Mata Hari (1931)

Mata Hari: Directed by George Fitzmaurice. With Greta Garbo, Ramon Novarro, Lionel Barrymore, Lewis Stone. A semi-fictionalized account of the life of Mata Hari, an exotic dancer who was accused of spying for Germany during World War I.

“The story of the exotic WW1 spy Mata Hari, and her love for a dashing Russian pilot which leads to her downfall. Dancing with a couple of miniature pagodas on her head is enough for Greta Garbou0026#39;s Mata Hari to ensnare naive Russian pilot Ramon Novarro in MGMu0026#39;s strangely uninvolving drama. The studio presumably believed that Garbou0026#39;s screen presence would be enough to distract their audience from the thin, dull plot and slow pace, but they were wrong Best scene by far is Mata Hari testing her hold over her malleable swain by persuading him to extinguish the eternal candle to the Virgin Mary over the cot on which theyu0026#39;re about to make love, which simultaneously alerts her fellow spy outside that the coast is clear. The combined star power of Garbo and Barrymore make it worth watching, but only just.”