British agent

The picture takes place in Russia in the years 1917-1918. At the British Embassy in Petrograd, sent a new employee Stephen Locke. He was entrusted with a mission to prevent the conclusion of a possible truce between Russia and Germany. In Petrograd in the fall of 1917, restless. During the skirmish of the Cossacks and the population, the revolutionary Elena Mura shoots a Cossack. Stephen saves the girl from persecution and permits her to take refuge in the walls of the embassy. Between them there is a fleeting sympathy, but Elena leaves the embassy at the first opportunity.

Unrest in the capital ends with the seizure of power by the Bolsheviks. The embassy is closed, many staff members have been evacuated. Stephen and other foreign citizens while away the time in one of the cafes. Helen becomes the personal assistant of Lenin and Trotsky and fulfills their special assignments concerning the British agent. Helen and Stephen meet again and a feeling erupts between them. Stephen gets the opportunity to express his position to the representatives of the new government at the negotiations in Smolny . He suggests waiting with the conclusion of a separate peace with Germany and bargains for a three-week pause. Elena reports on Stephen to her leader Lev Trotsky, reporting that Stephen only conveys an opinion favorable to the British government and he does not sympathize with the young Soviet Republic at all. Soon the agent receives a message that British forces have landed in the north and his mission loses meaning.

Comrades in misfortune Stephen, the staff of other embassies - Medil, Leforge and De Val suggest that he begin to look for contacts with white counter-revolutionary forces. Briton hesitates. Elena's curators demand that compromising material be found on Loka, but she pulls up with the execution of the order, not wanting to inform on her lover. Elena pleads with Stephen to surrender to the authorities and then he can count on deportation. Meanwhile, there is an attempt on Lenin , after which the special services of Soviet Russia begin terror against foreigners who remain in the country. Some of them are caught and shot without trial. Medila is tortured, demanding that Steven be revealed, but he does not reveal the secret. Before that, he managed to tell Elena the place where Stephen was hiding. Elena finds Stephen and tells him that they will die together. Lovers embrace each other and see the approaching security officers. However, at the last moment, salvation comes. Lenin survived and the leader of Soviet Russia amnesty all foreigners.

In the final scene, Elena and Stephen leave Russia by train and go to the UK.

• Leslie Howard - Stephen Locke
• Kay Francis - Elena Mura
• William Gargan - Bob Medil
• Phillip Reed - Gaston LeFarge
• Irving Pichel - Sergei Pavlov, Cheka officer
• Ivan Simpson - Evans
• Hallyvel Hobbes - Sir Walter Carister, British Ambassador to Russia
• Joseph Neish ( en ) - Trotsky
• Walter Byron - Stanley
• Ceesar Romero - Tito Del Val
• Doris Lloyd - Lady Carrister
• Marina Koshits - Maria Nikolaevna
• Gregory Gaye - Kolinov
• Tenen Holtz ( en ) - Lenin
• Corinne Williams - Kaplan
• Joseph Mario - Stalin

In 1932, the memoirs of Bruce Lockhart , vice consul of the British Embassy in Russia in 1912-1918, were published. The book became popular on both sides of the ocean and became a bestseller. Material about the negotiations of the British with the Soviet government, his love scam with a Ukrainian aristocratic woman and a possible double agent, attracted the attention of film studios before the book was written. Samuel Goldwyn showed interest in the film adaptation ^[3] . Maria Budberg , the mistress of Bruce Lockhart in 1918, became the prototype for the main heroine of the picture of the revolutionary Elena Moura ^[1] . The creators of the picture consulted with Lockhart and Budberg, they also became one of the first viewers of the picture ^[4] . The script caused serious objections from the British side and has undergone censorship changes. Warner Brothers partners in the UK have warned that the future picture will receive restrictions on rent if the sharp edges in the text are not smoothed ^[5] . When preparing the script, the text has changed. From the political thriller, he largely became a melodrama, in which politics was only the background ^[6] .

Barbara Stenwick was originally planned for the lead role, but she turned down the offer and Kay Francis gave the role. There was no disagreement with the choice of the performer on the main character. They became the archetypal "brit" in Hollywood films, the Englishman Leslie Howard. He recommended the familiar actor William Gargan ^[7] to the distinctive role of the American Bob Medil. The first candidate for the director's position was Oscar-winning Frank Borzeigi , but the studio later changed its choice. Recently became the head of the Warner production department, Hal Wallis , proposed the candidacy of Michael Curtis ^[8] . “Studio” director Warner Brothers put the production of films on stream: in 1933, he directed 8 full-length films as a director ^[9] . However, it was believed that Curtis has his own handwriting. He has already established himself in the genre of social and political cinema. His latest work, The Key ( en ) on the War of Independence of Ireland, received critical acclaim ^[8] . Curtis and Francis managed to work together in the painting Mandalay ( en ) ^[10] .

It is known that Jack Warner personally participated in the negotiations on the possibility of filming in Russia, but they were not crowned with success. Reproduce revolutionary Petrograd had in California ^[11] . Filming began on March 26, 1934 and ended on June 11. They took place in Burbank , in the squares and in the pavilions owned by Warner Studios. The picture can be attributed to the high-budget historical dramas. The director had at his disposal a solid for that time budget of $ 475 thousand. For its production 40 sets were created. About 1,500 extras were involved in the crowd of revolutionary unrest, about 3,000 costumes and ammunition elements were sewn for the picture ^[11] .

For Francis, the scene in the prologue of the picture turned out to be the most difficult, in which she needed to shoot at a person. She was always afraid of weapons in panic and was afraid that the revolver would be charged with a live cartridge instead of a single cartridge. She liked the picture very much due to the fact that she did not become another costume drama. Strict costumes of the Russian revolutionary, helped her to get used to the image ^[12] . An unpleasant story happened to Kay, delayed the production schedule of the picture. The actress was accidentally locked at home and, hurrying to the studio, broke the glass with her hand and severely cut herself. She had to stitch 25 stitches. The LA Times reported that the injury nearly cost the actress life, as the artery was damaged ^[10] . However, the press assumed that it was a clumsy excuse for a suicide attempt. It is known that during the filming between Francis and Howard there was a short-term romance. The actress had to wear dresses with long sleeves until the end of filming ^{[11] [13]} .

The picture was successful at the box office. She made a profit of $ 447,000 for the film company, which for that time was considered a good achievement. The leaders of the rental in 1934 brought about $ 1 million profit ^[2] .

Warner has always been known, compared to other American studios, heightened attention to the political and social theme in cinema and was considered close to the Roosevelt administration, which sympathized with the USSR. The disadvantages of the picture include the fact that the large-scale events that influenced the course of world history in the picture are nothing more than a background for the romantic relations of the characters. Although the October Revolution is not the main theme of the film, due attention was paid to it and the events were conveyed fairly correctly ^[5] . The depiction of historical figures playing the main roles in the Soviet revolutionary movement is quite realistic. Often in Hollywood, the screenwriter could give a completely caricatured image, like, for example, Leon Trotsky was shown in the film Mission to Moscow as an accomplice of the Nazis . In the British Agent, Trotsky and Lenin's figures, by the standards of Hollywood, are close to prototypes. Some of the political figures are not displayed under their own names, but are easily guessed. So, Kolinov is clearly written off Alexander Kerensky ^[5] .

The film quite loosely interprets the content of the book and in some places moves away from historical realities. There is no time reference in the picture. In the opening scene, Stephen Locke, before going to Russia, discusses the details of his mission with Prime Minister Lloyd George . Judging by the issues discussed, the approximate date of this meeting: the beginning of 1918. The arrival of the main character, Lok, takes place clearly in October 1917, when the Provisional Government is still in power and unrest begins. In reality, Bruce Lockhart was not in Petrograd in October 1917 ^[5] . In the memoirs of Lockhart Maria Budberg, a minor role is assigned, whereas in the picture her character is the main one and she directly influences the course of events ^[5] .

In the film “The Key” and “The British Agent”, some anti-British sentiments, popular at that time in the American cinematic environment, are noticeable ^{[14] [6]} . The most controversial moment of the film is that the script quite seriously refers to the so-called “ Lockhart case ” - a counter-revolutionary plan to overthrow the government and physically eliminate the leaders of the Soviet state, allegedly being developed by British intelligence agencies. The real involvement of the British intelligence in this plan is still the subject of debate among historians ^{[5] [15]} . Later, the conspiracy of Lockhart and his connection with Sydney Reilly were more fully reflected in the television series “ Rayleigh, espionage ” ( en ) of 1983 ^[5] .

The picture appeared on the screens on September 19, 1934. The premiere was held at the Strand cinema in New York. The film received mostly positive reviews from critics ^[12] . “The work of Curtis convexly conveys all the deep drama of history,” wrote Andre Sinwald ( NY Times ) ^[16] . The picture clearly rises above the average level of spy thrillers put on stream, thanks to the unusual dialogues, acting and operator work, noted Time ^[12] .

Criticism reacted favorably to the political side of the picture, highlighting the work of the operator in scenes of clashes with demonstrators and the work of supporting actors in the roles of Trotsky and Stalin ^[6] . The picture can be viewed as an example of the image of “Hollywood Russia” in the pre-war era, before the cold war period. One of the clichés clearly appearing in the picture, playing up the clash between the representatives of a capitalist country and a Russian communist woman: “Mockery” ( en ), “The Tempest” , “Last Order” and the later Ninochka painting ^[17] This plot twist is very close to Curtis, the director of a politically engaged movie. His favorite move is to introduce the hero of a foreigner who has fallen into another country and faced with a foreign culture: “Desired Woman” ( en ), “Mandalay” ( en ), “Black Fury” ( en ). A similar technique was used in the later film Casablanca, which glorified the name of Curtis, with which the 1934 drama has much in common ^[18] .

Experts identified the acting game Leslie Howard, noting convincingly played a dramatic component. Critics ironically called actress Kay Francis as a “hanger” ( eng. Clothes horse ), playing with what she enjoyed winning only in costumed performances in exotic locations. Actually, this was one of the reasons for her choosing to play the main role in the British Agent, and at the preproduction stage, experts assessed the choice as unsuccessful. However, critics admitting that she actually played a supporting role in the film, against the background of Howard, nevertheless, coped well with the task of the Cheka agent in love ^{[19] [13]} .

Among the shortcomings of the experts identified a certain length of the picture. The picture is also greatly spoiled by the tortured and sugary ending and the banal dialogue accompanying the happy salvation of the main characters. The last phrase at parting at the station, in which the American Bob Medil asks him to bring chewing gum, is completely inappropriate for the overall dramatic and depressive mood of the picture ^[20] .

• Lynn Kear, John Rossman. The Complete Kay Francis Career Record . - McFarland, 2012. - 295 p. - ISBN 9781476602875 .
• Alan K. Rode. Michael Curtiz: A Life in Film . - University Press of Kentucky, 2017. - 704 p. - ISBN 9780813173979 .
• Jeanine Basinger. A Woman's View: How Hollywood Spoke to Women, 1930–1960 . - Wesleyan University Press, 1995. - 528 p. - ISBN 9780819562913 .
• Nina Berberova . Moura: The Dangerous Life of the Baroness Budberg . - New York Review Books, 2005. - 360 p. - ISBN 9781590171370 .
• Dr James C Robertson. The Casablanca Man: The Cinema of Michael Curtiz . - Routledge, 2013. - 208 p. - ISBN 9781136158445 .
• James F. Pontuso. Political Philosophy Comes to Rick's: Casablanca and American Civic Culture . - Lexington Books, 2005. - 200 p. - ISBN 9780739111130 .
• Michael Schlossheimer. Gunmen and Gangsters: Profiles of Nine Actors Portrayed Memorable Screen Tough Guys . - McFarland, 2001. - 359 p. - ISBN 9780786409891 .
• Lynn Kear, John Rossman. Kay Francis: A Passionate Life and Career . - McFarland, 2012. - 240 p. - ISBN 9780786454990 .
• Siegfried Kracauer. Siegfried Kracauer's American Writings . - Univ of California Press, 2012. - 290 p. - ISBN 9780520271838 .

• Trailer paintings