''Adventure in Diamonds'' is a 1940 American

crime film Crime film is a film belonging to the crime fiction genre. Films of this genre generally involve various aspects of crime and fiction. Stylistically, the genre may overlap and combine with many other genres, such as Drama (film and television), dr ...

directed by

George Fitzmaurice George Fitzmaurice (13 February 1885 – 13 June 1940) was a French-born film director and Film producer, producer. Career Fitzmaurice's career first started as a set designer on stage. Beginning in 1914, and continuing until his death in 1940 ...

and starring

George Brent George Brent (born George Brendan Nolan; 15 March 1904 – 26 May 1979) was an Irish-American stage, film, and television actor. He is best remembered for the eleven films he made with Bette Davis, which included ''Jezebel'' and ''Dark Victory ...

Isa Miranda Isa Miranda (born Ines Isabella Sampietro; 5 July 1905 – 8 July 1982) was an Italian actress with an international film career. Biography Miranda was born Ines Isabella Sampietro in Milan, the daughter of a street car conductor. When she was ...

, John Loder and

Nigel Bruce William Nigel Ernle Bruce (4 February 1895 – 8 October 1953) was an English character actor on stage and screen. He was best known for his portrayal of Dr. Watson in a series of films and in the radio series '' The New Adventures of Sherlo ...

. It was also released under the alternative title of ''Diamonds are Dangerous''. Critics noted similarities in the plot with ''

Desire Desires are states of mind that are expressed by terms like "wanting", "wishing", "longing" or "craving". A great variety of features is commonly associated with desires. They are seen as propositional attitudes towards conceivable states of affa ...

'' (1936), produced by the same studio, which had starred

Marlene Dietrich Marie Magdalene "Marlene" DietrichBorn as Maria Magdalena, not Marie Magdalene, according to Dietrich's biography by her daughter, Maria Riva ; however, Dietrich's biography by Charlotte Chandler cites "Marie Magdalene" as her birth name . (, ; ...

. ''Adventure in Diamonds'' was part of an attempt to position Miranda as a European star in the style of Dietrich and

Greta Garbo Greta Garbo (born Greta Lovisa Gustafsson; 18 September 1905 – 15 April 1990) was a Swedish-American actress and a premier star during Hollywood's Silent film, silent and early Classical Hollywood cinema, golden eras. Regarded as one of the g ...

. It was the second of two Hollywood films in which Miranda appeared before returning to her native Italy.

Plot

Captain Stephen Dennett of the

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the Air force, air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the World War I, First World War on 1 April 1918, on the merger of t ...

is aboard a passenger airliner flying to

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

, when he meets the beautiful and glamorous Felice Falcon. He is unaware that Felice is an accomplished jewel thief traveling with her partner in crime Michael Barclay. They are planning a heist in the South African mines in which they will steal a shipment of diamonds and escape unnoticed. The diamonds are already cached by one of Felice’s accomplices, but she needs a way to enter the restricted mine area without raising suspicion. Felice schemes to use Stephen for the plot, using her charm to persuade him to permit her entry to the forbidden area because of his status as a military officer. However, Stephen is not fooled and takes possession of the stolen jewels himself. He tries to frame the two thieves and contacts his acquaintance, the police commissioner Colonel J.W. Lansfield. Stephen surrenders the jewels to Lansfield, who has pursuing Barclay for a long time, and he sets a trap with the jewels. However, the plan backfires, and Felice is caught in the trap instead of Barclay. She is sentenced to prison but is offered a

parole Parole, also known as provisional release, supervised release, or being on paper, is a form of early release of a prisoner, prison inmate where the prisoner agrees to abide by behavioral conditions, including checking-in with their designated ...

by Lansfield if she agrees to help catch a new ring of jewel thieves operating in the area. She is to pretend to be Stephen’s new wife, and they are supposed to deliver the stolen jewels to the new gang. While they wait to be contacted by the gang, Felice and Stephen spend some quality time together, and Felice falls truly in love with Stephen. She renounces her criminal past in order to start anew. The gang eventually makes contact and their leader is revealed to be Felice’s old accomplice Barclay, causing Felice and Stephen's cover to be exposed. However, they are rescued by the Lansfield and his men.

Cast

as Captain Dennett *

as Felice Falcon * John Loder as Michael Barclay *

as Colonel Lansfield * Elizabeth Patterson as Nellie *

Matthew Boulton Matthew Boulton ( ; 3 September 172817 August 1809) was an English businessman, inventor, mechanical engineer, and silversmith. He was a business partner of the Scottish engineer James Watt. In the final quarter of the 18th century, the par ...

as Lloyd *

Rex Evans Rex or REX may refer to: * Rex (title) (Latin: king, ruler, monarch), a royal title ** King of Rome (Latin: Rex Romae), chief magistrate of the Roman Kingdom Animals Dogs * Rex (Ronald Reagan's dog) * Rex (search and rescue dog), a dog that r ...

as Jimmy *

Cecil Kellaway Cecil Lauriston Kellaway (22 August 1890 – 28 February 1973) was a South African character actor. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor twice, for '' The Luck of the Irish'' (1948) and ''Guess Who's Coming to Dinner' ...

as Emerson *

Walter Kingsford Walter Kingsford (born Walter Pearce; 20 September 1881 – 7 February 1958) was an English stage, film, and television actor. Early years Kingsford was born in Redhill, Surrey, England. Career Kingsford began his acting career on the L ...

as Wakefield *

Ernest Truex Ernest Truex (September 19, 1889 – June 26, 1973) was an American actor of stage, film, and television. Career Truex was born in Kansas City, Missouri. He learned acting at an early age after his father, a doctor, treated actor Edwin Melvin, w ...

as Toutasche *

Ralph Forbes Ralph Forbes (born Ralph Forbes Taylor; 30 September 1904 – 31 March 1951) was an English film and stage actor active in Britain and the United States. Early life Forbes was born in Wandsworth, London, the son of Ernest John "E.J." and Ethe ...

as Mr. Perrins *

Genia Nikolaieva Genia Nikolajewa (1904–2001) was a Russian-born German actress who made films in several countries, notably in Germany where she appeared in films such as Robert Siodmak's 1932 comedy ''Quick''Alpi p.345 in a succession of supporting or minor ro ...

as Mrs. Perrins *

Charles Irwin Charles Irwin, VC (c. 1824 – 8 April 1873), was born in Manorhamilton, County Leitrim, and was an Irish recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to Brit ...

as Nelson *

E.E. Clive Edward Erskholme Clive (28 August 1879 – 6 June 1940) was a Welsh stage actor and director who had a prolific acting career in Britain and America. He also played numerous supporting roles in Hollywood movies between 1933 and his death. Biog ...

as Mr. MacPherson *

Vera Lewis Vera Lewis (June 10, 1873 – February 8, 1956) was an American film and stage actress, beginning in the silent film era. She appeared in more than 180 films from 1915 to 1947. She was married to actor Ralph Lewis. Biography She was born ...

as Mrs. MacPherson *

Edward Gargan Edward Gargan (July 17, 1902 – February 19, 1964) was an American film and television actor. Career Gargan was born of Irish parents in Brooklyn, New York. He was the elder brother of actor William Gargan. As soon as Gargan had left colle ...

as Lou *

Rex Downing Rex Haddon Downing (April 21, 1925 – November 18, 2020) was an American actor as a child and youth. Early years Downing attended Hollywood High School. Career Rex Downing started his film career in several ''Our Gang'' comedies, but his rol ...

as Buttons * Roger Gray as Sergeant at Airport *

Virginia Lee Corbin Virginia Lee Corbin ( – June 4, 1942) was an American silent film actress. Early years Corbin was born Laverne Virginia Corbin in Prescott, Arizona to Leon Ernest Corbin and Virginia Frances (Cox) Corbin, and she had a sister, Ruth Emilie (C ...

as Nightclub Woman

Reception

In a contemporary review for ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'', critic B. R. Crisler called the film "a crackling good second-rate

melodrama A melodrama is a Drama, dramatic work in which plot, typically sensationalized for a strong emotional appeal, takes precedence over detailed characterization. Melodrama is "an exaggerated version of drama". Melodramas typically concentrate on ...

" and wrote: "The world may never see a gem-lifter who is as glamorous as Isa Miranda and still has to go to the South African mines for diamonds, or a hero who is completely honest and yet as fascinatingly urbane as George Brent ... But making an honest livelihood is dull enough; we insist that diamond-stealing, at least, shall be amusing and brilliantly peopled."

References

Bibliography

* Gundle, Stephen. ''Mussolini's Dream Factory: Film Stardom in Fascist Italy''. Berghahn Books, 2013.

External links

* * {{George Fitzmaurice 1940 films 1940 crime films American crime films Films directed by George Fitzmaurice Films scored by George Antheil Films set in South Africa Films with screenplays by Franz Schulz American black-and-white films Paramount Pictures films 1940s English-language films 1940s American films English-language crime films