British agent working in Russia is forced to remain longer than planned once the revolution begins. After being released from prison in Siberia he poses as a Russian Commissar. Because of his position among the revolutionaries, he is able to rescue a Russian countess from the Bolsheviks.
Marlene Dietrich
Countess Alexandra Vladinoff
Robert Donat
Ainsley J. Fothergill / Peter Ouronov
Irene Vanbrugh
Duchess of Zorin
Herbert Lomas
General Gregor Vladinoff
Austin Trevor
Col. Adraxine
Basil Gill
Axelstein
David Tree
Alexis Maronin
John Clements
Poushkoff
Frederick Culley
Stanfield
Laurence Hanray
Forrester
Dorice Fordred
The Maid
Franklin Kelsey
Tomsky
Laurence Baskcomb
Commissar
Hay Petrie
Station Master
Miles Malleson
Drunken Red Commissar
Allan Jeayes
White General
Lyn Harding
Bargee
Raymond Huntley
White Officer
Director
Jacques Feyder
Adaptation, Writer
Frances Marion
Dialogue
Arthur Wimperis
Novel
James Hilton
Writer
Lajos Biró
June 20, 2022
7
Now you've got to keep an eye on the plot in this little espionage/counter espionage thriller as Robert Donat is a Brit sent to spy on the Bolsheviks and gets caught up in all sorts of shenanigans that lands him in Siberia until 1917 when, amidst all the chaos he alights upon the beautiful "Countess" (Marlene Dietrich) and both have to try and get the hell out of a rapidly imploding Russia. The two stars gel quite well, once they start sharing scenes together and although the story follows a pretty well trodden path, the two , together with a few familiar faces from British cinema (John Clements, Irene Vanbrugh and a rather good, drunken, Miles Malleson) manage to keep this slightly over-long escape story going. Harry Stradling's photography re-creates well the coldness of the Russian climate (from Buckinghamshire!) and the eeriness and devastation of a messy, brutal revolution and Lajos Biró's adaptation of the novel keeps pretty much to the plot.
Status:
Released
Original Language:
English
Budget:
$0.00
Revenue:
$0.00