suspenseful political drama that portrays convincingly the life of spies during times of historical upheaval. Quite unusually, British Agent shows an understanding of the ideologies on both sides. (International Film Festival Rotterdam)
(more)Cast
Leslie Howard
UK
Best movies:
Gone with the Wind (1939)
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The Petrified Forest (1936)
Kay Francis
USA
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Trouble in Paradise (1932)
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William Gargan
USA
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The Bells of St. Mary's (1945)
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Phillip Reed
USA
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Irving Pichel
USA
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Ivan F. Simpson
UK
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Halliwell Hobbes
UK
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J. Carrol Naish
USA
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Walter Byron
UK
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Cesar Romero
USA
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Frank Reicher
German Empire
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Tenen Holtz
Russian Empire
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Arthur Aylesworth
USA
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Doris Lloyd
UK
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Mary Forbes
UK
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Captain Blood (1935)
Paul Porcasi
Italy
Best movies:
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Donald Crisp
UK
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Addison Richards
USA
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The Ten Commandments (1956)
William H. O'Brien
Australia
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Claire McDowell
USA
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