CREDITS
1942, 100 minutes, B&W.
Producer, Joseph L. Mankiewicz; Director, W.S. Van Dyke; Screenplay, John McLain and Ladislaus Fodor; Cinematography, Ray June; Music Direction, Herbert Stothart; Choreography, Sammy Lee.
CAST
Marcia Warren, Jeanette MacDonald; Homer Smith, Robert Young; Cleona Jones, Ethel Waters; Philo Cobson, Reginald Owen; Teutonic Gentleman, Lionel Atwill; Mrs. Morrison, Mona Barrie; Ahmed Ben Hassan, Eduardo Ciannelli; Colonel Woodhue, Dennis Hoey; Hector, Dooley Wilson; Bartender, Harry Worth; O.H.P. Boggs, Grant Mitchell; Ludwig, Mitchell Lewis; Bernie, Larry Nunn; Themselves, The King's Men.
SONGS
Buds Won't Bud by Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg; Cairo; Keep the Light Burning Bright by Howard Dietz and Harburg; The Waltz Is Over by Harburg and Arthur Schwartz; We Did It Before and We Can Do It Again by Charles Tobias and Cliff Friend; Les Filles de Cadiz by Leo Delibes; A Heart That's Free by Alfred G. Robyn and T. Railey; To a Wild Rose by Edward MacDowell; Beautiful Ohio by Mary Earl and Ballard MacDonald; Waiting for the Robert E. Lee by L. Wolfe Gilbert and Lewis F. Muir; Avalon by Al Jolson and Vincent Rose; From the Land of Sky Blue Waters by Charles W. Cadman and Nelle Eberhart; Il Bacio by Luigi Arditi; The Sextet by Donizetti.
PLOT SYNOPSIS
"When in Rome, do as the Romans do. But when in World War II-era Cairo, do as the spies do! Into that teeming viper's nest stumbles affable American Homer Smith, a reporter who aims to get the story, get it right and, above all, get it first! Trouble is, some folks are out to get Homer first. . .Jeanette MacDonald and Robert Young (as Homer) each suspect the other of being a spy, but then join forces to uncover the real agents."
- Liner Notes from MGM/UA/Turner Videotape
NOTES
"A leaden, cumbersome screenplay. . .gave the stars no opportunity to twinkle at all."
- Clive Hirschhorn, The Hollywood Musical
"Confusing if not amusing."
- Variety
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