Expected more

A different way of telling a story

It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

American honeymooners (Fred MacMurray, Joan Crawford) are recruited by British government to spy on the Nazis just before WW2 starts. They have to contend with Nazi Basil Rathbone and a host of others who may or may not be on their side. Decent wartime thriller with some light comic touches. MacMurray and Crawford both do fine, though it doesn't seem like the part quite fits Joan. This was her last movie for MGM before departing for Warner Bros. Nice support from Rathbone and Conrad Veidt. It's the kind of movie that you feel could have been so much better in the hands of a different director and perhaps different leads. Joan reportedly wanted Alfred Hitchcock to direct. It does seem somewhat up his alley but he certainly would have had the script rewritten significantly. I'm sure it would have been a much better film with Hitch at the helm. As it is, though, it's an agreeable time-passer. I love Fred MacMurray's closing line.

Hmmm. The casting department at MGM must have just gotten back from a Christmas party where the booze was flowing like rivers, as the way they set up the film was strange to say the least. Fred MacMurray plays an Oxford professor(!) and marries Joan Crawford. This is an odd pairing, I know, but the Oxford part really seemed far-fetched. Then, on the way to their honeymoon, they are approached by the British Foreign Office and asked to do a bit of spying on their trip through southern Germany and Austria (this was set in early 1939--just before the war).However, despite the odd casting and basic premise, the film worked pretty well provided you didn't think through how easy it was for them to slip through the Gestapo's fingers on two occasions. So why did it work? Well, the acting was very good and they were given excellent supporting players in the form of Conrad Veidt and Basil Rathbone. Once again, though, how they assigned these two roles is very odd. Veidt was famous for his portrayals of evil Nazis, but here he is a good German! And, oddly, the English Rathbone plays a die-hard Nazi! It really did work--but for fans of classic Hollywood, this is a bit strange.In addition to the acting, the plot and action were very good and the film was given the full MGM treatment--excellent music, direction, sets, etc. They really did a good job of making the MGM back lot look like Austria with all the matte painted mountains that were exceptionally realistic.Overall, it's a very good WWII propaganda film and curio that is quite entertaining--provided you don't think too much during the film.

Even though I am a big fan of classic film and Joan Crawford, "Above Suspicion" left me very disappointed. This Nazi era spy film has is complete with secret codes, disguises, evil-doers and international intrigue -- all normally very fascinating stuff, except that in this case it is presented in a simplistic, juvenile way that fails to impress...in fact fails to even keep you awake at times.It's impossible to believe that the British "Foreign Office" would select Joan's character (a perky soon-to-be housewife) and her husband (played by Fred MacMurray) to carry out an urgent, covert spy operation in Nazi Germany. Crawford and MacMurray jaunt casually through their mission as if it were dinner theater instead of a serious life-threatening mission. They appear to be playing a second-string version of Nora and Nick Charles from "The Thin Man" series, but their sad attempts at lighthearted humor only detract from the potential danger and suspense that could have made this film so much more sophisticated and interesting. As far as suspense, plot, and general interest is concerned, I give this film a 3 out of 10. But it would be a great choice if you ever had to choose an unoffensive family film for people who do not have discerning taste. It would easily entertain kids, as it's only one step removed from a Scooby Doo Mystery.

If you like the kind of spy-romance yarns spun out by Hollywood in the 1940s--the kind with tongue-in-cheek dialogue that lets you know you're not supposed to take any of it too seriously--you'll enjoy this amusing, yet suspenseful film in which Conrad Veidt plays a "nice guy" for a change. Honeymooners Joan Crawford and Fred MacMurray are asked by British intelligence to do some spying while on their European jaunt. The agreeable pair go along with a plan that has them on the trail of an agent and in and out of dangerous situations as they are pursued by Basil Rathbone, chilling as usual as a Nazi. Good entertainment with some amusing dialogue and light-hearted performances by Joan and Fred that indicate they should have been teamed more than once. As it is, this is Joan Crawford's last film at Metro after seventeen years with the studio and comes just two years before "Mildred Pierce" at Warners. Good cast and fine production values make it an absorbing treat.