Under Secret Orders
Under Secret Orders, also known as Mademoiselle Doctor, is a 1937 British spy film directed by Edmond T. Gréville and starring Erich von Stroheim, John Loder, Dita Parlo and Claire Luce.[1] It is an English-language version of the French film Mademoiselle Docteur, also known as Salonique, nid d'espions, and released in the United States as Street of Shadows, which was filmed at the same time under the direction of G. W. Pabst. Both films have exactly the same plot, but there were differences in the cast between the two: in particular, von Stroheim was not in the French version.[2]
| Under Secret Orders | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Edmond T. Gréville |
| Produced by | Max Schach |
| Written by | Adaptation: Marcel Achard |
| Screenplay by | Ernest Betts Jacques Natanson |
| Story by | Georges Hereaux Irma von Cube |
| Starring | Erich von Stroheim John Loder Dita Parlo Claire Luce |
| Music by | Hans May |
| Cinematography | Alfred Black |
| Edited by | Ray Pitt |
Production company | Grafton Films Trafalgar Film Productions |
| Distributed by | United Artists |
Release date |
|
Running time | 84 minutes 66 minutes (US) |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
Premise
During the First World War, a woman doctor falls in love with one of her patients who turns out to be a German spy. She herself ends up working for German intelligence.
Cast
- Erich von Stroheim as Col. W. Mathesius / Simonis
- John Loder as Lt. Peter Carr
- Dita Parlo as Dr. Anne-Marie Lesser
- Claire Luce as Gaby, Rene's girl
- Gyles Isham as Lt. Hans Hoffman
- Clifford Evans as Rene Condoyan
- John Abbott as Armand
- Anthony Holles as Mario
- Edward Lexy as Carr's orderly
- Robert Nainby as French General
- Bryan Powley as Col. Burgoyne, French Secret Service
- Molly Hamley-Clifford as Madame Samuloi, Proprietor of the Blue Peacock
- Raymond Lovell as Col. von Steinberg
- Frederick Lloyd as Col. Marchand, Carr's boss
- Claude Horton as Captain Fitzmaurice
Cast notes:
- Stewart Granger appears in a small role
Reception
Writing for Night and Day in 1937, Graham Greene gave the film a poor review, summarizing it as more movie than cinema. Greene described the writing as "a really shocking script, with childish continuity" and criticized the dialogue as "it ambles flatly along".[3]
See also
- Stamboul Quest – 1934 American film starring Myrna Loy
- Mademoiselle Docteur (also known as Salonique, nid d’espions and Street of Shadows) – 1937 French film directed by G.W. Pabst
- Fräulein Doktor – 1969 film, an Italian/Yugoslavian co-production
References
- BFI Database entry
- Thames, Stephanie. "Stamboul Quest (1934)" (article) on TCM.com
- Greene, Graham (16 December 1937). "Monica and Martin/Mademoiselle Docteur/Eastern Valley". Night and Day. (reprinted in: Taylor, John Russell, ed. (1980). The Pleasure Dome. Oxford University Press. p. 186. ISBN 0192812866.)