''Inside the Lines'' is a 1930 American pre-Code spy drama film starring

Betty Compson Betty Compson (born Eleanor Luicime Compson; March 19, 1897 – April 18, 1974) was an American actress and film producer who got her start during Hollywood's silent era. She is best known for her performances in ''The Docks of New York'' and ...

, Ralph Forbes, and

Mischa Auer Mischa Auer (born Mikhail Semyonovich Unkovsky (Михаил Семёнович Унковский; 17 November 1905 – 5 March 1967) was a Russians, Russian-born American actor who moved to Hollywood in the late 1920s. He first appeared in fi ...

. It was directed by

Roy Pomeroy Roy Pomeroy (April 20, 1892 – September 3, 1947) was an American special effects artist and film director. One of the only three technicians that founded the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, he was awarded the Academy Award f ...

(who also was the associate producer) from a screenplay by

John Farrow John Villiers Farrow, KGCHS (10 February 190427 January 1963) was an Australian film director, producer, and screenwriter. Spending a considerable amount of his career in the United States, in 1942 he was nominated for the Academy Award for B ...

and Ewart Adamson, which in turn was based on the 1915 Broadway play of the same name by Earl Derr Biggers. This version is a remake of the 1918 silent version, also with the same name. This film exists in the public domain because the claimants did not renew the copyright after 28 years.

Plot

Jane Gershon is engaged to Eric Woodhouse, living in Germany prior to the onset of

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. When the war breaks out, they are forced to separate, but are reunited months later in

Gibraltar ) , anthem = " God Save the King" , song = " Gibraltar Anthem" , image_map = Gibraltar location in Europe.svg , map_alt = Location of Gibraltar in Europe , map_caption = United Kingdom shown in pale green , mapsize = , image_map2 = Gib ...

, at the British fortress there. Both are supposedly German spies with orders to destroy the British fleet, anchored in the harbor. Not fully trusting either of them, the German government has sent another agent, the Hindu Amahdi, to ensure that their sabotage plans are carried out. Both Jane and Eric believe the sincerity of the other as a German agent. When it appears that Jane's attempt to destroy the fleet is uncovered, to save her, Eric takes the blame and seemingly commits suicide. However, when Ahmadi uncovers the truth that Jane is really a double agent for the British government, he attempts to go through with the sabotage. When he is about to kill Jane, Eric reappears and kills him. Jane discovers Eric is also a British double agent and they are happily reunited.

Cast

as Jane Gershon * Ralph Forbes as Eric Woodhouse * Montagu Love as Governor of Gibraltar *

as Amahdi *

Ivan F. Simpson Ivan F. Simpson (8 February 1875 – 12 October 1951) was a Scottish film and stage actor. Life and career Simpson was born on 8 February 1875 in Glasgow, Scotland, and went as a young man to New York City, where he worked for four dec ...

as Capper (*billed Ivan Simpson) *Betty Carter as Lady Crandall * Evan Thomas as Major Bishop * Wilhelm von Brincken as chief, Secret Service * Reginald Sharland as Archie (cast list is per AFI database)

Notes

The play of the same name, on which this screenplay was based, was produced in 1915 at the

Longacre Theatre The Longacre Theatre is a Broadway theatre, Broadway theater at 220 West 48th Street (Manhattan), 48th Street in the Theater District, Manhattan, Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States. Opened in 1913, it was desi ...

. This film is a remake of the 1918 silent version, also titled '' Inside the Lines'', which was directed by David H. Hartford, and starred

Lewis Stone Lewis Shepard Stone (November 15, 1879 – September 12, 1953) was an American film actor. He spent 29 years as a contract player at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and was best known for his portrayal of Judge James Hardy in the studio's popular '' Andy ...

and

Marguerite Clayton Marguerite Clayton (born Margaret Fitzgerald; April 12, 1891 – December 20, 1968) was an American actress of the silent era. She appeared in more than 170 films between 1909 and 1928, many of which were westerns with Broncho Billy Anderson ...

, based on a screenplay by

Monte M. Katterjohn Monte M. Katterjohn (October 20, 1891 – September 8, 1949) was an American screenwriter. He wrote the screenplays for 68 films between 1912 and 1931. He was born in Boonville, Indiana, and died in Evansville, Indiana. Selected filmography ...

. The silent version was produced by Delcah Photoplays, Inc. and Pyramid Film Corporation, and distributed by the

World Film Company The World Film Company or World Film Corporation was an American film production and distribution company, organized in 1914 in Fort Lee, New Jersey. Short-lived but significant in American film history, World Film was created by financier and fil ...

. In 1958, the film entered the public domain in the USA due to the copyright claimants failure to renew the copyright registration in the 28th year after publication. See Note #60, pg. 143

References

External links

* * * * * {{Internet Archive film, InsideTheLines1930BettyCompsonRalphForbesMontaguLoveReginaldSharland_201410 1930 films 1930 drama films American black-and-white films RKO Pictures films World War I spy films American films based on plays Films set in the British Empire Films set in the Mediterranean Sea American drama films Films set in Gibraltar Films scored by Roy Webb 1930s English-language films 1930s American films English-language drama films

Plot

Cast

Notes

See also

References

External links