The Gay Diplomat
| The Gay Diplomat | |
|---|---|
 Ivan Lebedeff as Captain Orloff | |
| Directed by |
|
| Written by | (adaptation and dialogue) Alfred Jackson (additional dialogue) |
| Produced by | |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Leo Tover |
| Edited by | Arthur Roberts |
| Music by | Max Steiner |
| Distributed by | RKO Radio Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 67 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $184,000[2] |
| Box office | $131,000[2] |
The Gay Diplomat is a 1931 American
.Plot
Captain Orloff is a Russian military officer who is sent to Bucharest to discover and dispose of a female spy. The three suspected spies are Countess Diana Dorchy, Baroness Alma Corri, and Madame Blinis. Before learning the identity of the spy, Orloff falls in love with Diana. In the course of events, the spy is revealed to be Alma who is ultimately tricked into confessing. Orloff returns with his prisoner to St. Petersburg and is joined on the train by Diana.[1]
Cast
- Genevieve Tobin as Countess Diana Dorchy
- Betty Compson as Baroness Alma Corri
- Ivan Lebedeff as Captain Ivan Orloff
- Ilka Chase as Madame Blinis
- Purnell Pratt as Colonel George Gorin
- Colin Campbell as Gamble
- Arthur Edmund Carewas The Suave Man
- Edward Martindel as Ambassador
- John St. Polis as General
- Judith Vosselli as Wife
- George Irving as A colonel
- Rita LaRoy as Natalie
Production
According to the trade journal
Shooting took place in June 1931.
The picture was Lebedeff's first starring role and he figured heavily in RKO's marketing campaign, which touted him as another Valentino and portrayed the story as based on events from his life.[5][6] Tobin was borrowed from Universal to play the female lead.[1]
Reception
The film was released September 19, 1931. According to RKO records, the film was the studio's lowest grossing film of the 1930–31 season and lost $115,000 at the box office.[2]
The Gay Diplomat was generally poorly received by critics. New York Times critic Mordaunt Hall called it "highly predictable".[7] The Variety reviewer found the story incomprehensible and called the dialog "inane" and the acting "some of the poorest";[8] Film Daily, summed it up as "mechanical and slow moving ... with artificial treatment and acting".[5]
References
- ^ a b c d e "The Gay Diplomat". Catalog of Feature Films. American Film Institute. Retrieved March 13, 2015.
- ^ .
- ^ "RKO Buys Lebedeff-Levy Story". The Film Daily. LV (59): 11. March 12, 1931. Retrieved March 13, 2015.
- ^ Hal Erickson. "The Gay Diplomat". AllMovie. Retrieved December 13, 2020.
- ^ a b "The Gay Diplomat". The Film Daily. LVI (46): 18. August 23, 1931. Retrieved March 13, 2015.
- ^ "A New Star Flashes". Motion Picture Herald. 104 (8): 51. August 22, 1931. Full page advertisement for Gay Diplomat.
- New York Times. Retrieved March 13, 2015.
- ^ "Gay Diplomat". Variety. 104 (5): 15. October 13, 1931. Retrieved March 13, 2015.
External links
- The Gay Diplomat at IMDb
- The Gay Diplomat at the TCM Movie Database
- The Gay Diplomat at AllMovie
- The Gay Diplomat at the American Film Institute Catalog
