Reviewers seem to have wide range of opinions about "Above Suspicion" and I can understand why.
Released in 1943, the film actually portrays action that takes place in 1939. The British, anticipating a Nazi invasion of Poland, are preparing for the inevitable. They ask newlyweds Richard and Frances Myles (Fred McMurray and Joan Crawford) to try to track down the "formula" for a new German secret weapon while on their honeymoon. Because they are newly married, surely they would be above suspicion. Richard is a student at Oxford. He wants to keep his bride in the dark about the danger of their mission, but she sees through his subterfuge and is delighted by the fact they will now be "Spies!"
The mission is convoluted and unnecessarily complicated, as if written by Rube Goldberg. As they travel from Dover to Paris to Salzburg, they fumble their way from clue to ambiguous clue, managing to keep their sense of humor.
Basil Rathbone and Conrad Veidt plays significant roles in this drama that was called "tongue in cheek" by TCM. It's a fair assessment for a story that feels like it could have been written by a teenager. Nevertheless, it's a fun ride punctuated by assassinations and Tyrolian chases.
Released in 1943, the film actually portrays action that takes place in 1939. The British, anticipating a Nazi invasion of Poland, are preparing for the inevitable. They ask newlyweds Richard and Frances Myles (Fred McMurray and Joan Crawford) to try to track down the "formula" for a new German secret weapon while on their honeymoon. Because they are newly married, surely they would be above suspicion. Richard is a student at Oxford. He wants to keep his bride in the dark about the danger of their mission, but she sees through his subterfuge and is delighted by the fact they will now be "Spies!"
The mission is convoluted and unnecessarily complicated, as if written by Rube Goldberg. As they travel from Dover to Paris to Salzburg, they fumble their way from clue to ambiguous clue, managing to keep their sense of humor.
Basil Rathbone and Conrad Veidt plays significant roles in this drama that was called "tongue in cheek" by TCM. It's a fair assessment for a story that feels like it could have been written by a teenager. Nevertheless, it's a fun ride punctuated by assassinations and Tyrolian chases.