To Catch a King

Don't let the low overall ratings dissuade you, this is a fun view. I must have missed this in the 1980s, so for me it was a real find. First, it's a decent little WWII espionage film, though by no means a spy movie. Still, a lot of fun, and loosely historical. Most fun, if you're a fan, Teri Garr, Robert Wagner, who should need no introduction, and Barbara Parkins (The Kremlin Letter), and a real treat, Nicholas Courtney.

Robert Wagner, playing a sort of Rick from "Casablanca," and Teri Garr, as an American singer caught in Europe in the early stages of World War 2, try to thwart a German plot to kidnap the Duke of Windsor (then living in neutral Portugal).

A little background: the Duke was the former King Edward VIII of Great Britain, who abdicated on account of the woman he loved. At least, that was his story. Anyway, the Nazis think they can do something useful with him. Well, all plots have to start somewhere and I've seen sillier.

Wagner makes only a fleeting appearance in the first hour. And Garr has played so many comedic roles so well it's difficult to think of her running desperately for her life from Nazis in a serious way (it might've helped if she's taken off the heels). One almost expects it to be Mel Brooks' "The Producers II" and hear them playing "Springtime for Hitler" as background music.

As usual, fine British actors fill in small parts as National Socialist brass. This time around it's Peter Egan as an easy-going Heydrich and Stephen Moore looking oh-so-stern as Himmler. Hearing English-speaking actors doing RSC accents makes it all the more jarring as the General charged with the kidnapping, who also has a crush on Garr, is played by a real German actor in heavily-accented English.

John Standing doesn't look much like the former king, but he's such a good actor in another production he'd be playing Nazi brass.

Sit back and enjoy it for what it is. And be glad Robert Wagner and Teri Garr aren't all that stands between you and the Nazis.

A good film, with a lot of great actors (Robert Wagner, Teri Garr and Barbara Perkins.) The film has a good story, and the music is nice (by Nick Bicât). It's a film about a conspiracy to kidnap the Duke Of Windsor, in the year 1940. But a Nightclub singer (Teri Garr) discovers the plot, and with Joe Jackson (Robert Wagner) she tries to protect the Duke against the S.S. and Nazi-Germany.

The film has a nice story, which is based on the book "To Catch A King" by Harry "Jack Higgins" Patterson. The only thing i don't like is the ending.

Thanks for reading my review.