Lancer Spy (1937)

Set during WWI. When a high ranking German officer (George Sanders) is captured by the British, his physical resemblance to an English Lieutenant (George Sanders) is remarkable. It is decided that the Lieutenant will be trained to impersonate the German officer and be sent to Germany as a spy. Based on the novel by Marthe McKenna (a real life WWI spy for the British) and directed by Gregory Ratoff (INTERMEZZO). A rather routine espionage thriller with not much to offer but still quite watchable. George Sanders had recently been signed by 20th Century Fox and had a success as the villain in LLOYDS OF LONDON (1936) and this was Fox's attempt to make him a romantic leading man. It didn't work but he went on to a prolific career as one of Hollywood's great character actors (no one could play a cad like him). Top billed Dolores Del Rio as a Spanish dancer spying for the Germans doesn't come in until a half hour into the movie. She brings a glamorous exoticism (her specialty) though the romantic attraction to Sanders isn't quite believable. With Peter Lorre, Joseph Schildkraut, Lynn Bari, Lionel Atwill, Virginia Field and Fritz Feld.