After Tonight

I would rate this film as a competent time killer, something that Depression audiences went to see to forget about their troubles for an hour or so and which we small screen home viewers can watch to slip out of contemporary reality and give our brains a break. Constance Bennett occupies space attractively and goes through the motions of "acting" in her role as a coolheaded (and well dressed) spy operating behind Austro-Hungarian lines for the Russians in World War I. It's fun and intriguing to watch her collect and pass on her secret messages, all the while growing ever closer romantically to a spy-hunting Austrian military official (Gilbert Roland). An extremely contrived ending perfectly suits this confection.

Constance Bennett was sublime in this. This film, unlike some others in which she starred, made it easy to see why she was a star. The plot is intriguing, if not overwhelmingly original, and the film is made very well. The theme song of the film, which Bennett sings (well), is memorable and sweet. Bennett is a glamour queen throughout and acts skillfully and pleasingly. The direction is overall excellent, the film moves at a brisk pace, and the sets and situations are not too stagy. It compares remarkably well to another spy melodrama of the period, Garbo's MATA HARI, and of the two, Bennett surprisingly comes out the winner (no disservice to the great Garbo intended, just some praise to the underrated and forgotten Bennett).

There's positively no place for love during the war but there are always exceptions. Sometimes love is that strong that even a five minute affection can turn into it and years apart could never wipe off this greatest feeling.

After tonight is a small little movie about a spy during World War I and an enemy officer on the lookout for spies who happen to meet and fall in love, without knowing what the other does for a living. The concept isn't new so there's really no surprises while watching, also for a short 70 minute movie it is burdened with tons of unnecessary dialogues and therefore it seems too long and crumpled ending doesn't help it either. The acting is somewhat average with no truly standout performances observed throughout the movie.

Overall After tonight is a solid piece of spy drama blended with romance but it lacks cohesive, more well-structured narrative, a better ending and more alive characters to empathize with, only then it could be considered good.

This is not a great film by any means, but is certainly worth seeing for the fine performance by Constance Bennett. The camera loves her and all the romance scenes play very well. Most viewers will find the ending kind of phoney but one has to assume that so much war time sex, romance and spying was more than the Code would allow, so a "wonderful coincidence" of an ending was almost a given!

WWI has broken out. Everybody is desperate to buy train tickets out of Luxembourg, but they are only accepting gold or silver. A woman (Constance Bennett) is trying to get to Vienna, but she can't even change her money. Capt. Rudolf 'Rudy' Ritter (Gilbert Roland) comes to her rescue. The train is stopped short and she disappears before they even exchange names. Rudy is in the Austrian Ministry of War which is desperate to find Russian spies. His mystery lady turns out to be a spy pretending to be a nurse. Rudy is sent to root out persistent leaks in her sector.

This is fine. I like the premise of Rudy falling for a mystery lady on a train who turns out to be his target. I like less the coincidence of Rudy being sent to her location. If he's a good detective, I want him to search her specifically. He's in love and he should go look for her. Both actors are doing fine for their roles. I would like more intensity as it nears the climax. The ending turns into a funny bit about her name. I'm not looking for that, but it's fine.