Basil Rathbone, Master of Stage and Screen: International Lady

The setting is London in 1941. During a bombing raid, Tim Hanley (George Brent), a lawyer for the American consulate, leads his neighbor, Norwegian concert singer Carla Nillson (Ilona Massey), to a swank bomb shelter in the basement of the Barkley Hotel. Carla notices that someone is following them. Reggie Oliver (Rathbone), a music critic, joins Carla and Tim at their table. When Tim sees the man who had been following them, he confronts him and insists on going to Scotland Yard to clear the matter up. Reggie takes Carla home and arrives at Scotland Yard a few minutes later. Reggie is in reality an inspector with Scotland Yard. The Yard suspects Carla Nillson of being a spy, and was keeping an eye on Hanley because he was spending time with Carla. Sgt. Moulton followed Hanley as a ruse to get him to Scotland Yard for questioning without detention or arrest. Much to Reggie Oliver's surprise, he learns that Tim Hanley is in reality an FBI agent who has been spending time with Miss Nillson in the hope of finding evidence of her espionage.

Scotland Yard knows that Carla has given concerts near hidden aerodromes, and that shortly afterwards the aerodromes were bombed and planes destroyed. The enemy is trying to break the supply of planes from America. Hanley and Oliver have the same mission: to find evidence that proves Carla Nillson is a spy. They each hope to trace through Carla Nillson the "higher-ups" who are responsible for sabotaged planes, but they don't want to work together as a team. In fact, Hanley arranges an American visa and plane ticket to New York for Carla and whisks her off to the airport, leaving Reggie Oliver waiting in his car for her outside the American consulate.

Not to be outsmarted, Reggie catches up with Tim and Carla in Lisbon, where they have a two-hour layover. His cover is that he's been appointed special correspondent in New York.

In New York Reggie and Tim say good-bye to Carla, who is visiting Mr. and Mrs. Grenner, a chocolate manufacturer from Switzerland. Grenner sponsors a radio show that will feature Carla singing. The Grenner household is a hotbed of spies, including a Colonel Wentzel of the German army (played by George Zucco) who poses as the butler Webster.

At the FBI office, Tim introduces Reggie to Sewell (played by Clayton Moore, who later became famous as The Lone Ranger). Reggie doesn't understand a word that is said.

A few days later, at the Grenner house, Carla gives a concert that is broadcast over the radio; she performs new music containing a hidden code. The message in the code tells the location of cargo ships carrying airplane parts. Both Tim Hanley and Reggie Oliver are at the concert—Tim as an invited guest and Reggie disguised as a waiter. Reggie figures out that the code is in the music when he hears Grenner tell Webster to lock it up. Deftly he switches the music and passes it to Tim Hanley, who copies the code and then places the music back in the living room.

SPY MELODRAMA WITH WAR BACKGROUND IS SOLID ENTERTAINMENT AND SHOULD PILE UP IMPRESSIVE GROSSES.

Edward Small's latest production is the type that will please audiences because of its surefire ingredients that spin melodrama on its merry way. Against the background of the war is placed the intrigues of a group of Nazi saboteurs.

While the tale is a fanciful one, it projects the blonde beauty of Ilona Massey as the key figure in a spy web of international dimensions. With George Brent, as the American agent, and Basil Rathbone, as the debonair sleuth from Scotland Yard, forming the triangle in their search for the spies, romance is nicely blended with action.

Chief complaint against Tim Whelan's direction is the obvious manner in which most situations are handled. The melodrama and action are present but they scarcely send off sparks of nerve-tingling suspense. Picture, however, is carried to logical conclusion.

Performances by the principals are uniformly well-handled. Tale has Brent and Rathbone crossing paths in London on the track of Miss Massey. Brent figures with the girl in America he has better chance of getting to the heads of the spy ring.

Rathbone follows the pair to the United States and joins Brent on the case. Scene shifts to home of wealthy candy manufacturer whose Long Island estate is the headquarters for the spies. Miss Massey, who is also a concert star, appears on a radio program and the songs she sings contain the coded messages which the other Nazi spies pick up. After a great deal of difficulty, the musical code is decoded which helps Brent and Rathbone break up the gang of saboteurs. Miss Massey saves Brent from getting killed and in their case is the inevitable conclusion.

Sound supporting roles as the menaces are turned in by Gene Lockhart, George Zucco and Martin Kosleck.

DIRECTION, Good. PHOTOGRAPHY, Very Good.

—The Film Daily, Oct. 16, 1941, p. 6

Back at the FBI office, Reggie warns Tim against falling in love with Carla. Tim says, "She is a very charming young woman. And I shall continue to be my charming self at least until after I get the low-down." Reggie responds, "The low-down? I say, old boy, I hope you don't mean anything vulgar."

Tim and Reggie learn that the bombing planes that left Canada have been forced down in Greenland due to engine trouble, and the next batch of flying fortresses are scheduled to leave on July 5th. Then Tim gets a call from Carla, inviting him to her concert July 4th. So far neither Reggie nor Tim have been able to break the code, but that night, as Carla sings, Reggie figures it out. The location of the Champlain Granary is given in the code; Reggie goes to check it out.

After the concert Tim and Carla have a date to watch the fireworks display from the roof garden of Carla's hotel. She knows that Webster, having learned that Tim is an FBI agent, intends to shoot Tim from a neighboring rooftop. Carla realizes that she loves Tim and cannot betray him. Throwing herself in front of him to protect him, she is shot. While Carla is rushed to the hospital, Tim follows the shooter (Webster) to the Granary. Reggie is already inside observing and listening. Tim climbs in through a window on the roof and Reggie sees him. One by one they take out enemy agents. In a climactic scene Tim saves Reggie from suffocation in a flax chute and they arrest the bad guys.

A suspenseful spy drama, "International Lady" is also liberally sprinkled with humor. The exchange of slang expressions and the confusion it causes is amusing. Whenever either Hanley or Oliver says something that the other doesn't understand, the other asks "Translation?" Reggie Oliver quotes Oscar Wilde, saying, "We have everything in common with America except language."

International Lady

This is a story of enemy sabotage during the present war. Destruction of convoys carrying munitions from the States, and accidents to bombers enroute to England point to leakage of information on military secrets. A Scotland Yard inspector and an F.B.I. agent working on the case suspect a lovely woman singer who, they are sure, indicates dates of sailings and plane departures through special phrasing of her songs over the air. We are not long in doubt of her complicity, and the action shifts from England to the United States where the two agents, humorously differing on details, work together to determine the leaders of the espionage while the F.B.I. strives to decode the hidden messages. It is an interesting plot. the cast is distinguished and each member gives an excellent performance. Ilona Massey looks extremely pretty and sings beautifully. The direction keeps the action swift and exciting. The picture is an unusually good spy melodrama.

—Motion Picture Reviews, October 1941, pp. 5-6

Make no mistake, Ilona Massey's character is a femme fatale, albeit one with a soft heart. Although she doesn't commit murder directly, her participation in the sabotage of planes weakens Britain's air strength, and almost certainly results in deaths.

Filming began in May 1941 and was completed in September. Working titles were G-Men of Scotland Yard and G-Man versus Scotland Yard. The title was changed to International Lady in July.

The film opened in London on October 17, 1941 at the London Pavilion and the Marble Arch Pavilion. General release in the United States was on October 16, 1941, but the New York city premiere was delayed until November 11, 1941. The Criterion Theatre on Broadway held a gala opening with attendees that included high Army and Navy personages, political leaders, and stars of radio, stage and screen. Celebrities who had reserved seats at the premiere included Lana Turner, Bruce Cabot, Walter Wanger, Adrienne Ames, Lanny Ross, Hildegarde, Linton Wells, Sheila Barrett, Louis Hayward, Desi Arnaz and Commissioner of Licenses Paul Moss. Ilona Massey, star of the film, appeared in person at the New York premiere.

International Lady

Audience Slant: A timely spy drama with an adroit mixture of comedy and drama.

Box Office Slant: Has tremendous appeal for the masses.

Plot: An American FBI agent is sent to London to spread a counter-espionage net for a lovely blonde member of a sabotage ring. They become interested in each other, so with the help of a Scotland Yard man who is also working on the case, he arranges for her passage to America where he hopes to get to the top man of the ring. He succeeds in his mission, only because she refuses to let them kill him and gives them away.

Comment: A timely, interesting spy drama with a fascinating background, always makes entertaining screenfare, and "International Lady" is no exception for it is one of the most enjoyable of its kind. Because of its dramatic significance, it carries a tremendous appeal for the masses for there is an adroit mixture of comedy and drama that tends to keep the story light and amusing. And there are the portrayals of George Brent and Basil Rathbone, whose excellent work as the two agents, gives the picture most of its chuckles and fun. Ilona Massey is splendid as the foreign spy and outstanding work is done by Gene Lockhart and George Zucco. The direction is a credit to Tim Whelan. Being essentially a spy picture, the Morse code message could be made the basis for your newspaper or radio contest, or adapted to window or lobby flash. Lobby displays of newspapers about spies and espionage, would also attract attention.

Catchline: "Murder in the whirl of world affairs."

—Showmen's Trade Review, June 21, 1941

Bosley Crowther, New York Times critic, gave this film a tepid review, saying that it is strictly a grade-B film, made "in the tradition of spy pictures, circa 1922" and that it is "one prolonged cliché." —The New York Times, November 11, 1941

"In another absurdity, 'International Lady,' a beautiful spy and concert artist sings her messages to Hitler until Scotland Yard and the F.B.I. get onto her stunt." John Mosher, —The New Yorker, November 29, 1941

In spite of negative reviews, the film was a box office success. The copyright for International Lady expired November 8, 1966, and the film entered the public domain. It is seldom shown on TV and currently not available on VHS or DVD.

International Lady

Here is good, substantial motion picture fare of the kind that helped to build the screen's great following over the years. Edward Small has fashioned it from a fast-moving action-filled story, crammed it with adventure, suspense, excitement, and leavened it with romance and an occasional dash of humor. It is stirring entertainment of the kind that gave the name "motion" to pictures. If you have customers who will buy that type of entertainment, you have a fine box-office attraction in "international Lady."

It is always on the move, from London in an air raid where government agents take shelter with an alluring spy, to Lisbon by plane where foreign agents congregate, to New York by clipper where the spy hunt reaches its climax. Always in the background are the deliveries of America's vital planes and supplies to England, while in the foreground are as clever and resourceful a band of spies as fiction or fact has devised, together with the equally resourceful, but cleverer, men who hunt them down.

George Brent as the FBI man and Basil Rathbone as his friendly Scotland Yard rival for the distinction of gathering in the ringleaders who have sabotaged American planes and tipped off the sailings of supply ships give smoothly engaging performances. Ilona Massey, as a concert artist and important cog in the spy ring, in other words, as the international lady, provides the romantic interest even when she is in the throes of being a most effective "menace," and does both with a fine talent for conviction and allurement.

Lesser roles are faultlessly handled by George Zucco, Francis Pierlot, Martin Kosleck, Charles D. Brown, Marjorie Gateson and Frederic Worlock. Tim Whelan's direction extracts every opportunity for excitement and suspense from the screenplay.
Running time, 100 minutes. "G."

Sherwin A. Kane

—Motion Picture Daily, October 13, 1941

"Basil Rathbone, in a sympathetic comedy role, gives a charming and amusing performance." —Hollywood Reporter

"It's easy to get lost in the plot by not paying attention, but there are some nice comic bits along the way. The camera treats Massey in a flattering manner for her first straight role." — TV Guide

"A spy drama which makes sense as well as suspense, the picture takes on mystical tension which adds immeasurably to its inherent force. the picture has the quality of a documentary as well as the rousing excitement of first-rate melodramatic entertainment." —New York Herald Tribune

See Page Two for more reviews and pictures from the film. See Page Three for pictures of posters, lobby cards and promo photos.

Images on this page and pages two and three are from the film International Lady.

International Lady (1941), 102 minutes, b&w

International Lady
(1941), 102 minutes, b&w