Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
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A beautiful Russian spy seduces an Austrian military officer in order to obtain secret plans. When she falls in love with him, both are placed in danger.
CinemaSerf
Jun 6, 2022 · via TMDB
Were it not for the unbelievably naff ending, this could be one of the best espionage thrillers I've ever seen! As it is, Greta Garbo is still super as the Mata Hari style agent for the Czar out to obtain secrets from the Austro-Hungarian empire. After she shares a box with him at the opera, "Tania" uses her undoubted talents to seduce and dupe the decent, but rather gullible, "Karl von Raden" (Conrad Nagel) as he travels on a train, relieving him of some state secrets and costing him his career, his honour - and a lengthy prison sentence. Luckily for him, though, his uncle is in charge of the secret police and manages to facilitate the now disgraced officer's opportunity to find out who in their War Office helped her with her plan. He takes up as a pianist and encounters her at a party hosted by her beau "Gen. Alexandroff" - the spymaster who relished in his disgrace and the pair soon realise that, yes - you've guessed - they are in love... Now, it has to be said that Nagel and Garbo have a chemistry here, but then she has a chemistry with just about anything - animal, vegetable or mineral. Sadly, though, that romance contributes to the downfall of this hitherto quite engaging and perilous spy story. Her charms start malevolent and effective, now they border on the pathetic with an ending, as I said, that really reduces the whole thing to melodrama. It's still a really good outing for both, though, with plenty attention to the detail and Fred Niblo keep the pace of the story from following the plot into the doldrums.
User reviews courtesy of TMDB.
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Greta Garbo
Tania Fedorova
Conrad Nagel
Capt. Karl von Raden
Gustav von Seyffertitz
General Boris Alexandroff
Edward Connelly
Colonel Eric von Raden
Richard Alexander
General's Aide
Symona Boniface
Party Guest (uncredited)
Geraldine Dvorak
Party Guest (uncredited)
William H. O'Brien
Cafe Waiter Serving Wine (uncredited)
Russ Powell
Carriage Driver (uncredited)
Youcca Troubetzkov
Russian (uncredited)
Victor Young
Scarpia in 'Tosca' (uncredited)
Cedric Gibbons
Settings
William H. Daniels
Director of Photography
Bess Meredyth
Treatment
Harold S. Bucquet
Assistant Director
Fred Niblo
Director
Margaret Booth
Editor
Bess Meredyth
Adaptation
Aug 4, 1928
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Versus
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Youth Is Over
Thomas & Friends: The Great Bubbly Build
2023
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Battle your watched movies head-to-head
Community Top Movies
Evil Dead II
1987 · 14 wins
The Dark Knight
2008 · 14 wins
Final Destination
2000 · 12 wins
Top Gun: Maverick
2022 · 11 wins
Joker
2019 · 11 wins
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