Lesser known Billy Wilder movie which saw him lure Jean Arthur out of retirement to star alongside Marlene Dietrich and the lesser known John Lund in a tale of post-war intrigue set in war-torn Berlin. Arthur is the prissy, by-the-book Congresswoman who arrives with a group of visiting colleagues to spearhead the search for a high-ranking former-Nazi. To get to her prey, she seeks out the undercover U.S. soldier believed to be romancing the Nazi's former-girlfriend, nightclub singer played by Dietrich.
Lund plays the American paramour of Marlene, as we've already learned right at the start of the movie and naturally events transpire to throw the three leads together, sometimes in different combinations before some surprise revelations emerge for the denouement. The film takes in some witty comedic scenes, particularly Lund's seduction of ice-maiden Arthur by way of overcoming her hastily created, unlikely barrier of sliding-open filing cabinets, (possibly satirising Hitchcock's doors-opening love scene between Gregory Peck and Ingrid Bergman in "Spellbound"), itself neatly inverted in the final scene when she charges through a row of intervening chairs to get to him and there are some pithy topical one-liners probably lost on today's audience.
Another highlight is Dietrich getting to sing three excellent, apposite and witty songs by her long-time songwriter Edward Hollander trading on her long-established vamp-persona, even if this time she's dressed more in keeping with her age, her classy rendition of which is later contrasted with Arthur's klutzy version of her Iowa state song when inebriated at the same club.
While both Dietrich and Arthur can seem a little long in the tooth to be playing parts they each first acted some fifteen years ago, they both just about pull it off. I also smiled as I recognised the "Ninotchka"-like twist in proceedings with this time a starchy American female politician "going native". By the time the conclusion is reached and the hunted Nazi is duly flushed out by all the machinations, the only surprise was that Lund should make the choice of woman he does at the end.
Wilder apparently bemoaned having to accept Lund in place of his preferred lead Cary Grant, although ironically his actor comes off more as a mini-Clark Gable both in appearance and delivery. I didn't really see the chemistry between him and Arthur however and both are outshone by the sultry Dietrich even if again she seems a little old to be throwing herself at a G.I.
Despite the interesting subject matter, good use of location filming in the city's rubble and some amusing situations, this isn't quite in the top-drawer of maestro Wilder's best work, but stands as a watchable curio and an entertaining latter-day juxtaposition of two very different female stars from vintage pre-war Hollywood.
Lund plays the American paramour of Marlene, as we've already learned right at the start of the movie and naturally events transpire to throw the three leads together, sometimes in different combinations before some surprise revelations emerge for the denouement. The film takes in some witty comedic scenes, particularly Lund's seduction of ice-maiden Arthur by way of overcoming her hastily created, unlikely barrier of sliding-open filing cabinets, (possibly satirising Hitchcock's doors-opening love scene between Gregory Peck and Ingrid Bergman in "Spellbound"), itself neatly inverted in the final scene when she charges through a row of intervening chairs to get to him and there are some pithy topical one-liners probably lost on today's audience.
Another highlight is Dietrich getting to sing three excellent, apposite and witty songs by her long-time songwriter Edward Hollander trading on her long-established vamp-persona, even if this time she's dressed more in keeping with her age, her classy rendition of which is later contrasted with Arthur's klutzy version of her Iowa state song when inebriated at the same club.
While both Dietrich and Arthur can seem a little long in the tooth to be playing parts they each first acted some fifteen years ago, they both just about pull it off. I also smiled as I recognised the "Ninotchka"-like twist in proceedings with this time a starchy American female politician "going native". By the time the conclusion is reached and the hunted Nazi is duly flushed out by all the machinations, the only surprise was that Lund should make the choice of woman he does at the end.
Wilder apparently bemoaned having to accept Lund in place of his preferred lead Cary Grant, although ironically his actor comes off more as a mini-Clark Gable both in appearance and delivery. I didn't really see the chemistry between him and Arthur however and both are outshone by the sultry Dietrich even if again she seems a little old to be throwing herself at a G.I.
Despite the interesting subject matter, good use of location filming in the city's rubble and some amusing situations, this isn't quite in the top-drawer of maestro Wilder's best work, but stands as a watchable curio and an entertaining latter-day juxtaposition of two very different female stars from vintage pre-war Hollywood.