Captain Laurence Olivier of the Russian Army is wounded in the First World War. He is nursed by Penelope Dudley-Ward, who is to marry industrialist Harry Baur -- financial arrangements for her family. Seeing that the two are in love, Baur wins 80,000 rubles from Olivier and gives him thre days to pay. Olivier cannot, so he plans to kill himself, but decides to live so he can take Miss Dudley-Ward from Baur. To do this, he goes to nice, vague Athene Seyler. She writes letters for wounded soldiers, and asks Olivier to see what happened to a package she posted to a friend at the front, and says she has a friend who can lend him the money. He shows up, she explains that she doesn't want the money back, just information... and Olivier is arrested for espionage and treason while attempting to call his office to have her arrested.
It's a remake of the previous year's French movie by the same name, which is why Baur is in it. He's the only one in the movie who seems Russian. He and Miss Seyler are wonderful in their roles, while Olivier stands around looking nervous, and Miss Dudley-Ward is beautiful but dumb. Director Anthony Asquith directs with a lot of nice visual touches, but if I want to see Baur playing a Russian, there are lots of movies for that, and likewise for Miss Seyler playing a nice old lady.
It's a remake of the previous year's French movie by the same name, which is why Baur is in it. He's the only one in the movie who seems Russian. He and Miss Seyler are wonderful in their roles, while Olivier stands around looking nervous, and Miss Dudley-Ward is beautiful but dumb. Director Anthony Asquith directs with a lot of nice visual touches, but if I want to see Baur playing a Russian, there are lots of movies for that, and likewise for Miss Seyler playing a nice old lady.