Lancer Spy is a 1937 American thriller film directed by Gregory Ratoff and starring Dolores Del Rio and George Sanders. Its plot concerns an Englishman who impersonates a German officer and a female German spy who falls in love with him.

Plot

Lt. Michael Bruce, a British WW1 naval officer is found to be the doppelganger of a captured German prisoner, Imperial Lancer Guard Officer Baron Kurt von Rohback. Bruce is recruited to fake an escape and return to Germany as Rohback. His mission while in Berlin is to gain knowledge of the secret Western Front plans. He returns to Berlin with much fanfare concocted by high official Gen. Von Meinhardt in order to make him a war hero, and is able to socialize in the highest German circles. He is suspected of being a spy by Imperial Intelligence officer Lt. Col. Gottfried Hollen who sends a dancer/spy to investigate. She falls in love with him and helps facilitate his escape after Hollen cohort Maj. Sigfried Gruning finds out his real identity. Able to gain last minute access to the Western Front plans by the sudden death of Gen. Von Meinhardt, Lt. Bruce makes a successful escape to the Swiss border after a chase by the German military police.

Cast

Production

Lancer Spy was based on a story written by Marthe McKenna, a Belgian woman who was a spy for England during World War I. She had previously written the 1932 memoir I Was a Spy, the basis of a 1933 film of the same title.

Gregory Ratoff signed a contract with 20th Century Fox to write, produce and direct. The film was originally to star Michael Whalen in the part that was eventually played by George Sanders.

French actor Germaine Aussey was to have made her American debut in the film but was replaced by Dolores del Río soon after filming began in May 1937.

Peter Lorre was cast after his success in Think Fast, Mr Moto. Fox bought his contract from the Gaumont-British Picture Corporation.

Colin Clive, who had been cast in the film, collapsed during filming and died.

References

External links