They Made Her a Spy (1939)

A very feeble attempt at affirmatie action

Blending excellent reporting and strong storytelling, this is a disturbing film truly stranger than fiction

It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties.

It's a good bad... and worth a popcorn matinée. While it's easy to lament what could have been...

***SPOILERS*** After her brother was killed by a sabotaged artillery shell testing out this new and improved mortar for the US Army 24 year old US Government office worker Irene Eaton,Sally Eilers, decided to infiltrate the spy ring involved in her brother's death and have them brought to justice. It didn't take long for Irene to make contact with the spy ring leader Dr. Krull, Fritz Leiber, who despite his misgivings about her completely took her into his confidence. Dr. Krull matched Irene up with his #1 Huntly, Allan Lane, to dig up information in a super bomb that's being experimented with by the US Army that can be guided, not just dropped, to its target from as high as 20,000 feet in the air.As it later turned out Huntley just like Irene are spying for the USA not for the un-named and fictional, something like Inner Slobovia, nation that their supposed to be working for to keep it from getting the information about the super bomb that the US is working on. It's much later when the person involved in the super bomb project Col. Shaw, Frank M. Thomas, is kidnapped by the spy ring that both Irene & Huntley who didn't know that each other were working for the same team, the US Government, save his life thus blowing their cover. But at the same time realizing that being involved with each other won't hurt their future marriage plans as well as careers as US Government Agents.****SPOILERS**** The entire spy ring starts to unravel with the untouchable, in his mind, Dr. Krull getting gunned down in his hideout by the police and the real Mr.Big and mastermind***MAJOR SPOILER***of the spy ring Everett Brock, Addison Richards, making his escape in of all places the very top of the some 800 foot Washington Monument! With no where to go but down and the Capital Police about to put the cuffs on him Brock in forgetting to have a parachute on hand escapes justice by jumping to his death without as much, in facing the electric chair, as a second thought. P.S The hero of the movie Allan Lane became famous some 20 years later as the voice for the talking horse in the popular TV show "Mister Ed."

"They Made Her a Spy" is from that landmark year 1939 -- the year of so many great films. This isn't one of them. It's a B movie from RKO.Sally Eilers stars as a young woman whose brother is a victim of sabotage, which has been rampant. She volunteers to do undercover work to find out who is feeding plans and secrets to the enemy. Now, I saw "Carve My Name With Pride," a real-life story, and I know what the government puts you through in order for someone to become a spy. With this woman, she becomes a spy immediately without so much as a background check.Pretending to be involved with the other side, she is directed to one of the leaders, a Herr Krull, starts delivering results, and earns his trust. That takes up about ten minutes of screen time. But some people are still suspicious.Fritz Lieber plays Dr. Krull. I'm assuming this is the noted Shakespearian stage actor Fritz Lieber Sr., father of the science fiction writer Fritz Lieber Jr.There isn't much of a plot here; it seems like Irene no sooner becomes a spy that things come to a boil, the movie is that short. It's not very impressive. Some familiar faces among the supporting players -- Charles Halton, Addison Richards, a few others.Probably pounded out in five days.

Who'd believe that a film with this topic could be so sleep-inducing? An unexciting cast, weak story, snarky characters and lame direction mix together for one of the most disappointing "B" features from the usually interesting RKO. Sally Eilers, a second string B leading lady who worked throughout the 1930's is cast as a 24 (!) year old who takes her dead brothers' place in a spy ring where the mission is never really established other than bits and pieces given by possible double agents who are as cartoonish as Boris and Natasha and not as amusing or humorous. Allan Lane is the agent she pretends to be married to in a sequence obviously ripped off from the famous "Walls of Jericho" scene from "It Happened One Night". The screenplay moves in so many different directions taking Eilers and Lane through so many preposterous situations that it is pointless to try and keep up with the amateurish storytelling. This makes the film's 68 minutes seem like an eternity.

Prior to the outbreak of World War II (WWII) and continuing through too our entry in the war there was a series of cautionary tales involving Spys and their threat too this countries (U.S.A.) security. THEY MADE HER A SPY (1939) was RKOs' contribution to this trend.Irene Eaton/Margaret Brennan (Sally Eilers) has a Patriotic as well as personal reason to fight against Spys. Her Brother in the first reel gets blown up testing a new explosive, SABOTAGE! Offering her services to Army Intelligence she quickly infiltrates the ring gaining their confidence. Along the way she meets future romantic interest George Wolf/James Huntley (Allan Lane). Are the Spys defeated and the Republic made secure? You bet and in only sixty-nine (69) entertaining minutes.THEY MADE HER A SPY is not in the top ranks of these films. That would have to be a film like FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT (1940), Alfred Hitchcock directing. That movie we rate IMDb Eight********stars. This film though is worth watching as it is filled with competent second tier and character actors. The ending has a nice twist when the Master Spy is revealed.