RENDEZVOUS

US, 1935, 95 minutes, Black and white.
William Powell, Rosalind Russell, Binnie Barnes, Lionel Atwill, Cesar Romero, Samuel S. Hinds, Henry Stephenson.
Directed by William K. Howard.

Rendezvous is an espionage story. It focuses on Fifth Column, the codes and code-breaking, and how they worked during the war period. The plot anticipates some of the World War Two stories.

The film opens like a romantic comedy with William Powell as his debonair self, one of the most popular stars at MGM during the 1930s. The film is also an opportunity for Rosalind Russell to take the place of Myrna Loy, pairing with William Powell. She is full of vitality but has a difficult role to play, a bubblehead heiress who gets in the way so much of the time and is quite irritating – and strange credibility with William Powell’s continued love for her. By contrast, Binnie Barnes is very effective as the glamorous spy. There is a strong supporting cast dramatising the personnel in the Department of War, the army as well as the experts in code-breaking.

The film has many comic moments, especially with William Powell. Those with Rosalind Russell don't work so well. However, there are some dramatic moments as well. The film is an example of the screwball comedy in a more serious setting.

1. A 1930s romantic comedy? In the World War One setting? Cryptographers? Espionage? The blend of all these themes?

2. Black and white photography, the cast? The New York settings? The contrast with San Diego and Mexico? The spy network? The musical score?

3. The introduction to Bill Gordon? His work as a journalist? His jokes? His relationship with the ambassador? At the party, Joel mistaking him for the singer? His playing along? His wanting to go to war? Enlisting? The clashes with Joel, the suffragettes’ march? Their hitting each other? The black eyes? The bond between them? The staying in New York, the romance? Her discovering the truth about his book? Her engineering his staying? His work at the War Office? The introduction, the comic touches, the eccentric personalities? His work in cryptography? His breakthroughs?

4. The spies? Nieterstein? The Russian embassy? With the ambassador? The network, the code, the information? Transmitting to the doctor in San Diego, the trip to Tijuana? His attentions to Joel? His being made the scapegoat? The code found with him? His leaping out the window? Olivia, her relationship with Brennan? The code? Killing Brennan? The various flunkeys in the hotel? The elderly woman? The effectiveness of the network?

5. 1917, American troops, munitions? The maps, the explanations of the expedition? The need for security? The breaking of codes? False codes, testing out the enemy? The shrewdness of the Germans’ counter action of these deceptions?

6. Olivia, her relationship with Brennan? Brennan, in charge, British, his wife at home? His employing Bill? His suspicions about Olivia, the setup with the briefcase? Her killing him? The funeral?

7. Olivia at the funeral, the German plan that she be noticed? Being picked up, the false clues? Bill, the flirtation? His following the clues? Seeing through her?

8. Joel, the jealousy, the dinners? Going out with Nieterstein? The clashes with Olivia, buying the dresses for her when she pretended to be the matron?

9. The American officials, Carter, his reliance on Bill?

10. The final complications? The advertisement in the mail? The agents for reaction and seeing print? The phone calls, the setting up of deception? Bill, the capture of Joel and her jealousy? The Germans’ hold over Bill? Sending out the address disguised as the location for the meeting?
11. The final confrontation, the shootout, Bill and his knocking Joel out? Carter and his arrival? The roundup of the spies?

12. The romantic ending – Bill going to war, his being kept back? Joel and her love for Bill?