What we have here with the British film "Dark Journey" is an espionage thriller set in WWI Europe that had this viewer scratching his head. From the nebulous title, to the confusing plot twists, to the dozen or so indistinct supporting characters, eventually makes it similar to a thick London fog.
The one reason why anyone would be excited about this movie today is the appearance of the young and delicately beautiful Vivien Leigh. She's cast as a Swiss (or French?) double (or triple?) agent for the British, I guess. Her front is as the proprietor of a swank dress shop, who ships her fashions across the channel to the Brits. When held up against an electric light, the dresses reveal secret intelligence sewn into the patterns. Probably the coolest plot device.
Enter Conrad Veidt as a double (or triple?) agent for the Germans, who becomes infatuated with Leigh and ultimately earns her affections. This of course complicates their missions, and causes great upheavals in their respective home offices. I've read that Vivien Leigh herself was confused by the plot, and couldn't fathom what her character's motivations were.
So, if you don't try to comprehend the machinations of the plot, there are some nifty scenes contained herein. The sequences set inside Leigh's dress shop are amusing with her two bickering assistants and her old maintenance man who eventually provides a surprise. I also enjoyed the scenes set in a boisterous beer hall complete with about a hundred extras all in character. And there's a great little supporting turn by Joan Gardner as a rival for the affections of Conrad Veidt. She's a beautiful actress with a great catty delivery who was soon to become Mrs. Zoltan Korda in real life and retire to a life in California society.
But I failed to buy into the unusual sight of Conrad Veidt and Vivien Leigh as a romantic couple, and the meandering plot becomes yawn-inducing eventually. Between the casting and the script, there's two strikes against the movie that it cannot overcome. But have faith -- greater things lie ahead for Miss Leigh! ** out of *****
The one reason why anyone would be excited about this movie today is the appearance of the young and delicately beautiful Vivien Leigh. She's cast as a Swiss (or French?) double (or triple?) agent for the British, I guess. Her front is as the proprietor of a swank dress shop, who ships her fashions across the channel to the Brits. When held up against an electric light, the dresses reveal secret intelligence sewn into the patterns. Probably the coolest plot device.
Enter Conrad Veidt as a double (or triple?) agent for the Germans, who becomes infatuated with Leigh and ultimately earns her affections. This of course complicates their missions, and causes great upheavals in their respective home offices. I've read that Vivien Leigh herself was confused by the plot, and couldn't fathom what her character's motivations were.
So, if you don't try to comprehend the machinations of the plot, there are some nifty scenes contained herein. The sequences set inside Leigh's dress shop are amusing with her two bickering assistants and her old maintenance man who eventually provides a surprise. I also enjoyed the scenes set in a boisterous beer hall complete with about a hundred extras all in character. And there's a great little supporting turn by Joan Gardner as a rival for the affections of Conrad Veidt. She's a beautiful actress with a great catty delivery who was soon to become Mrs. Zoltan Korda in real life and retire to a life in California society.
But I failed to buy into the unusual sight of Conrad Veidt and Vivien Leigh as a romantic couple, and the meandering plot becomes yawn-inducing eventually. Between the casting and the script, there's two strikes against the movie that it cannot overcome. But have faith -- greater things lie ahead for Miss Leigh! ** out of *****
