From my favorite movies..

A lot more amusing than I thought it would be.

A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

Always liked Marion Davies in most of her films. She always played good-natured, cheerful parts in which you can root for her character. But I guess everyone's entitled to a clinker once in a while, and I thought "Operator 13" is hers. She is hard to believe as a Northern spy in blackface - she doesn't look like a black person at all, and in real life would fool no one. Her makeup as a white spy looks laid on with a trowel, and in addition she doesn't sing well when called upon.The plot itself is a good one and is handled well by underrated director Boleslawski, who died too soon. The scenes of intrigue and espionage are very good, as are the few fight and battle scenes, but the picture goes downhill in the love scenes between Davies and Gary Cooper. The dialogue here seems forced and Davies tries too hard to play an ardent lover. Rest of the cast is excellent with several recognizable character actors, including Ted Healy (minus the 3 Stooges) as a Union Captain.

If you take the US History SAT, you're likely to encounter a question like this: "The main reason the North won the Civil War was...?' The answer is along the lines of "the War lasted too long." That is, the North had an advantage in numbers and industrial base, and wore down the South. However, this wonderful movie shows the real reasons the South lost:1. Their officers were stupid. Marion Davies plays a slave in blackface. Anyone looking at her should be able to tell she's about as black as Jeff Davis. But Confederates must have believed no white would want to pose as a black.2. Their officers were naive. We see them trusting blacks and minstrels implicitly, never believing any would be a Northern sympathizer.3. They spent most of their time dancing. In half the scenes, Reb officers are at balls.A fantastic film. Davies is wonderful as usual, and the film implies an anti-war message;both sides are brutal, with summary executions. It has an impossible happy ending.

I can't believe that Gary Cooper made this movie even in those days. It showed the wonderful lives of blacks in the Confederacy. I betcha' some of Duh-bya friends were brought to yearning for the good ol' days. It showed William Randolph Hearst wife in blackface. Unbelievable!!! Henry Long was seen by me for the 1st time in a straight part. Interesting. The Mills brothers were OK, but not nearly as good as in "Twenty Million Sweethearts".

Civil war story with Marion Davis as a Confederate spy disguised as a slave. Not politically correct by today's standards ("Negroes always gossip" is one of the more controversial lines from the script), but it does prove that Marion Davies was a competent actress when given the chance.