Adventure in Diamonds

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Adventure in Diamonds
Adventure in Diamonds FilmPoster.jpeg
Directed by George Fitzmaurice
Written by Frank O'Connor
Leonard Lee
Franz Schulz
Produced byA.M. Botsford
William LeBaron
Starring George Brent
Isa Miranda
John Loder
Nigel Bruce
Cinematography Charles Lang
Edited by LeRoy Stone
Music byCharles Bradshaw
Sigmund Krumgold
Production
company
Distributed byParamount Pictures
Release date
  • March 8, 1940 (1940-03-08)
Running time
76 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Adventure in Diamonds is a 1940 American crime film directed by George Fitzmaurice and starring George Brent, Isa Miranda, John Loder and Nigel Bruce. [1] It was also released under the alternative title of Diamonds are Dangerous.

Contents

Critics noted similarities in the plot with Desire (1936) produced by the same studio, which had starred Marlene Dietrich. It was part of an attempt to build up Isa Miranda as a European star in the style of Dietrich and Greta Garbo. [2] It was the second of two films Miranda made in Hollywood before returning to her native Italy. [3]

Plot summary

Captain Stephen Dennett of the Royal Air Force is on board a passenger airliner en route to South Africa, when he meets the beautiful and glamorous Felice Falcon. He is unaware of the fact that Felice is an accomplished jewel thief, travelling with her partner in crime, Michael Barclay. The two of them have made a plan for a heist in the South African mines - stealing a shipment of diamonds and escaping unnoticed. The diamonds are already cached by one of Felice’s accomplices, but she needs a way to get into the restricted mine area without raising suspicion. That is where the unfortunate and clueless captain comes into the picture. Felice decides to use him for her own benefit, charming him to promise to get her into the forbidden area using his status as a military officer.

The Captain isn’t that easily fooled though, and with his own agenda, he ends up with the stolen jewels himself. He decides to frame the two thieves, and makes contact with his acquaintance, the police commissioner Colonel J.W. Lansfield. He turns the jewels over to the Colonel, who has been set on catching Barclay for a long time, and he sets a trap with the diamond 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 by the Colonel if she agrees to help out catching a new ring of jewel thieves operating in the area. She is to pretend to be Stephen’s new wife, and the two of them 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 in love with Stephen for real. She decides to renounce her criminal past and start anew. When the gang eventually make contact, it turns out that the leader is Felice’s old accomplice Barclay, and their cover is instantly blown. They have to be rescued by the colonel and his men, but Felice is permanently out of prison and can start her new life with Stephen. [4]

Cast

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References

  1. "BFI | Film & TV Database | ADVENTURE IN DIAMONDS (1940)". Ftvdb.bfi.org.uk. 2009-04-16. Archived from the original on 2012-10-18. Retrieved 2011-11-02.
  2. Gundle p.143
  3. Gundle p.144
  4. "Adventure in Diamonds".

Bibliography