American news correspondent McKinley B. Thompson (Clark Gable) is secretly "Comrade X", who smuggles news out of the Soviet Union. He is blackmailed by Vanya (Felix Bressart) to take his daughter (Hedy Lamarr) to America, but that may be harder than it seems.
Comrade X is an agreeable enough comedy. It's very obviously in the vein of the previous year's Ninotchka, which is a far superior film. Lamarr is not particularly good. The script is not good, and Clark Gable has to deliver some really bad dialogue.
The film also has an identity crisis. The first forty minutes are a dark comedy, then it becomes a drama when our heroes are sent to prison. It finally devolves into a silly tank chase.
Felix Bressart gives an excellent performance as Lamarr's father, and Eve Arden and Sig Ruman are good as two of Clark Gable's fellow correspondents.
First time viewing. 3/5
Comrade X is an agreeable enough comedy. It's very obviously in the vein of the previous year's Ninotchka, which is a far superior film. Lamarr is not particularly good. The script is not good, and Clark Gable has to deliver some really bad dialogue.
The film also has an identity crisis. The first forty minutes are a dark comedy, then it becomes a drama when our heroes are sent to prison. It finally devolves into a silly tank chase.
Felix Bressart gives an excellent performance as Lamarr's father, and Eve Arden and Sig Ruman are good as two of Clark Gable's fellow correspondents.
First time viewing. 3/5