Three Faces East (1930 film) - Alchetron, the free social encyclopedia

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Three Faces East is a 1930 American Pre-Code film directed by Roy Del Ruth, starring Constance Bennett and Erich von Stroheim. Produced by Daryl Zanuck and released by Warner Brothers it is based on a 1918 Broadway play about World War I spies, Three Faces East. It was filmed as a silent in 1926. A later remake starred Boris Karloff and Margaret Lindsay in British Intelligence.

Plot

Three Faces East 1930 Journeys in Classic Film

The story takes place during World War I. The action opens on a French battlefield. After meeting with German spy Schiller Blacher (Erich von Stroheim), Z-1 (Constance Bennett) is sent on a mission to England. The action then moves into the London home of Sir Winston Chamberlain (William Holden- no relation to the 1950s star of the same name). Sir Winston does not know that his supposedly faithful butler, Vardar, is actually Blacher. When Z-1, as Frances Hawtree, arrives at the home, Vardar, who is in love with her, believes her to be a loyal German agent, but things turn out otherwise when she prevents him from sending a stolen code back to Germany and thus reveals her true allegiance.

Preservation

The film survived complete. It was transferred unto 16mm film by Associated Artists Productions in the 1956-1958 and shown on television. A 16mm copy is housed at the Wisconsin Center for Film & Theater Research. Another print exists at the Library of Congress.

The film is now available on video-on-demand from WB Archive, WB Shop and Amazon.