secondtake Comrade X (1940)This starts stiffly, with some clichés quickly pasted forward to get the plot to fit the news at the time. It's set in Moscow, and WWII is under way. The Germans are evil but more to the point, the Soviets are not to be trusted. Eve Arden, in her usual delivery, is the saving grace, but it still feels forced. Thankfully Clark Gable shows up. If he isn't always his best when he's trying to be a comic actor (he's really funny when he's a straight actor with funny lines), he still brings the screen to life. In fact, as the movie continues an absurd (and not very well written) satire of the Soviet Union, Gable holds it in check by his nonchalance and usual earthy delivery.Of course, the Americans in Russia are the only sensible people there. It doesn't feel like a propaganda film, but the point of view is so limited (and one-sided) there isn't much balance. But it's a comedy, and director King Vidor is known for competance if not comic brilliance. Hedy Lamarr makes a stiff Russian with a terrible accent. (She was Austrian by birth.) The chemistry between Lamarr and Gable is comfortable but the writing holds it back. And there is the biggest mystery here—Ben Hecht was one of the writers, and he's normally a bright spot.So this has some good credentials but stumbles along, mostly because of obvious jokes that haven't worn well over the decades.

Jimm Budd The film fascinates because it was made in 1940, just when WWII was getting started. Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia had just divided Poland between them and neither Nazis nor Communists much admired by most Americans. Our hero, played by Clark Gable, is forced by the Soviets to share his hotel room with a Nazi journalist. The Nazi is a caricature, as are the Soviets, who are shown ordering assassinations a¿of anyone they dislike. At one point the Gable character creates a diversion by shouting out that Germany has just invaded Russia. He is, of course, shouting a year too soon, but the reaction is interesting. The plot itself is foolish, but the glimpse into the past, with references to the Brooklyn Dodgers murdering the Reds (of Cincinatti) makes the movie great fun.

MCL1150 I came in on "Comrade X" during the climatic tank chase scene. I don't know about the film as a whole, but the tank scene was wonderfully done. If it were done today it wouldn't be all that impressive. You'd be like "Hmmm, nice computer work!" But in 1940 it had to be done with actual existing props. So what you have is a swarm of "real" tanks chasing Gable's tank. On command they all stop, spin about and race in the opposite direction. Excellent cartoon like direction and fantastic execution of that direction. If you're a fan of cartoon like sequences done as live action then this film, or at least the final sequences thereof, are for you. Someone just tell me how they did this back in '40! One of the finest examples I can think of a great bit of work stuck somewhere in an almost forgotten film.I did go back and research the special effects for this film. They were done by none other than A. Arnold Gillespie who won four Academy Awards out of thirteen nominations. Besides "Comrade X", he worked on such little films like "The Wizard of Oz" and "Ben-Hur". As for "Comrade X" a true case of an industry giant being handed what had to be a small assignment considering his considerable talents. The studio system works!

bruno-32 I thought the chemistry between Hedy and Clark were great. She really came off as a very good commedienne. I thought the lines were real clever and that ending...wow...all those tanks. I enjoyed this movie more than the Ninotchka.