Rendezvous (1935) User Reviews

German Spys Don't Fool William Powell

[bkoganbing · 7/10 · 16 July 2008]

While Myrna Loy was in one of her sit down strike moods looking for better scripts out of MGM, Rosalind Russell who Louis B. Mayer signed as a backup to Loy got her chance at a lead in Rendezvous. Her performance her was an object lesson to Loy from Mayer purportedly saying I can always get another Nora Charles.

While I personally doubt that, there is no doubt that Russell filled in admirably in this espionage comedy/drama set in Washington, DC during the days immediately following American entry to World War I. And of course her leading man is William Powell.

The film is actually based on the real life American cryptography expert H.O. Yardley who wrote a book about our code room in the War Department of Newton D. Baker. Baker himself makes a brief appearance here played by Charles Trowbridge. Yardley worked there and Powell's character is based on him.

I doubt very much if Yardley got involved with a beautiful bubbleheaded heiress like Russell who's uncle just happens to be Baker's assistant secretary Samuel S. Hinds. Nor was he playing as secret agent to trap a beautiful German spy like Binnie Barnes.

Powell's a veritable James Bond, charming and debonair as always more hindered than helped by Russell as he was in the Thin Man series by Loy. It would do well to remember that there was no Thin Man series as such yet. There was only one Thin Man movie made at the time so Mayer had a bit more leverage with Myrna back then. And Russell was almost a newcomer herself having made her debut as a second lead in another Powell-Loy film, Evelyn Prentice.

There are some good performances here by Lionel Atwill from British intelligence who is compromised and killed by Barnes and from Cesar Romero from the Russian embassy working as part of the German spy ring. Barnes herself essays the role of the cool villainess with grace and style that was her trademark.

In fact for fans of Powell and Russell of which I am both, this is an entertaining and stylish film all around.

The intricacies of decoding secret messages in 1917 is the highlight of this mixed espionage thriller.

[Art-22 · 6/10 · 14 February 1999]

Meddlesome Rosalind Russell is positively grating in her first star billing, continually disrupting the flow of the plot and detracting from my enjoyment of the action. What idiot would spike the coffee of the chief cryptographer with sleeping pills in the midst of his trying to decode a secret enemy message with the lives of thousands of American troops hanging in the balance? "I was just trying to get you to get some sleep," was her meek response after the damage was done. And she continually does things like that! I suppose it was meant for comedy relief, but it didn't work for me. What was enjoyable was the persistent and methodical decoding methods used before computers were invented, and the follow-up in the effort to break a German spy ring, including an exciting but improbable ending. William Powell gives his usual wonderful charismatic performance, with Binnie Barnes also excellent as the femme fatale German spy and Cesar Romero very convincing as her accomplice. All other acting was uniformly good, but why was English-accented Henry Stephenson cast as a Russian ambassador?

Based on a book by Herbert O. Yardley, who was the head of the U.S. Secret Service during WWI, the film has an air of authenticity.

Laughter in espionage

[TheLittleSongbird · 6/10 · 6 December 2019]

Have always appreciated comedy and try to appreciate all types. One can't go wrong with anything that incorporates suspense, being a fan of thriller and mystery which is full of it if done right 'Rendezvous' certainly did appeal to me. If done right too, romance can work great too and there have been films that have mixed comedy, suspense and romance very well (i.e. 'Charade'). There is a lot of talent in the cast too so there was a lot going for this film.

The good thing about 'Rendezvous' is that a lot of it does work, there are many things that work very well indeed and it is definitely well worth seeing, with most of the cast being the main reason. At the same time, it doesn't live up to full potential and a couple of the things that easily could have worked brilliantly disappoints quite badly which is pretty frustrating. Sorry but part of me does get a little narked when something has a good deal of potential but either doesn't live up to full potential or completely wastes it.

'Rendezvous' does have a good deal of good things. It is very nicely filmed and has the right amount of grit without looking under-budgeted. William Axt's score is a mix of jaunty and ominous, which worked very well with the film's tone(s). The script does amuse and thought provoke and the direction on the most part is well judge. The story generally compels, but works best in the spy elements which were intriguing and clever as well as with the right amount of suspense.

Some of the comedy was amusing and cleverly interpolated. William Powell is in a part perfect for him and manages to show an expert mix of funny, debonair and intense. Binnie Barnes is also a delight and steals all her scenes while Cesar Romero is also in a role well suited to him. Seeing Lionel Atwill in a non-villain role was a pleasant surprise and he doesn't look taxed at all.

On the other hand, not everything in 'Rendezvous' works. There could have been less going on, a little too much goes on and parts are more tangled than they should have been which gives the film an at times over-complicated feel. Not all the comedy gels, more subtlety was needed and some of it distracts from the plot rather than moves it along.

Do agree too that Rosalind Russell, replacing Myrna Loy who would fitted the part perfectly, has an extremely annoying and sometimes implausibly written character and tries too hard, so she becomes annoying as well sadly. She and Powell's chemistry doesn't really sparkle and doesn't really gel either, actually didn't think they looked completely comfortable together.

In conclusion, interesting but decent but had the ingredients to be great. 6/10

Spy background nicely done...curious mixture of comedy-suspense...

[Doylenf · 22 July 2004]

WILLIAM POWELL and ROSALIND RUSSELL have good chemistry here--although Russell gets the short end of the stick with an annoying "comic" character who disrupts everything in sight, including the plot.

The spy ingredients are nicely handled and there's a lot of behind-the-scenes decoding efforts going on in the World War I era that add interest to the storyline.

Nice to see Lionel Atwill on the good side for a change and Binnie Barnes is fine as a femme fatale heavily involved in the spy network. Cesar Romero keeps a poker-face as one of the ring members but is convincing enough in a minor role.

None of it makes for a great movie, but it passes the time quickly with an interesting glimpse of Russell before she perfected her comedy technique and Powell already at the peak of his comic timing. Cast includes Samuel S. Hinds and Charley Grapewin (Dorothy's uncle in 'The Wizard of Oz').

A rather uneasy mixture of comedy and suspense--but a stronger script would have helped considerably.

So So

[misctidsandbits · 7/10 · 15 January 2012]

If you like William Powell enough (or another actor in this film) and its venue, you may flow with it. It is a weaker one to my view, and while not a throwaway, not really picked up by anyone in particular. The character Russell played was incongruous and annoying, though she was probably refreshing as a newcomer. There's a bit too much overdone flip and horsiness about her performance here and in a lot of her pictures, to my taste. Likely, it's a script flaw, but given the level of weight of the decoding project at hand, her stunts are incongruous at best. The fact that she had such easy access is also unbelievable, despite her connections by relation. Also, she doesn't really work with Powell's character. After about her third shenanigan, I think, that's it for her. He'll move on. But he trots right along and they end up together. What? That a man of his caliber would hook up with a loose cannon like that just really doesn't work. And they aren't believable together. Binnie Barnes' character, though the villainess, was easier to take down, being consistent and well enough done. This essentially war picture has its interest, but I can't say after one more run through, I would care to repeat. But I do hang onto my classics and after some time, enjoy going back for just the era and actors. One can always ogle the clothes if nothing else.

A Decent Vehicle for Powell

[Eric266 · 6/10 · 21 August 2017]

Most of these reviews mention how Russell was a poor replacement for Loy. I didn't really make that connection as I'm a fan of Russell's from My Girl Friday. She was much better in MGF, I will grant you, but it didn't lessen my enjoyment of Rendezvous just because Loy was not in it.

William Powell plays Bill Gordon, a genius puzzle solver, who gets duped into becoming a code breaker for the Army by Russell's Joel Carter when America enters WWI. She is the niece of the Asst Secretary of War and uses her connections to get Gordon placed at a desk in Washington D.C. to keep him near. Its supposed to be cute and romantic, but it comes off as spoiled and cruel. Gordon then goes on to break an important spy message and leads him to a ring of spies operating in town.

Powell is amazing as usual. The opening scene where Joel mistakes him for a Russian singer and Gordon plays along is vintage Powell. He had great comedic chops and timing. The code breaking scenes are fantastic as Powell conveys wit, genius, and tension as his character goes through the long hours and countless failures trying to crack the code. As I said, Russell has done better work. Her role is is to act as a ditsy foil to Powell and it doesn't work.

The supporting cast is brilliant. While Russell was a the weak link in her first major role, the rest of the cast does great work. Binnie Barnes and The Joker himself, Caesar Romero, as German spies are top notch. Lionel Atwill as Gordon's boss provides a looming presence. With a tighter script and less pratfalls from Russell, this could have been a wonderful spy drama. It seemed they tried too hard to shoehorn in the comedy instead of letting it develop naturally with the plot.

If you are fan of Powell's this is a movie that needs to be part of your viewing library. If not, focus on the code breaking scenes and its still a fun ride.

okay but Powell is always worth it

[blanche-2 · 6/10 · 29 September 2005]

This is a so-so movie starring the wonderful William Powell. I swear the man could have brought the phone book to life. It's a film about a spy ring, breaking some codes, and finding the mole. Costars include young, dark-haired Cesar Romero (by the time I knew who he was, he had white hair), Binnie Barnes, Lionel Atwill, and Rosalind Russell in a very early - and very annoying role. Russell is pretty (except for what looked a clown costume turned into a woman's suit), and she was certainly a masterful actress/comedienne of stage and screen. But this was not a good part. In fact, as I was watching it, I thought, I wonder if anyone else found this character - well, not very likable. The character reminded me a little bit of Katharine Hepburn in Bringing Up Baby, where Hepburn pursued Grant. But Katharine Hepburn played an airhead, and Russell portrays a down to earth woman. Somehow, her making a nuisance of herself with Powell isn't as fun as seeing Hepburn do it.

Bottom line, it's just not a great script, but it is interesting to watch.

Interesting even if flawed

[Jim Tritten · 6/10 · 4 June 2003]

Not an often shown film, nor a great one, this is worth your time if TCM ever shows it again. The plot is somewhat dated but nevertheless interesting -- code breaking and spy catching -- if you ignore some of the excesses that were probably added by Hollywood. Folding in comedy, drama, and action into what would probably have made an excellent military training film, we are left unsatisfied with the overall effect. Yet there is a hint of the "Thin Man" chemistry between William Powell and Rosalind Russell that brings a smile to your lips. Fair but I am not sorry that I watched it.

Fabulous! Excellent pairing of Two Superstars!

[carsal7 · 10/10 · 7 June 2021]

I am not sure why all the mediocre reviews. I found the movie very intriguing and funny where it is supposed to strike laughter. I wish people would stop all of the comparisons of any of William Powell's leading ladies to Myrna Loy. Ms. Loy was a competent actress in her own two-dimensional way. However, actresses such a Rosalind Russell, Ginger Rogers, and Kay Francis gave superior performances alongside Mr. Powell just as much, if not more so, than Myrna Loy.

Featuring Roz Russell as Myrna Loy!

[Win-5 · 6/10 · 4 June 2003]

I enjoyed this movie - it wasn't a classic, but it was definitely a cut above the norm. The fascinating part was, in my opinion, seeing Rosalind Russell in a "Myrna Loy" role! It was like watching one of the Thin Man movies - seeing her interact with William Powell, speaking lines like Nora Charles, and even looking very much like Myrna Loy.

Russell's role is an unfortunate misfit

[lotekguy-1 · 5/10 · 5 June 2021]

I'm a big fan of William Powell, Rosalind Russell, screwball comedies, and old spy flicks. Wouldn't it have been nice for the two stars to have been in the same movie? After their amusing meeting near the beginning sets up a fine romantic comedy to follow, Powell glides into a serious espionage drama, while Russell goes full-throttle Gracie Allen ditz, with a side order of lovestruck Ginger Rogers.

Film series about The Thin Man, Bulldog Drummond or the lesser-known Torchy Blane, manage to blend the comedy and mystery elements into a harmonious union. This one plays out like a double bill that got spliced into a single mismatched plot. What a waste of talent and opportunity to start with such a promising pairing and end up with Russell's character so woefully out of place for the last 3/4 of the production.

Better than Our Reviewers Think

[joe-pearce-1 · 8/10 · 15 March 2014]

I think this film is a lot more enjoyable than did almost any of the other reviewers. They say the Russell character is annoying, and some even seem to blame it on the actress, rather than on the script, with one even claiming that she tries to steal the film from Powell. If you don't like it, blame the writer(s), but not the performers. I had never heard of this film before, had no knowledge that Russell was put into it as a Loy substitute or as a possible threat to Loy's status at MGM, yet almost the first thing that hit me about the film while watching it is what an excellent Nora Charles Rosalind Russell would have made. Up to the point of seeing this film, I had never even thought of anyone measuring up to Loy in that role, but Russell might well have done so. The character may be objectionable to some viewers, but the performance is perfect for what is being asked of her. Powell, of course, is standing on the top of Mount Everest in a role like this; nobody could ever touch him. But the whole cast is very good, most especially Binnie Barnes, who even only two years after THE PRIVATE LIFE OF HENRY VIII, has already done a marvelous job of shedding her British accent, but we're so used to her as a fairly high-comedienne that it comes as a surprise to see her here as a somewhat sympathetic-but-still-ruthless villainess, and she's really quite perfect (as she had been as Henry's last choppee!). I thought this a most enjoyable film throughout, mainly for the performances, true, but also for its lightness of touch.

Early Cryptography Drrama -- Okay For Its Genre

[skallisjr · 7/10 · 22 February 2010]

There have been not too many films based on serious "codebreaking"; this one was associated with the famous cyrptanalyst, Herbert O. Yardley. An Army officer, who wrote a biook, "Ciphering and Deciphering," under a pseudonym is identified as the author by a young lady he was dating; she was the niece of the Secretary of War, so he finds himself assigned to the somewhat beleaguered cryptological group. He turns out to be good at it, trying to find out what the Germans were transmitting, since the Germsn submsrines were sinking allied shiops. Espionage s rife in Washington, and the crypto section needs to crack the German secret cipher to determine hoe they were directing their war efforts. The officer shows his crypto talents when he first enters the group's workplace and makes an instant analysis based on the statistical distribution of characters in the cipher Over the course of his studies, he also figures out a repetitive pattern of character shifts, which enables him to determine the actual message. Spoiler: The deciphered message reveals that the US code books have been compromised, giving the rendezvous point for military and associated ships en route to support the war effort, One could quibble that actual cipher messages would be in German rather than Ebglish, and that the enciphering schemer would be a little more complex than what was presented, but that's a quibble: the average moviegoer isn't a cryptologist. Although codebreaking plays a part in the film, the machinations of the espionage agents is as important in the story as the cryptanalysis. Not a bad drama, with a touch of humor added.

Renezvous Meets Only With Partial Success **1/2

[edwagreen · 5/10 · 17 July 2008]

Fair picture with Roz Russell and William Powell in the lead roles as a code expert who is commandeered to decode items and in the interim uncovers a World War 1 German spy ring.

Russell portrays the niece of the head of the War Department who falls for Powell and makes sure he works at the Intelligence Agency instead of going overseas. Unaware that Powell is playing up to a German spy, played quite well by Binnie Barnes, Russell actually becomes an annoying figure here as she attempts to get her man back.

The ending almost has a "House on 92nd St." feeling but you come away with the idea that there is something missing.

Cesar Romero plays a young German spy who makes the ultimate sacrifice for the spy-ring. Also, look for Margaret Dumont, the constant comic foil in the Marx Brothers films, in a brief appearance during an auctioning off scene.

Uneasy mixture of misplaced comedy and suspense

[JohnHowardReid · 7/10 · 13 December 2012]

I was going to give Rosalind Russell a thorough going over for her ridiculously heavy-handed performance in this espionage comedy-drama, but I see that the role was actually designed for Myrna Loy and that Russell was assigned at the very last moment when Loy went on strike. Anyway, Roz manages to throw the film way off balance. Incompetent direction doesn't help either, though once again, it's only Russell's scenes (of which there are many) that are incompetently handled. At some stage Sam Wood was brought into the film, but if he handled any of Russell's scenes he obviously had no more success in inducing her to tone down and stop trying to steal the movie from Powell. As for Powell, he doesn't bother to compete with Russell's aggressive scene-stealing. The rest of the movie is pretty suspenseful with some good performances from Binnie Barnes and Samuel S. Hinds. Production values are extremely lavish, even by MGM's over-the-top standards.

For lovers of William Powell and cryptography

[AlsExGal · 8/10 · 24 May 2023]

With America just entering WWI, Bill Gordon (William Powell) joins the army as a lieutenant, ready to deploy to France and fight. Right before he deploys he "meets cute" a girl at a cocktail party, Joel Carter (Rosalind Russell). They have a bit of a whirlwind courtship, and Joel begs him to stay. Gordon refuses, but along with that refusal admits to Joel a secret about himself - He wrote the ultimate book on cracking codes under a pen name, and the War Department has been moving heaven and earth trying to find out who the author really is. The next morning, getting ready to board his boat, he is ordered to a desk job. Apparently, Joel is the niece of the assistant head of the War Department, and she has ratted him out as an ace code cracker in order to keep him around Washington. Complications ensue.

This was Rosalind Russell's first starring role, so she doesn't really have her screen persona down which she finally develops in "The Women" four years later. So MGM has her playing this annoying creature who causes trouble for Gordon every time she appears. No way do I believe he'd want her around after all of her frustrating antics.

This is almost like a movie actually made in 1917 - it is such an anachronism. First off, by 1935 when this was made, WWI was considered a waste of blood and treasure, and here Europe was feauding with Germany AGAIN. That is why Congress passed some laws to keep us out of any potential war there. Yet Gordon is practically George M. Cohen here, he is just so anxious to land in a trench in France. Then there are the German spies. Remember these are NOT the Nazis and the Nazis won't be taken seriously for another three years or so. But MGM has them acting exactly like Nazis - ready to turn on each other, ready to kill to save their spy ring.

Finally there is the cryptography issue. There were no computers in WWI, and so I'm sure standard blackboards and cryptography wheels were used as shown to crack codes, but the method that Gordon uses to crack the code - mainly a variation on the primitive Vigenère cipher - would be cracked relatively quickly and it would not take an ace cryptographer to do so. Forgive that digression into geekdom.

This is very much worth your time with great performance by William Powell as always and a look at Rosalind Russell in the beginning.

A little better than the remake, but not much...

[planktonrules · 5/10 · 31 July 2008]

During WWII, this film was remade as PACIFIC RENDEZVOUS---a perfectly dreadful film due to one glaringly bad performance. While RENDEZVOUS is certainly better than this remake, it, too, suffers from a glaringly bad performance.

In both films, you have almost two films within a film. The first is a rather exciting yarn about cryptography and an effort to smash a German wartime spy ring. The second involves an unnecessary plot with the leading character falling in love with a "kooky" girlfriend who always seems to be blundering into trouble. This combination of a serious spy story and a fluff piece just didn't work. It was very bad in this film--it was even worse in PACIFIC RENDEZVOUS. What made it bad here wasn't just the character, but that they did this with Rosalind Russell--a good actress who deserved so much better. Well, now that I think about it, leading man William Powell certainly deserved better as well. Think about it Powell and Russell and yet they still managed to make a mediocre film!

Powell breaks a spy ring, no thanks to Russell

[SimonJack · 8/10 · 25 April 2016]

"Rendezvous" is a 1935 MGM film that has William Powell doing duty during World War I. The film is a mix of comedy, drama and action with Powell's character uncovering an espionage ring in the nation's capital. The comedy comes by way of his love interest, played perfectly by Rosalind Russell.

Powell is Bill Gordon, a former news correspondent. While working in Asia, he filled his dull moments with studying and deciphering codes. He wrote a masterly work on making and breaking codes, and it was published under a pen name – Anson Meredith. Now he's a lieutenant in the Army and just wants to get to France to do his part for Uncle Sam on the front lines. But, through a sudden encounter and romance with Joel Carter (played by Russell), Bill's future is changed.

When they first meet, Joel mistakes Bill for a Russian opera singer at an embassy party. In a hilarious scene, Bill plays it to the hilt with her and her facial expressions lead to many laughs. The next day, Bill sees Joel marching in a Woman's Suffrage parade. She's carrying a sign that reads, "I sent my sons to war. I want to vote." Bill asks if she has any grandchildren and she swaps signs with another woman. Some funny fisticuffs ensue when the police try to break up the parade because it doesn't have a permit. Later, Joel goes with Bill to catch his train, and a troop train pulls out while they are kissing. He said his train doesn't leave until the next day.

They have lunch and spend the day together. Bill tells Joel about his anonymous authorship of the code book. He doesn't know that she is the niece of the Assistant Secretary of War, John Carter. So, the next day at the train station, Joel and Bill kiss goodbye. But as Bill steps onto the train, an MP delivers new orders. He is to report to the War Department for his new assignment.

The rest of the story unfolds with intermixed scenes of espionage, romance and comedy. Binnie Barnes has a major role as Olivia, a German spy. Fine performances are given by a supporting cast that includes Cesar Romero, Lionel Atwill, Samuel Hinds, Henry Stephenson and Charley Grapewin.

This film also has some interesting scenes that recall early 20th century history. The sign atop the Park Hotel reads, "Your home in Washington, D.C. 500 fireproof rooms." That was a time when hotel and office building fires were quite common. Another scene shows telephone operators "patching through" a long distance call from Washington, D.C. to San Diego. Some seniors will recall the time that it used to take just to get a long distance through.

Most of Hollywood's leading men of sound motion pictures starred in war-related films in the first half of the 20th century. Some were action or battle films, others were in espionage or underground movies, some were in wartime dramas on the home front or in England, and some were in comedies. They were with the troops on the ground, at sea and in the air.

William Powell was in just a few such films in his career. He is probably best remembered for his role as Doc in the 1955 smash hit, "Mr. Roberts." That comedy and drama was set during World War II and is unique in that its top four roles were played by actors who had been or were to become leading actors in Hollywood. Besides Powell, it starred James Cagney, Henry Fonda and Jack Lemmon.

Powell was a consummate actor who played a variety of roles. He is most known and regarded for his comedies, and for some comedy-crime roles he played. Most notable was his Nick Charles role with Myrna Loy in the Thin Man series of movies in the 1930s and 1940s. Three of his comedies are among the funniest and best comedies of all time. Besides this fine film, I recommend those for any serious collector's library. They are, "Libeled Lady" of 1936, "Double Wedding" of 1937, and "Love Crazy" of 1941.

I'd give it a 7 if not for Russell's irritating character

[larrywest42-610-618957 · 3/10 · 9 August 2021]

It's not her fault - she plays the character as written.

But it's written as a pathologically dim-witted and selfish oaf, whose presence - rather than providing comic relief - merely jars.

It's lazy screenwriting of the misogynist flavor, and so insistent that it's impossible to overlook.

Powell gets some dumb dialogue too, but not in the same ballpark. And he gets or gives many good scenes as well.

Powell and Russell

[SnoopyStyle · 5/10 · 28 January 2020]

In 1917, Allied shipping is being sunk by German submarines. The Allies are relying on codes to transmit rendezvous location for the convoys. The only problem is that German spies are already cracking the code. Newspaper man Bill Gordon (William Powell) is newly commissioned Lieutenant headed for the front. Socialite Joel Carter (Rosalind Russell) is taken with him at an embassy party in Washington. He is secretly a cryptography expert. Despite his wish to go to the front, she gets her uncle Assistant Secretary of War John Carter to send him to work as a cryptologist in D.C.

The movie works best with Powell and Russell together. They need as much time together as possible. The movie falters when it's trying advance the story without either one of them. Joel could simply be Bill's secretary. There is still a problem with Joel's jealousy. She knows that the Russian is a suspected spy but she is still jealous. It makes her look stupid rather than it being funny. Cryptography is pretty boring as a backdrop for a thriller. This movie tries to spice it up with a spy ring. While Bill is a smart cookie, he is rather careless in hunting down the spy ring. He could easily be kidnapped. Joel is infinitely worst. I like Powell and Russell. I just don't like some of the writing.

off-base period piece

[Abby-9 · 5/10 · 6 July 2014]

Other reviewers have covered the main points of this confused "comedy"/spy-mystery film very well. I would like to point out the particular insult to women and to the intelligence of both sexes in the Rosalind Russell role. It sapped the mystery of any believability--what War Department is the plaything of the daughter of its assistant secretary?? What woman could wander around in such self-centered oblivion to a war-time effort? William Powell is remarkable in his ability to carry off his role as her--huh?--husband-to-be. I mean, NOTHING bothers him. I am not so unflappable--Russell's character kept my teeth on edge throughout. Grrr. Why did I watch this chestnut? To see the beautiful Cesar Romero--that was the payoff. And the rip-off. In this movie the old saying is true: "The good die young." Virtually with the mention of his "mama" on his lips.

Is this the most stupid spy film ever made

[malcolmgsw · 3/10 · 10 December 2015]

It is quite a bizarre mixture of spy film and Rom.The most likely reason for this is the desire of MGM to ensure that this spy film would have some appeal to all types of audiences.Maybe the factor of at least 8 writers contributes to the explanation.There are many sub plots that go totally unexplained.Caesar Romero plays a Russian officer who is part of the German spy ring.Given that the two countries were at war why was he working for the enemy.Who shot Charley Grapewin and how did he get past the guards?William Powell wants to go off to fight the war,but would never have been allowed to go because of his knowledge of intelligence work.Rosalind Russell inherits a badly written part and does her best with it.

Shoddy Film and Russell Ruins It

[CatherineYronwode · 5/10 · 31 August 2022]

Casting Rosalind Russell to imitate Myrna Loy was a bad mistake. The tipped back head, the winning smile -- Russell was like a performing dog, but she was not Myrna Loy. The fact that her character was an annoying narcissist didn't help much either. What a stinker.

Casting William Powell as a guy named Bill gave me a few chuckles, but not enough to make me like this film. A long list of great character actors added spice, the young Cesar Romero was very cool, and no movie with Lionel Atwill in it can ever be a bomb. But this film was shoddily made, with repeated weird overdubbing when Romero's character name was mentioned. Also the women's costumes were sub-par -- neither accurate to the 1917 era intended to be portrayed, nor sharp for the 1935 date of filming. Ditto for the hairstyles -- they were accurate to neither period.

Finally, the script suffered from the "ho-hum another dead body" syndrome that plagued so many 1930s murder-comedies. It just didn't work for me at all.

I am currently making a point of watching every William Powell film, but i rated this one at 5, while all the others i have watched on this foray have been 7, 8, 9, or 10 -- which will give you an idea of how much i did not like this one.

What's more desirable? A spy ring or an interfering love interest?

[mark.waltz · 5/10 · 15 January 2020]

After briefly sharing scenes in "Evelyn Prentice", the legendary William Powell got the now officially starring Rosalind Russell in her first A film. It's a World War I film featuring the MGM gloss and a great supporting cast which includes the young Cesar Romero, veteran villain Lionel Atwill and Binnie Barnes, plus Margaret Dumont in a small part and Samuel S. Hinds.

It's annoyance at first sight for Bill and Roz with her sporting a British accent and him faking all sorts of accents. He fools her on numerous occasion to spend time with her so obviously love is just around the corner for them. It turns out that Powell is part of the secret service as a code expert who just wants to be on the front line rather than performing at a boring desk job, but Roz (who turns out to be the daughter of an espionage specialist), knowing his true identity, arranges for his assignment to be changed. The plot device of code cracking is very unique showing the use of invisible ink in the opening scene then the various ways codes are cracked. An espionage subplot featuring Barnes and Romero as the bad guys is mixed in with the romantic plot which keeps things hopping.

The mixture of war intrigue, light romance and verbal comedy helps this become an intriguing film that's not quite a classic but very enjoyable on many levels. For a good quarter of the film, it's a witty, intelligent screenplay that could have been planned for any combination of MGM A list star, and Russell ends up being a fine sub for Myrna Loy. She's appropriately daffy yet strong, parading around with suffragette signs one moment then slipping Powell sleeping pills the next right after he's taken a stay awake potion. But half way through the film, Russell begins to seem to just be in the way and the earlier strengths of her character vanish. Atwill, as Powell's supervisor, is excellent, and Barnes is a fascinating femme fatal villainess. The last 10 minutes just become too absurd to even be remotely believable, so as a result, the film becomes a sad disappointment that had great possibilities but fell into the usual temptation of cliches to be really good.