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British Agent

British Agent

  • Status: Released
  • 15-09-1934
  • Runtime: 80 min
  • Score: 5.5
  • Vote count: 17

In the days leading up to the Russian Revolution, Stephen Locke, a minor British diplomat in St Petersburg, falls in love with a Russian spy.

Leslie Howard

Stephen 'Steve' Locke

Kay Francis

Elena Moura

William Gargan

Bob Medill

Phillip Reed

Gaston LeFarge

Irving Pichel

Sergei Pavlov

Ivan F. Simpson

'Poohbah' Evans

Halliwell Hobbes

Sir Walter Carrister

J. Carrol Naish

Commissioner of War Trotsky

Walter Byron

Under Secretary Stanley

Cesar Romero

Tito Del Val

Arthur Aylesworth

Mr. Henry Farmer

Alphonse Ethier

Paul DeVigney

Frank Reicher

Mr. X

Tenen Holtz

Lenin

Doris Lloyd

Lady Carrister

Mary Forbes

Lady Catherine Trehearne

Marina Koshetz

Maria Nikolaievna (as Marina Schubert)

George C. Pearce

Lloyd George (as George Pearce)

Gregory Gaye

Mr. Kolinoff

Paul Porcasi

Count Romano

Glen Cavender

Russian Policeman (uncredited)

Claire McDowell

Woman Saying 'Lenin will Live' (uncredited)

CinemaSerf

Leslie Howard is "Locke", a British Consul-General in revolutionary Russia charged with trying to persuade the new Provisional government not to to abandon their pact with the allies and make peace with the Kaiser. It soon becomes clear that this new government is in a pretty precarious position too and that it won't be long before Lenin (Tenen Holtz) and his Bolsheviks will be the ones whom he sees to convince. Naturally, their support comes with strings attached that he must try to accommodate with, or without, the support of his government. Add to his woes, his personal insolvent with Lenin's assistant "Elena" (Kay Francis) and the scheming of "Pavlov" (Irving Pichel) and he has a tough task ahead of him. Sadly, though the story had potential, the execution is all just a bit all over the place. The acting is adequate at best, the dialogue wordy, the action sparse and the plenty of familiar faces in the supporting cast can't really make this story of exciting revolutionary Russia catch fire. The ending is sadly lacklustre, too.