Margaretha Geertruida MacLeod, better known by the stage name Mata Hari, was a Dutch exotic dancer and courtesan who was convicted of being a spy for Germany during World War I. She was executed by firing squad in France. The idea of a beautiful exotic dancer using her powers of seduction as a spy made her name synonymous with the femme fatale. Her story has inspired books, films, and other works.
The Scarlet Pimpernel is the first novel in a series of historical fiction by Baroness Orczy, published in 1905. It was written after her stage play of the same title enjoyed a long run in London, having opened in Nottingham in 1903.
Marguerite Yourcenar was a Belgian-born French novelist and essayist who became a US citizen in 1947. Winner of the Prix Femina and the Erasmus Prize, she was the first woman elected to the Académie Française, in 1980. In 1965, she was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature.
William Henry Waddington was a French statesman who served as Prime Minister in 1879, and as an Ambassador of France to London.
La damnation de Faust, Op. 24 is a work for four solo voices, full seven-part chorus, large children's chorus and orchestra by the French composer Hector Berlioz. He called it a "légende dramatique". It was first performed at the Opéra-Comique in Paris on 6 December 1846.
Marguerite Jeanne "Meg" Japy Steinheil, Baroness Abinger was a French woman known for her many love affairs with important men. She was present at the death of President Félix Faure, who was rumoured to have died after having a seizure while allegedly having sex with her. She was later tried for the murders of her husband and mother, but was acquitted.
Caroline Rémy de Guebhard was a French journalist with anarchist, socialist, communist and feminist views, best known under the pen name Séverine. She has been called the first professional journalist in France.
Nicholas "Slug" Brodszky was a composer of popular songs for the theatre and for films.
Men of the Sky is a 1931 all-talking American pre-Code musical drama film, directed by Albert E. Green which was produced by Warner Bros. in 1930 and released in 1931. Men of the Sky stars Irene Delroy and Jack Whiting. Although aircraft were seen in the film, Men of the Sky was more of a spy drama.
Green Dolphin Street is a 1947 American historical drama disaster film directed by Victor Saville and starring Lana Turner, Van Heflin, and Donna Reed. It was produced by Carey Wilson. Based on the 1944 novel Green Dolphin Street by Elizabeth Goudge, it was released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
To Catch a Spy is a 1971 comedy spy film directed by Dick Clement and starring Kirk Douglas, Marlène Jobert, Trevor Howard, Richard Pearson, Garfield Morgan, Angharad Rees and Robert Raglan. It was written by Clement and Ian La Frenais. The story is based on the 1969 novel Catch Me a Spy by George Marton and Tibor Méray.
Strange Inheritance or The Traveller on All Saints' Day is a 1943 French-Italian mystery film directed by Louis Daquin and starring Assia Noris, Jules Berry, Gabrielle Dorziat and Guillaume de Sax. It is an adaptation of the 1941 novel of the same title by Georges Simenon.
Guilty Melody is a 1936 British drama film directed by Richard Pottier and starring Don Alcaide, Gitta Alpar and John Loder. It was based on a short story by Hans José Rehfisch. In the film, a British spy falls in love with a singer whose husband is working for the enemy. It was made at Ealing Studios by the independent company Franco London Films. The film's sets were designed by art director Holmes Paul.
Line of Demarcation is a 1966 war drama film written and directed by Claude Chabrol. Its title in French is La Ligne de démarcation. It is based on upon the memoir Mémoires d'un agent secret de la France libre et La Ligne de démarcation by Gilbert Renault under his pseudonym Colonel Rémy.
The Club of Aristocrats is a 1937 French comedy film directed by Pierre Colombier and starring Jules Berry, Elvire Popesco and André Lefaur. The film's sets were designed by the art director Jacques Colombier.
The Murderer is Not Guilty is a 1946 French crime film directed by René Delacroix and starring Albert Préjean, Jacqueline Gauthier and Jules Berry. A writer investigates after a number of film actors are killed.
Hélène is a 1936 French drama film directed by Jean Benoît-Lévy and starring Madeleine Renaud, Jean-Louis Barrault and Constant Rémy. It is based on the 1928 novel Helene Willfüer, Student of Chemistry by Vicki Baum, which had previously been adapted into a 1930 German film of the same title. The film's sets were designed by the art director Lucien Carré.
Mata Hari, Agent H21 is a 1964 French-Italian spy film directed by Jean-Louis Richard and starring Jeanne Moreau, Jean-Louis Trintignant and Claude Rich. It portrays the activities of the First World War spy Mata Hari. Costumes by Pierre Cardin.
Marie-Martine is a 1943 French drama film directed by Albert Valentin and starring Renée Saint-Cyr, Jules Berry and Saturnin Fabre. It was shot at the Photosonor Studios in Paris. The film's sets were designed by the art director Jean Perrier.
Wolves Between Them is a 1936 French spy thriller film directed by Léon Mathot and starring Roger Duchesne, Jules Berry and Renée Saint-Cyr. The film's sets were designed by the art director Jacques Colombier. It is a sequel to the 1935 film Second Bureau. Two further entries in the series A Man to Kill (1937) and Captain Benoît (1938) were released. The film was remade as the 1939 British release Secret Journey.
