''The Great Impersonation'' is a 1942 American thriller film directed by John Rawlins and starring

Ralph Bellamy Ralph Rexford Bellamy (June 17, 1904 – November 29, 1991) was an American actor whose career spanned 65 years on stage, film, and television. During his career, he played leading roles as well as supporting roles, garnering acclaim and ...

Evelyn Ankers Evelyn Felisa Ankers (August 17, 1918 – August 29, 1985) was a British-American actress who often played variations on the role of the cultured young leading lady in many American horror films during the 1940s, most notably '' The Wolf Man'' (1 ...

and

Aubrey Mather Aubrey Mather (17 December 1885 – 16 January 1958) was an English character actor. Career Mather was born in Minchinhampton, Gloucestershire, and began his career on the stage in 1905. He debuted in London in ''Brewster's Millions'' i ...

. It is an adaptation of the 1920 novel '' The Great Impersonation'' by

Edward Phillips Oppenheim Edward Phillips Oppenheim (22 October 1866 – 3 February 1946) was an English novelist, a prolific writer of best-selling genre fiction, featuring glamorous characters, international intrigue and fast action. Notably easy to read, they were vie ...

with the setting moved from the early 1910s of the novel to the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. It was made by

Universal Pictures Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Ameri ...

and was a remake of their 1935 film of the same name.

Plot

Sir Edward Dominey (

) and Baron Leopold von Ragenstein are spitting images of each other and have known one another since their days at Eton College in England. The story picks up as Dominey is found severely ill in the Dakar jungle and is brought into his old college buddy's camp, where he heals from his injuries. One night when they are in the jungle camp together, England declares war on Germany and they conclude that they are now each other's enemies. Ragenstein orders his right hand man, Dr. Schmidt (

Ludwig Stössel Ludwig Stössel (12 February 1883 – 29 January 1973) was an actor born in Lockenhaus, now Austria, then Hungary. He was one of many Jewish actors and actresses who were forced to flee Germany when the Nazis came to power in 1933. Biography St ...

), to kill Dominey, and sets out on a long journey to London to impersonate Dominey and spy for the Third Reich. Some time later, the German High Command sanctions Ragenstein's mission to go undercover into Britain and infiltrate the English upper ranks. His first task is to find out the defence plans for the English channel. He meets with another German agent, Frederick Seamon (

Henry Daniell Charles Henry Pywell Daniell (5 March 1894 – 31 October 1963) was an English actor who had a long career in the United States on stage and in cinema. He came to prominence for his portrayal of villainous roles in films such as '' Camille'' (1 ...

), who is a native Brit. Ragensteins sets out to get the plans from a relative to Dominey's wife, Sir Ronald Clayfair (

), who is the British Minister of Home Defense. By pure chance, Dominey's wife, Lady Muriel Ingram Dominey (

), spots Ragenstein, whom she believes to be her husband, at a restaurant in London, and introduces him to Sir Ronald, who invites him to dinner. At the dinner, Sir Ronald offers him a position with the Home Defense. Unfortunately Ragenstain is recognized as himself at the dinner, by an old friend and mistress, Baroness Stephanie Idenbraum (

Kaaren Verne Kaaren Verne (6 April 1918 – 23 December 1967) was a German-born actress, long based in the United States. Sometimes billed as Karen Verne, she was originally a stage actress and member of the Berlin State Theatre. Life and career Verne was b ...

), whom he has to socialize with to avoid suspicion. Lady Muriel sees her husband with the baroness and confronts her "husband" about it. Ragenstein makes up a story and tells Lady Muriel that the baroness just mistook him for another man. Captain Francois Bardinet (

Edward Norris Septimus Edward Norris (March 10, 1911 – December 18, 2002) was an American film actor. Early years Norris was born in 1911, the son of a prominent Philadelphia gynecologist, who was described in a newspaper article as "a famous surgeon and ...

) of the French Consulate, who is a guest at the dinner, claims that the baroness' husband was killed in a duel a few years ago by an unidentified, mysterious lover. Lady Muriel is still baffled by her husband's new and improved behavior. It turns out that Bardinet is a German spy who has had an affair with Lady Muriel. Seamon tells Bardinet to step back and let Ragenstein court his "wife" so that they can get their hands on the plans. Bardinet gets jealous and sabotages Ragenstein's relationship with Lady Muriel, telling her that he has seen him court the baroness on a previous occasion. The suspicious Lady Muriel talks to Sir Ronald, but he tells her to keep up appearances until they can determine if Dominey is who he says he is. The information about Dominey's relations with the baroness reaches the British intelligence, and Ragenstein is brought in for questioning. He is disclosed as Ragenstein and arrested as a spy and impostor. Ragenstein still manages to convince Sir Ronald that he is the real Dominey by telling old family stories and claiming that he has killed Ragenstein. He also claims to have infiltrated the German High Command and convinced them that the British aristocracy supports Hitler. The German High Command decides to send a high-level emissary to Britain to visit Dominey at his summer estate in Scotland. Ragenstein delivers the plans to Seamon, to be brought back to Germany by submarine. This time around, the baroness and Bardinet are both suspicious about Ragenstein really being himself, but Seamon assures them they are being paranoid and jealous of his accomplishments. However, they are right in their suspicions. When Dominey arrives in Berlin, he receives a warm welcome as Ragenstein. The Germans send Rudolf Hess to Dominey's estate to meet with the English aristocracy in support of Hitler. He is arrested upon arrival, and orders are given to arrest the baroness and Bardinet too. Just before they are apprehended, they manage to send a radio message to Berlin, saying they have been double-crossed by Dominey. Dominey manages to sneak across the border to France and avoid being arrested by Gestapo. He returns to London to be reunited with his wife.

Cast

as Sir Edward Dominey/Baron Leopold von Ragenstein *

as Lady Muriel Dominey *

as Sir Ronald Clayfair *

as Captain Francois Bardinet *

as Baroness Stephanie Idenbraum *

as Frederick Seamon *

as Doctor Schmidt *

Mary Forbes Mary Forbes (born Ethel Louise Young; 1 January 1883 – 22 July 1974) was a British-American film actress, based in the United States in her latter years, where she died. She appeared in more than 130 films between 1919 and 1958.

as Lady Leslie Clayfair * Rex Evans as Sir Tristram * Charles Coleman as Mangan *

Rudolph Anders Rudolph Anders (December 17, 1895 – March 27, 1987) was a German character actor who came to the United States after the rise of Hitler, and appeared in numerous American films in the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s. Biography He was born Rudo ...

as Karl Hofmann * Charles Irwin as Yardly * Frederick Vogeding as Colonel Stengel * Victor Zimmerman as Curt

References

Bibliography

* Weaver, Tom & Brunas, Michael & Brunas, John. ''Universal Horrors: The Studio's Classic Films, 1931-1946''. McFarland & Company, 2007.

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Great Impersonation 1942 films Films directed by John Rawlins Universal Pictures films Films set in England Films set in London Films set in Africa Films based on British novels Films based on works by E. Phillips Oppenheim American black-and-white films American thriller drama films 1940s thriller drama films 1942 drama films 1940s English-language films 1940s American films