A Célebre Miss Lang

Glamorous American jewel-thief Sophie Lang returns to the U. S. after lying low in England for five years. New York police inspector Stone is determined to trap the elusive Lang by enlisting the unknowing aid of Max Bernard, a suave European stone-stealer, traveling in America under the pseudonym of Sir Nigel Crane. Max and Sophie chase each other around, evade their pursuers, and of course fall in love. Along for the hunt are Leon Errol as a bumbling health-obsessed detective and Alison Skipworth as Sophie's crafty accomplice. Lots of laughs to be found, including Gertrude Michael's impersonation of a haughty Russian countess which comes out ala Garbo and a great line by Inspector Stone, "Never teach your grandmother to suck eggs." The film proved to be popular enough with audiences to spawn two sequels, The Return of Sophie Lang (1936) and Sophie Lang Goes West (1937). Critics were fond of the caper as well. The New York Times called it "…witty and exuberant entertainment performed with light-hearted gaiety by an excellent cast." Variety stated "Ralph Murphy directed the picture with a rat-tat-tat pace, not allowing it to stop for a minute."

In her eighteenth film in only two years,Gertrude Michael, having recently signed a long term contract with Paramount Pictures, was handed an assignment turned down by Carole Lombard, that of a lady jewel thief. Blonde, intelligent,sophisticated and edgy, Michael suited the role to a tee. Her performance opened her career to leads and costarring roles through the rest of the 1930s. The Catholic Church condemned this film for it glamorization of an amoral criminal. The audiences loved her easy chemistry with leading man Paul Cavanaugh, the scene-stealing Alison Skipworth,and the comic antics of Leon Errol. The film generated a series of two additional films which due to the puritannically revised code forced Sophie Lang to evolve into a rehabilitated criminal fighting evil. Still they were all good fun as Sophie Lang constantly appeared in different disguises and led the cops and the crooks on a merry chase. Several years ago this film was show in a 1930s Bad Girl retrospect at San Francisco's Roxie Cinema.Also on that program were Tala Birell in "She's Dangerous" and Claire Trevor in "Big Town Girl".

Gertrude Michael is quite good as this quirky comedy hits the ground running. She's the eponymous jewel thief returning to the United States after a lengthy visit to the UK. Finally, "Insp. Stone" (Arthur Byron) hopes he will have his chance to apprehend his elusive antagonist, so he tries to stitch her up, unwittingly, with fellow thief "Max" (Paul Cavanagh) and hopefully catch them both red handed with a priceless set of pearls. "Lang" is way to savvy to fall for this obvious ruse, smells a rat, and is soon doing most of the policeman's sleuthing for him in order to detect the real criminal mastermind in their midst whilst simultaneously not being outdone by her new, competitive, would-be beau. The detection elements of the plot here are really neither here nor there. What makes this a bit more notable is the provocative fashion in which Michael plays her role. "Sophie Lang" is a clever, wily and sexual creature and plays to her strengths - and to men's weaknesses - well as the story develops. As a comedy it falls rather flat, but as a movie that delivers a more substantial role for an actress in the early 1930s, it does a little better.

Gertrude Michael is a glamorous jewel thief, pursued by inspector Arthur Byron, who knows everything about her..... except who she is. She's been laying low in Europe for a couple of years, but she comes back to the US to rob a jewelry store and be kicked out by the cops for being a nuisance. Matters are complicated by Paul Cavanaugh, who is also a jewel thief, but he's masquerading as an English aristocrat.

Jewel thieves were a favorite of the movies, probably because they stole from the rich, and then only things that were heavily insured, so no one lost any money, except for insurance companies, and no one gives a hang about them. The movie is enlivened by Allison Skipworth as Miss Michael's eccentric aunt and accomplice, and Leon Erroll as an inept detective.

It was a good year for Miss Michael, who had good roles in MURDER AT THE VANITIES and Demille's CLEOPATRA. This was originally intended as a vehicle for Carole Lombard, but she passed on it. Miss Michael appeared in a couple of sequels to this movie in 1937, but despite a screen career that endured for another 30 years, never hit the top rank. She died in 1964 at age 53.

According to IMDB, Carole Lombard was originally slated to star in this film. However, she must have hated the script and refused to make it. In hindsight, I think she should have done the film....and it would have been quite the success. Instead, Gertrude Michael plays the title character...and her performance is okay....just okay.

When the story begins, you learn that Sophie Lang is a genius thief who has gotten away with many high profile robberies...and the police haven't a clue as to who she is. As you'd expect, she pulls off another clever heist...and like most police in 1930s-40s B-movies, they are helpless fools.

The story takes a bit of a detour when you learn that another infamous international thief, Maximillian Bernard, is also in the country. But his motives are odd...he wants to catch Lang himself and show himself to be the better thief. Can Sophie manage to evade or persuade Max to be on her side? And, can the idiot police manage to crack the case?

The story is all tongue-in-cheek...a comedy in which you are supposed to root for the baddies. It's easier to do so by the time the film ends and the script is quite clever and fun. My only quibble is that I think Ms. Michael's performance was a bit over the top and her accents a bit strange. Had Lombard made the film instead, I am pretty sure I would have enjoyed it even more.