Friday, May 01, 2009

Radio review – Lux#136 – “British Agent” (1936) **

Errol Flynn steps into the shoes of Leslie Howard in this adaptation of the 1934 thriller about life of a British agent during the Russian Revolution. It’s interesting to hear Errol in a role he didn’t essay on the screen; the main flaw of this isn’t his fault – it’s about a person who doesn’t really do much apart from sit around during the Revolution, and when he does do something (try to stop Russia quitting the war, kill Lenin) he fails. We’re used to Errol kicking more arse than this.

But it is interesting, especially the take on Russia – and Frances Farmer plays the Russian commie agent who falls for him. Her performance is mostly an accent, but Frances Farmer and Errol Flynn together is easily interesting enough to carry it through the hour.

In the chat at the end Flynn talks about his injury in the Spanish Civil War and Farmer talk about going back to the stage. De Mille also announces the death of Jean Harlow.

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