Betrayed

Despite good performances from Lana Turner, Clark Gable and Victor Mature (in a colorful role as "The Scarf"), and some pretty location photography of Holland (filmed in Eastmancolor), there are script problems that render BETRAYED a contrived spy tale about the Dutch underground resistance to Nazis.

As one reviewer noted, "at times it is hard to tell who Clark Gable, Lana Turner and Victor Mature are spying for" -- and the revelation that there is a traitor among them comes as no great surprise.

Still, the story moves at a fair pace, Lana looks gorgeous even with a brunette hairdo, and the aging Clark Gable gives a quietly underplayed performance in his final role at Metro. Victor Mature comes off best in a colorful pivotal role. Wilfred Hyde-White, Louis Calhern and Roland Culver are wasted in supporting roles.

All in all, an average spy melodrama bolstered by some fine location photography.

For more about the film and Lana Turner, see my article on LANA TURNER: DANGEROUS CURVES in the Spring Issue 2002 of FILMS OF THE GOLDEN AGE magazine.

Before I say anything else, I need to talk about the film score. While one reviewer pointed out how they liked it, I found that after what seemed like the 800th repetition of the same calliope music, I was ready to scream! I truly hated the music and it really didn't seem all that appropriate to the film--sounding more like circus or organ grinder's music than something for a WWII flick.

Now apart from all that, the film was a reasonably competent film and Gable, Turner and Mature all did fine. However, being a die-hard Clark Gable fan, I really wish he had more to do in the film. While Victor Mature got 3rd billing, he really seemed much more the star in the film and he definitely came off best of the three.

Apart from the acting, the film technically seemed only okay. Not bad, but certainly not good either. The biggest problem is that although the film was made on location in Holland (a big plus), the actors never sounded or acted Dutch in the least. Case in point, Lana Turner calling a young Dutch lad "Jan"--with a j-sound. It should have been pronounced "Yan"--and those responsible for the film should have noticed or cared. But, in the end it looked and sounded like hardly anyone connected with the film was Dutch--very strange indeed when it is a location shoot! As for the plot, it seemed to drag a little bit but was also pretty unusual and interesting--and it's because of that the film managed to score a 6.

"Betrayed!" is just a bit above average World War II film in the espionage genre. Even though I can't help watching it every once in a while I'm not really sure where its attraction is for me. Perhaps it is that I like World War II espionage films and so I don't get too demanding with movies that deal with such matters.

Considering that in my opinion this product has an interesting story about courage, love and mainly treason, lots of action sequences, beautiful outdoor locations in Holland and two important stars in the male and female leading roles (Clark Gable and Lana Turner) I must agree with one reviewer here that thinks the flaw is in the direction work. Gottfied Reinhardt was a not very prolific and average director whose best work was probably the interesting "Town Without Pity" (1961). In "Betrayed!" he doesn't succeed with a movie that had chances of delivering more impact and strength; none of the main actors look too enthusiastic about their characters and it shows.

Gable doesn't add much to his brilliant career in his role as a Dutch intelligence officer though his impressive screen presence always helps him. Lana Turner looks beautiful as a brunette in spite of the just standard performance she delivers as an infiltrated spy for the allies. Victor Mature as a partisan chief ("Scarf") is the only one that shoes interest in what he is doing as usual, but he also overacts terribly as usual. Anton Diffring is also there in one of his nasty Nazi officer roles he played so well.

My feeling about "Betrayed!" is that a better film could have been made with a more strong and imaginative directors, but as it came out this picture is just for fans of the genre.

The surprise here is the Victor Mature's character, very unusual for him. A good movie from a director mostly known for TOWN WITHOUT PITY, excellent drama. This is a rather forgotten film, speaking of WW2, but it is worth watching, because engrossing enough to keep you glued to it. Not so many films evoked the Dutch element in this war, except THE BLACK BOOK and SOLDIER OF ORANGE from director Paul Verhoeven. However, some Tv movies were made about it, mostly underrated. But without the Victor Mature's character - I won't say more about it, not to spoil - I would have probably watched it only once, despite Lana Turner and Clark Gable. It is more espionage than purely gritty "front line" war feature, but why not? War was not only a matter of explosions and bombardments.

In the opening credits for "Betrayed," MGM states clearly that the movie is fictitious, with the standard disclaimer. That being the case, the writers did a marvelous job of tying it to some real history. First, the Dutch resistance and underground, including incidents of traitors. Second, the rescue of the 2,500 plus men of the British First Airborne division who had been surrounded and cut off near Remagen in Operation Market Garden. The movie, "A Bridge Too Far," gives a fairly detailed and accurate portrayal of that operation, including the rescue of the men who were cut off.

In this film, of course, the incidents that lead to the rescue are fiction, but the movie does a good job of linking the fictitious story to real events of the time and place during World War II. That lends it that much more of a sense of reality. Along with that, most of the film was shot at locations in The Netherlands. Some scenes show the unmistakable lowland countryside. One very poignant scene shows Carla and The Scarf driving to his mother's home. They are on a long Holland dike that separates the open sea from an inland body of water.

The cast for this film is excellent. The main leads have about the same amount of film time. Clark Gable is Col. Pieter Deventer, a member of the Dutch army in exile and the head of Dutch intelligence working with British intelligence. Lana Turner is Carla Van Oven, a notorious black-market operator in Holland whom the British recruit and Deventer trains for espionage work. Victor Mature is The Scarf, a free- wheeling leader of a resistance faction. He resists coordination with the British and seems to enjoy the killing and destruction of German facilities. A fine supporting cast includes well-known British actors, Wilfrid Hyde-White, Louis Calhern and Ian Carmichael.

Other reviewers note that this is the last film Gable made with MGM, ending a 24-year contract under which he was its prime male star for much of the time. He made nine more films before his death from a heart attack in 1960. All of them were box office successes, and some are excellent films and highly regarded. Turner was active in films into the early 1970s, after which she turned to TV series until finally retiring in 1985 at age 64.

This film has some good action scenes along with the espionage intrigue. And, of course, the Gable and Turner characters fall in love for the Hollywood romantic aspect. While the story and movie are very good and interesting, this isn't a model production. The direction seems to be weak. The film editing is not what it could be. The movie is choppy in places, and at times, some of the actors seem a little wooden.

Still, it's an interesting wartime espionage and action thriller that most people should enjoy.