British Agent (1934)

Set in 1917 as the Russian revolution begins, a British diplomat (Leslie Howard) finds himself falling in love with a revolutionary member (Kay Francis) of the Red Army. Their political differences would seem to doom their romance. Based on the non fiction book MEMOIRS OF A BRITISH AGENT by R.H. Bruce Lockhart and directed by Michael Curtiz (WHITE CHRISTMAS). Although based on a non fiction book, the film is very much fictionalized. The film is interesting because Kay Francis's revolutionary puts her political beliefs over romance and the film seems to be heading toward a darker finale. Alas, the movie's final moments gives us a phony happy ending and doesn't ring true. Of course, Kay Francis isn't remotely believable as a fervent Bolshevik revolutionary and doesn't even attempt an accent. Still, until that silly ending the movie held my attention. With Cesar Romero, William Gargan, J. Carrol Naish and Irving Pichel (who would give up acting and turn to directing).