Rendezvous (1935 film)
Encyclopedia
Rendezvous is a 1935 spy film
set in World War I
, starring William Powell
as an American cryptologist
who tangles with German spies. The film was based on The American Black Chamber, the controversial memoirs of Herbert Yardley
, founder and head of MI8
.
. The day before he is to leave Washington, D.C.
for the fighting in Europe, he meets socialite Joel Carter (Rosalind Russell
). The couple spend the day together. He tells her that, because he once wrote a book on cryptography under a pen name
, the army is searching for him to put him to work behind a desk, but he is eager to fight the Germans.
The next day, just before he boards his train, Lieutenant Gordon is ordered to report to John Carter (Samuel S. Hinds
), the Assistant Secretary of War. He reassigns the unhappy Gordon to Major William Brennan (Lionel Atwill
) to spend the war decoding German transmissions. He learns that Joel had revealed his secret to her uncle, John Carter, in order to keep him around.
The U.S. is preparing to send its army across the Atlantic Ocean, but there are grave worries about the U-boat
threat. Brennan comes up with the idea to have British escorts meet American transports before they enter the most dangerous zone. For maximum security, the rendezvous point is to be transmitted in code to the ships the day before. An ammunition ship is sent first to test the new system. Unbeknownst to the Americans, a German spy ring in the city has already cracked their code and deliberately allowed the ship through in order to lure more valuable troop transports into their trap. However, when Gordon manages to decipher one of their messages, he realizes the truth and alerts his superiors.
Brennan suspects his supposedly unbreakable code was stolen by his mistress, Olivia Karloff (Binnie Barnes
), and sets a trap. He catches her red-handed, but foolishly he is alone, and she shoots him dead. To her dismay, she is ordered to sacrifice herself to divert suspicion from the spy ring. When she attends Brennan's funeral, Gordon has her brought in for questioning. Carter sees her enter Gordon's office and becomes very jealous. Gordon lets Karloff go free so that she might lead him to the rest of the spies.
The Germans decide to betray one of their own men, Captain Nicholas Nieterstein (Cesar Romero
), in order to reassure the Americans and get them to resume operations. When he is arrested at the Russian Embassy, Nieterstein apologizes to Ambassador Gregory (Henry Stephenson
) for giving his loyalty to his mother's country before flinging himself through a window to his death.
Afterward, Gordon escorts a shaken Karloff back to her hotel, where he discovers her guilt. However, since the hotel is staffed by German agents, he is the one who is captured. He refuses to divulge the new American code until they show him that Carter is also a prisoner; she had followed the pair to the hotel. He then gives in and provides the coordinates of the new rendezvous point. When the Germans transmit the information, it is decoded by the Americans. The latitude and longitude that Gordon had given are actually the address of the hotel. Gordon and Carter (still believing that Gordon had his men confine her as a joke) are rescued. They get married.
Spy film
The spy film genre deals with the subject of fictional espionage, either in a realistic way or as a basis for fantasy . Many novels in the spy fiction genre have been adapted as films, including works by John Buchan, John Le Carré, Ian Fleming and Len Deighton...
set in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, starring William Powell
William Powell
William Horatio Powell was an American actor.A major star at MGM, he was paired with Myrna Loy in 14 films, including the popular Thin Man series in which Powell and Loy played Nick and Nora Charles...
as an American cryptologist
Cryptography
Cryptography is the practice and study of techniques for secure communication in the presence of third parties...
who tangles with German spies. The film was based on The American Black Chamber, the controversial memoirs of Herbert Yardley
Herbert Yardley
Herbert Osborne Yardley was an American cryptologist best known for his book The American Black Chamber . The title of the book refers to the Cipher Bureau, the cryptographic organization of which Yardley was the founder and head...
, founder and head of MI8
MI8
MI8, or Military Intelligence, Section 8, was the cover designation for the Radio Security Service , a department of the British Directorate of Military Intelligence, part of the War Office...
.
Plot
In 1917, former newspaperman William Gordon (William Powell) enlists in the U.S. ArmyUnited States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
. The day before he is to leave Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
for the fighting in Europe, he meets socialite Joel Carter (Rosalind Russell
Rosalind Russell
Rosalind Russell was an American actress of stage and screen, perhaps best known for her role as a fast-talking newspaper reporter in the Howard Hawks screwball comedy His Girl Friday, as well as the role of Mame Dennis in the film Auntie Mame...
). The couple spend the day together. He tells her that, because he once wrote a book on cryptography under a pen name
Pen name
A pen name, nom de plume, or literary double, is a pseudonym adopted by an author. A pen name may be used to make the author's name more distinctive, to disguise his or her gender, to distance an author from some or all of his or her works, to protect the author from retribution for his or her...
, the army is searching for him to put him to work behind a desk, but he is eager to fight the Germans.
The next day, just before he boards his train, Lieutenant Gordon is ordered to report to John Carter (Samuel S. Hinds
Samuel S. Hinds
Samuel Southey Hinds was an American actor who is perhaps best remembered for playing Peter Bailey in It's a Wonderful Life and for his part in You Can't Take It With You , both films by Frank Capra...
), the Assistant Secretary of War. He reassigns the unhappy Gordon to Major William Brennan (Lionel Atwill
Lionel Atwill
Lionel Atwill was an English stage and film actor born in Croydon, London, England.He studied architecture before his stage debut at the Garrick Theatre, London in 1904. He become a star in Broadway theatre by 1918, and made his screen debut in 1919. He acted on the stage in Australia but was most...
) to spend the war decoding German transmissions. He learns that Joel had revealed his secret to her uncle, John Carter, in order to keep him around.
The U.S. is preparing to send its army across the Atlantic Ocean, but there are grave worries about the U-boat
U-boat
U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
threat. Brennan comes up with the idea to have British escorts meet American transports before they enter the most dangerous zone. For maximum security, the rendezvous point is to be transmitted in code to the ships the day before. An ammunition ship is sent first to test the new system. Unbeknownst to the Americans, a German spy ring in the city has already cracked their code and deliberately allowed the ship through in order to lure more valuable troop transports into their trap. However, when Gordon manages to decipher one of their messages, he realizes the truth and alerts his superiors.
Brennan suspects his supposedly unbreakable code was stolen by his mistress, Olivia Karloff (Binnie Barnes
Binnie Barnes
Gertrude Maud "Binnie" Barnes was an English-American actress. She was born in Islington to a Jewish father and an Italian mother and was brought up Jewish, although she converted to Catholicism later in life....
), and sets a trap. He catches her red-handed, but foolishly he is alone, and she shoots him dead. To her dismay, she is ordered to sacrifice herself to divert suspicion from the spy ring. When she attends Brennan's funeral, Gordon has her brought in for questioning. Carter sees her enter Gordon's office and becomes very jealous. Gordon lets Karloff go free so that she might lead him to the rest of the spies.
The Germans decide to betray one of their own men, Captain Nicholas Nieterstein (Cesar Romero
Cesar Romero
Cesar Julio Romero, Jr. was an American film and television actor who was active in film, radio, and television for almost sixty years...
), in order to reassure the Americans and get them to resume operations. When he is arrested at the Russian Embassy, Nieterstein apologizes to Ambassador Gregory (Henry Stephenson
Henry Stephenson
Henry Stephenson , sometimes credited as Harry Stephenson, was a British character actor....
) for giving his loyalty to his mother's country before flinging himself through a window to his death.
Afterward, Gordon escorts a shaken Karloff back to her hotel, where he discovers her guilt. However, since the hotel is staffed by German agents, he is the one who is captured. He refuses to divulge the new American code until they show him that Carter is also a prisoner; she had followed the pair to the hotel. He then gives in and provides the coordinates of the new rendezvous point. When the Germans transmit the information, it is decoded by the Americans. The latitude and longitude that Gordon had given are actually the address of the hotel. Gordon and Carter (still believing that Gordon had his men confine her as a joke) are rescued. They get married.
Cast
- William PowellWilliam PowellWilliam Horatio Powell was an American actor.A major star at MGM, he was paired with Myrna Loy in 14 films, including the popular Thin Man series in which Powell and Loy played Nick and Nora Charles...
as Lieutenant William Gordon - Rosalind RussellRosalind RussellRosalind Russell was an American actress of stage and screen, perhaps best known for her role as a fast-talking newspaper reporter in the Howard Hawks screwball comedy His Girl Friday, as well as the role of Mame Dennis in the film Auntie Mame...
as Joel Carter - Binnie BarnesBinnie BarnesGertrude Maud "Binnie" Barnes was an English-American actress. She was born in Islington to a Jewish father and an Italian mother and was brought up Jewish, although she converted to Catholicism later in life....
as Olivia Karloff - Lionel AtwillLionel AtwillLionel Atwill was an English stage and film actor born in Croydon, London, England.He studied architecture before his stage debut at the Garrick Theatre, London in 1904. He become a star in Broadway theatre by 1918, and made his screen debut in 1919. He acted on the stage in Australia but was most...
as Major William Brennan - Cesar RomeroCesar RomeroCesar Julio Romero, Jr. was an American film and television actor who was active in film, radio, and television for almost sixty years...
as Captain Nicholas Nieterstein - Samuel S. HindsSamuel S. HindsSamuel Southey Hinds was an American actor who is perhaps best remembered for playing Peter Bailey in It's a Wonderful Life and for his part in You Can't Take It With You , both films by Frank Capra...
as John Carter - Henry StephensonHenry StephensonHenry Stephenson , sometimes credited as Harry Stephenson, was a British character actor....
as Russian Ambassador Gregory - Frank ReicherFrank ReicherFrank Reicher , was a German-born American stage and film actor, director and producer.-Early life:Frank Reicher was born in Munich, Germany, the son of actor Emanuel Reicher and Hedwig Kindermann, a popular German prima donna who was a daughter of the famous baritone August Kindermann...
as Dr. R.A. Jackson, a west coast German spy who couriers information across the border to Mexico - Charley Grapewin as Professor Martin, an American researcher who is killed by the Germans when he discovers too much
- Leonard MudieLeonard MudieLeonard Mudie was a British-born character actor whose career ran many decades.His first film appearance was in 1921, and his last on-screen performance was in the Star Trek classic TV series....
as Roberts - Howard C. HickmanHoward C. HickmanHoward C. Hickman was an accomplished stage leading man, who entered films through the auspices of producer Thomas H. Ince. He co-starred with his wife, actress Bessie Barriscale, in several productions before returning to the theatre...
as G-man - Charles TrowbridgeCharles TrowbridgeCharles Trowbridge was an American film actor. He appeared in 233 films between 1915 and 1958.He was born in Veracruz, Mexico and died in Los Angeles, California.-Selected filmography:*Tycoon...
as Secretary of War Baker - Murray KinnellMurray KinnellMurray Kinnell was an English actor. He appeared in 71 films between 1930 and 1937. He was best known as the two-timing petty-larceny hood Putty Nose in The Public Enemy...
as De Segroff - Margaret DumontMargaret DumontMargaret Dumont was an American comedic actress. She is remembered mostly for being the comic foil to Groucho Marx in seven of the Marx Brothers films...
as Mrs. Hendricks (uncredited) - Mickey RooneyMickey RooneyMickey Rooney is an American film actor and entertainer whose film, television, and stage appearances span nearly his entire lifetime. He has won multiple awards, including an Honorary Academy Award, a Golden Globe and an Emmy Award...
as Country Boy (uncredited)