The main idea behind this MGM film, filmed in Great Britain, is to show what happens when a dapper American newspaper man (Clark Gable) falls in love with a Russian ballerina (Gene Tierney). To say there is considerable drama would be an understatement, especially when Gable marries Tierney but she is unable to get a visa home with him. Initially, he has no choice but to leave her behind then devise a scheme to help her defect from Russian authorities.
This plot would become a popular one on TV shows in the 1970s and 1980s. Episodes of Hawaii Five O and Scarecrow & Mrs. King featured beautiful young Russian girls (and they were always young and beautiful, never old and ugly) wanting to take up residence in the U. S. Of course, these tales never show the potential defectors caring all that much about the American way of life. Instead, they just want to escape the oppression and hardship of their native country, because they've found love with an attractive American male.
I think these types of stories have been popular with viewers, because they accomplish two things. First, if they are structured as romance dramas, then the audience will root for a certain outcome due to the sentimental hooey that is playing out on screen...after all, nobody wants such innocent lovers to be separated, do they?
Second, since these stories tend to over emphasize the political aspects of two nations that are polar opposites during the cold war, there's all kinds of danger and intrigue which makes it exciting on some level. But more importantly, the audience will root for the couple because they want the girl to get away from big bad Russia, as this will reinforce the patriotism of the viewer and the viewer's commitment to American ideals. Anyone who wants to leave a communist country and become a free American surely can't be denied the chance to do so, can they?
In the case of this motion picture, the characters portrayed by Clark Gable and Gene Tierney receive help from an assorted group of friends and political operatives. Gable has married Tierney, but of course the Soviet Union has no plans of letting her go. Since Gable also has no plans of letting her go, he needs help to prevent the Russian government from holding on to his wife.
The Russians intend to maintain their claim on Tierney because she's a well-known ballet star. Losing her would be like losing a star athlete before the Olympics. It would mean a loss of prestige; more crucially, it'd be a signal to the rest of the world the Russians aren't strong enough to hold on to 'their' people.
After flying home to the U. S. for a short interim, Gable returns to Europe with a plan in motion to get his wife back from her native captors. He sneaks into an east European country with communist leanings where Tierney is on tour with the ballet. As soon as he finds her, he will sneak her out. This is really where the viewers root for good over evil, hoping Gable will succeed in 'kidnapping' Tierney, since she belongs to him, not to her nefarious government.
Some of the scenes that take place in Finland during the final act of the movie are quite tense and gripping to watch. Gable undertakes a daring mission to obtain entrance into a concert hall where Tierney is performing. Gable impersonates a doctor in order to succeed. During the performance, Tierney spots him in the crowd and feigns illness so Gable as the doctor will be brought backstage to examine her. Then they flee out a side door together.
Again this type of 'love against the odds' story is meant to sweep up the audience and reinforce patriotic ideals. On a basic level, there's nothing wrong with that. However, the film does fall a bit flat in spots and strains credibility because Gable's too long in the tooth for this role, like he was in so many of his mid-50s vehicles where he was romancing a starlet young enough to be his daughter. In fact, there was a 19 year difference between him and Tierney, and it's quite obvious.
We also have openly gay actor Richard Haydn playing one of Gable's pals on screen which is unusual. But despite the odd casting, I do think the sincere and noble aims of cast and crew help carry NEVER LET ME GO over the rough spots, and they help us to forget its more improbable aspects.
This plot would become a popular one on TV shows in the 1970s and 1980s. Episodes of Hawaii Five O and Scarecrow & Mrs. King featured beautiful young Russian girls (and they were always young and beautiful, never old and ugly) wanting to take up residence in the U. S. Of course, these tales never show the potential defectors caring all that much about the American way of life. Instead, they just want to escape the oppression and hardship of their native country, because they've found love with an attractive American male.
I think these types of stories have been popular with viewers, because they accomplish two things. First, if they are structured as romance dramas, then the audience will root for a certain outcome due to the sentimental hooey that is playing out on screen...after all, nobody wants such innocent lovers to be separated, do they?
Second, since these stories tend to over emphasize the political aspects of two nations that are polar opposites during the cold war, there's all kinds of danger and intrigue which makes it exciting on some level. But more importantly, the audience will root for the couple because they want the girl to get away from big bad Russia, as this will reinforce the patriotism of the viewer and the viewer's commitment to American ideals. Anyone who wants to leave a communist country and become a free American surely can't be denied the chance to do so, can they?
In the case of this motion picture, the characters portrayed by Clark Gable and Gene Tierney receive help from an assorted group of friends and political operatives. Gable has married Tierney, but of course the Soviet Union has no plans of letting her go. Since Gable also has no plans of letting her go, he needs help to prevent the Russian government from holding on to his wife.
The Russians intend to maintain their claim on Tierney because she's a well-known ballet star. Losing her would be like losing a star athlete before the Olympics. It would mean a loss of prestige; more crucially, it'd be a signal to the rest of the world the Russians aren't strong enough to hold on to 'their' people.
After flying home to the U. S. for a short interim, Gable returns to Europe with a plan in motion to get his wife back from her native captors. He sneaks into an east European country with communist leanings where Tierney is on tour with the ballet. As soon as he finds her, he will sneak her out. This is really where the viewers root for good over evil, hoping Gable will succeed in 'kidnapping' Tierney, since she belongs to him, not to her nefarious government.
Some of the scenes that take place in Finland during the final act of the movie are quite tense and gripping to watch. Gable undertakes a daring mission to obtain entrance into a concert hall where Tierney is performing. Gable impersonates a doctor in order to succeed. During the performance, Tierney spots him in the crowd and feigns illness so Gable as the doctor will be brought backstage to examine her. Then they flee out a side door together.
Again this type of 'love against the odds' story is meant to sweep up the audience and reinforce patriotic ideals. On a basic level, there's nothing wrong with that. However, the film does fall a bit flat in spots and strains credibility because Gable's too long in the tooth for this role, like he was in so many of his mid-50s vehicles where he was romancing a starlet young enough to be his daughter. In fact, there was a 19 year difference between him and Tierney, and it's quite obvious.
We also have openly gay actor Richard Haydn playing one of Gable's pals on screen which is unusual. But despite the odd casting, I do think the sincere and noble aims of cast and crew help carry NEVER LET ME GO over the rough spots, and they help us to forget its more improbable aspects.