Il bel capitano

A World War One flick.... Ivan Lebedeff is Captain Orloff. According to the card, we're at the russian front. Romania is the battle hotspot. Orloff must go and find the double agent. Lebedeff was actually born in russia, which is now Lithuania. Apparently his real father was a bud to Nicolas, but we know that didn't end well. Orloff noses around, and tries to get the facts, but people start getting shot. And no-one is sure which side the dead guy was working for. Orloff and his uniform are always so perfectly clean and perfect. It's pretty cheesy and low budget. At least its pre code! Co-stars Genevieve Tobin as the Countess. And scottish Colin Campbell as "Gamble", Orloff's trusty sidekick. And how is "Alma" (Betty Compson) involved ? It's an okay spy film for the time, with lots of talking. Not so much action. Goes along like it started out as a written play. Who can we trust? Just like in wartime, no-one really knows. It's okay. Directed by Richard Boleslawski, who was ALSO born in russia, which is now poland. He died SO young at 47 from a heart attack. Some twists and turns along the way. It's entertaining enough. It aint no shakespeare.

Russian officer Captain Ivan Orloff (Ivan Lebedeff) gets injured in the war. He is the jewel in every woman's eyes. After recovery, the ladykiller is sent to Bucharest to uncover a female spy. He starts investigating the three suspects; Countess Diana Dorchy (Genevieve Tobin), Baroness Alma Corri (Betty Compson), and Madame Blinis (Ilka Chase).

The acting is stiff and the story is dull. Lebedeff is one of those exotic Russian matinee idols. The girls are literally swooning over him. It's almost silly. He has the looks, but I wouldn't go crazy. It's an early talkie and they're still trying to iron out the transition. He's not breaking through.

This odd film plays like an operetta, but without the music.With Ivan Lebedeffs weird looks, thick accent, and stiff acting, its surprising he was ever given a lead role. I saw a documentary on RKO studios once, in which someone claimed that Lebedoff got hold of some of the studios audience review cards, and filled them out himself, with such glowing comments as "...a new sensation. Ivan Lebedoff has "it". Did the studio executives fall for this? must be, it the ad-line was 'film fans voted him a star'. At any rate his other film appearances were in small roles, as princes, gigolos,etc. The women in the film are somewhat better. Betty Compson is effective as a femme-fatale type counterspy. Ilka Chase has a few brief comic moments.The heroine Genevieve Tobin is attractive, but has one wildly melodramatic moment in which she cries out to Lebedeff "What IS your mission??" which typifies some of the overacting in the early talkies.

Ivan Lebedeff stars in this boring little film. The worst part about "The Gay Diplomat" however, isn't how dull the project is but how horrible Lebedeff is in the movie. His strong accent often makes it tough to actually understand what he's saying and his charisma is totally lacking--so much so that you can understand why he didn't star in many films. What makes it all so funny is the IMDb trivia for the film in which apparently Lebedeff himself created false comment cards at an advanced screening in which they supposed viewers LOVED Lebedeff and his performance! If I had been the studio, I would have instantly known the cards were either phony or the folks writing it were insane...that's how bad Lebedeff was in the film!

The story, if you even care, is set in pre-revolutionary Russia and SOMEONE is getting battle plans to the enemy and the Russian troops are being slaughtered as a result. So, Captain Orloff (Lebedeff) is used as bait to try to expose the spy among them. But does anyone really even care?!

The bottom line is that you can almost certainly do better than this turkey. Sadly, Genevieve Tobin and the rest in the cast try...to absolutely no avail due to the dull script and inept direction (watch the ballroom scene and note the sound and acting and you'll see and hear what I mean).