Lancer Spy

{{Infobox film

| name = Lancer Spy

| image = Lancer Spy FilmPoster.jpeg

| caption =

| director = Gregory Ratoff

| producer = Samuel G. Engel
executive
Darryl F. Zanuck

| writer = Philip Dunne

| based_on = novel by Marthe McKenna

| starring = Dolores del Río
George Sanders
Peter Lorre
Virginia Field
Sig Ruman

| music = Arthur Lange

| cinematography = Barney McGill

| editing = Louis R. Loeffler

| studio = 20th Century Fox

| distributor = 20th Century Fox

| released = {{Film date|1937|10|08}}

| runtime = 78 minutes

| country = United States

| language = English

| budget =

| gross =

}}

Lancer Spy is a 1937 American thriller film directed by Gregory Ratoff and starring Dolores Del Rio and George Sanders. Its plot concerns an Englishman who impersonates a German officer and a female German spy who falls in love with him.

Plot

Cast

{{Cast listing|

Dolores del Río as Dolores Daria Sunnel
George Sanders as Baron Kurt von Rohback and Lt. Michael Bruce
Peter Lorre as Maj. Sigfried Gruning
Virginia Field as Joan Bruce
Sig Ruman as Lt. Col. Gottfried Hollen
Joseph Schildkraut as Prince Ferdi zu Schwarzwald
Maurice Moscovitch as Gen. von Meinhardt
Lionel Atwill as Col. Fenwick
Luther Adler as Schratt
Fritz Feld as Fritz Mueller
Lester Matthews as Capt. Neville
Carlos De Valdez as Von Klingen
Gregory Gaye as Capt. Freymann
Claude King as Captain

}}

Production

Lancer Spy was based on a story written by Marthe McKenna, a Belgian woman who was a spy for England during World War I. She had previously written the 1932 memoir I Was a Spy, the basis of a 1933 film of the same title.{{Cite news|title=Ratoff Writes Another Good Role for Self|author=Shaffer, George|date=Apr 12, 1937|work=Chicago Daily Tribune|page=15}}

Gregory Ratoff signed a contract with 20th Century Fox to write, produce and direct. The film was originally to star Michael Whalen{{Cite news|title=GREGORY RATOFF WILL DIRECT ONE FEATURE AND ACT IN ANOTHER: Marion Claire Likely to Play Breen's Mother|author=Schallert, Edwin|date=Apr 9, 1937|work=Los Angeles Times|page=17}} in the part that was eventually played by George Sanders.

French actor Germaine Aussey was to have made her American debut in the film but was replaced by Dolores del Río soon after filming began in May 1937.{{cite news|title=TWO NEW PICTURES FOR ROLAND DREW|work=New York Times|date=Apr 12, 1937|page=15}}{{Cite news |author=Schallert, Edwin |date=May 28, 1937 |title=DRAMATIC STORY BY FULOP-MILLER PURCHASED TO STAR BOBBY BREEN: United Artists Assembling New Film Units |page=19 |work=Los Angeles Times}}{{cite news |date=May 16, 1937 |title=NEW FILM PRODUCTIONS STARTED DURTNG WEEK |page=C1 |work=Los Angeles Times}}

Peter Lorre was cast after his success in Think Fast, Mr Moto.{{Cite news|title=HOLLYWOOD PICKET LINE: The Industry Watches the C. I. O.--Satisfaction--R. Halliburton Flynn|author=DOUGLAS W. CHURCHILL|date=Apr 18, 1937|work=New York Times|page=169}} Fox bought his contract from the Gaumont-British Picture Corporation.{{cite news|title=Around and About in Hollywood|author=Read, Kendall|work=Los Angeles Times|date=26 June 1937|page=A7}}

Colin Clive, who had been cast in the film, collapsed during filming and died.{{cite news|title=Stage and Film Career|work=The Scotsman|location= Edinburgh, Scotland|date=26 June 1937|page=17}}