Mata Hari (1931)

Writers:

Benjamin Glazer (by) and
Leo Birinsky (by) ...
(more)

Release Date:

26 December 1931 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Tagline:

WHWN MATA HARI DANCED! Here is Greta Garbo's greatest picture---a romance based on the true life story of the exotic woman spy, Mata Hari. Truly all-star, this production will leave in mind and heart the memory of an unforgettable thrill! (original herald)

Plot:

A semi-fictionalized account of the life of Mata Hari, an exotic dancer who was accused of spying for Germany during World War I.

Plot Keywords:

Russian | Mata Hari | Spy | General | Dancer

Cast

Greta Garbo	...	Mata Hari
Ramon Novarro	...	Lt. Alexis Rosanoff
Lionel Barrymore	...	General Shubin
Lewis Stone	...	Andriani
C. Henry Gordon	...	Dubois
Karen Morley	...	Carlotta
Alec B. Francis	...	Caron
Blanche Friderici	...	Sister Angelica (as Blanche Frederici)
Edmund Breese	...	Warden
Helen Jerome Eddy	...	Sister Genevieve
Frank Reicher	...	The Cook-Spy
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Mischa Auer	...	Firing Squad Victim #3 (uncredited)
William Bailey	...	Dubois' Aide (uncredited)
Roy Barcroft	...	Extra (uncredited)
Reginald Barlow	...	Prosecutor (uncredited)
Frederick Burton	...	Major at Executions (uncredited)
Harry Cording	...	Ivan (uncredited)
Cecil Cunningham	...	Lady Gambler Selling Ring (uncredited)
Gordon De Main	...	Ambassador's Aide (uncredited)
Maude Turner Gordon	...	Madame Durand (uncredited)
Anthony Jowitt	...	Young Officer, Mata's Admirer (uncredited)
Isabelle Keith	...	Party Guest (uncredited)
Sarah Padden	...	Nursing Sister Teresa (uncredited)
Lennox Pawle	...	DiSignac (uncredited)
Michael Visaroff	...	Jacques (uncredited)

Directed by
George Fitzmaurice		(uncredited)

Writing credits
Benjamin Glazer		(by) and
Leo Birinsky		(by) (as Leo Birinski)
Doris Anderson		(additional dialogue) and
Gilbert Emery		(additional dialogue)

Produced by
George Fitzmaurice	....	producer
Irving Thalberg	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
William Axt		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
William H. Daniels		(photographed by) (as William Daniels)

Film Editing by
Frank Sullivan		(film editor)

Art Direction by
Cedric Gibbons

Costume Design by
Adrian		(gowns)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Cullen Tate	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
George Fitzmaurice	....	continuity drawings supervisor (uncredited)
Alexander Toluboff	....	continuity drawings supervisor (uncredited)

Sound Department
Douglas Shearer	....	recording director
James Brock	....	sound (uncredited)
Fred Morgan	....	sound (uncredited)
Paul Neal	....	sound (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Milton Brown	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Al Lane	....	second camera operator (uncredited)
William Riley	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Albert Scheving	....	assistant camera (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Eugene Joseff	....	costume jeweller (uncredited)

Other crew
B.P. Fineman	....	supervisor (uncredited)
Frank Hansen	....	assistant: Ramon Novarro (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (presents) (controlled by Loew's Incorporated) (A George Fitzmaurice Production)

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1931) (USA) (theatrical)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1955) (Austria) (theatrical)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1932) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1932) (France) (theatrical)
• Continental Home Vídeo (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Esselte Video (1990) (Finland) (VHS)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (19??) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Bros. Entertainment Finland Oy (2006) (Finland) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Vídeo (2005) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (1966) (2008) (Finland) (TV)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

USA:89 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #5419-R, July 1939 for re-release) | UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG (re-rating) (2006) | Norway:16 (1932) | Australia:G | Australia:PG (DVD rating) | Finland:K-12 (1990) | Finland:K-16 (1932) | West Germany:12 (f) | USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | USA:TV-PG (TV rating)

Filming Locations:

Agoura Ranch, Agoura, California, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

Though the title character was real, the events in the film are mostly fictional.

Quotes:

Andriani:The only way to resign from our profession is to die.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Arena: Screen Goddesses" (2012)

Soundtrack:

Ave Maria, Op.52 No.6

Enjoyable Melodramatic Love Story

In 1917, in Paris, the famous dancer Mata Hari (Greta Garbo) has a double life as a German spy, obtaining secrets from French and Russian officers in bed. The chief of the French Secret Service Dubois (C. Henry Gordon) is unsuccessfully in her tail trying to find proofs to incriminate Mata Hari. The Russian general Serge Shubin (Lionel Barrymore) has a crush on Mata Hari, but when she meets the young Russian pilot lieutenant Alexis Rosanoff (Ramon Novarro), she sleeps with him to photograph secret documents in his possession. But they fall in love for each other, and the jealousy of her lover Shubin provides the evidences to Dubois to arrest her.

This fictional and naive romance based on the life and death "Mata Hari" is an enjoyable melodramatic love story. Of course it is not a historic event, but this pleasant romantic fantasy is supported by an extremely beautiful Great Garbo performing a charismatic role in a great production. In spite of not being a masterpiece, I totally disagree with the unfair reviews in IMDb. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Mata Hari"