A semi-fictionalized account of the life of Mata Hari, an exotic dancer who was accused of spying for Germany during World War I.A semi-fictionalized account of the life of Mata Hari, an exotic dancer who was accused of spying for Germany during World War I.A semi-fictionalized account of the life of Mata Hari, an exotic dancer who was accused of spying for Germany during World War I.
Blanche Friderici
- Sister Angelica
- (as Blanche Frederici)
Mischa Auer
- Firing Squad Victim #3
- (uncredited)
William Bailey
- Dubois' Aide
- (uncredited)
Roy Barcroft
- Extra
- (uncredited)
Reginald Barlow
- Prosecutor
- (uncredited)
Frederick Burton
- Major at Executions
- (uncredited)
Harry Cording
- Ivan
- (uncredited)
Cecil Cunningham
- Gambler Selling Ring
- (uncredited)
- Director
- George Fitzmaurice(uncredited)
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThis was the third most popular movie at the U.S. box office for 1931.
- GoofsTowards the climax of the film, when Mata Hari confronts General Shubin, she is wearing a ring on her left ring finger. She hurries out of the room, and moments later she encounters Rosanoff. He takes her by the hand, and the ring is no longer there.
- ConnectionsAlternate-language version of Mata Hari: the Red Dancer (1927)
Featured review
Campy, but fun
"Mata Hari" is a pre-code film that took lots of liberties with the real life story of the World War One spy, but who cares? One watches a film like this to enjoy the old stars in action, including Lionel Barrymore, hamming it up sans wheelchair. Though Garbo has never been one of my favorites I enjoyed her performance here; she smiled quite a bit and never once said she wanted to be alone. Most of the time she just wanted to be with handsome Ramon Novarro, and who could blame her?
Funniest moment to me: Ramon's character is obviously Catholic (as Ramon was in real life) and he has promised his mother to keep a candle lit before this Madonna icon and never let the flame go out, because if it goes out then evil will descend upon him. So Mata (Greta) tells Alexi (Ramon) that his room is too brightly lit; he goes around and turns off all the lights -- except for the candle. So then she asks him to blow out the candle. "If I am everything to you then you will blow it out." He asks her in shock: "But why would you ask me to?" (a perfectly reasonable question she doesn't answer). He ends up rejecting the sacred for the profane, blowing the flame out and the room goes into darkness. The camera pulls away and we are supposed to know instinctively that they are making love all through the night. And of course evil descends on Ramon's character, and he goes blind, but what the heck, this is Hollywood.
Watch it for the stars, not for history. If you want history, read a book.
Funniest moment to me: Ramon's character is obviously Catholic (as Ramon was in real life) and he has promised his mother to keep a candle lit before this Madonna icon and never let the flame go out, because if it goes out then evil will descend upon him. So Mata (Greta) tells Alexi (Ramon) that his room is too brightly lit; he goes around and turns off all the lights -- except for the candle. So then she asks him to blow out the candle. "If I am everything to you then you will blow it out." He asks her in shock: "But why would you ask me to?" (a perfectly reasonable question she doesn't answer). He ends up rejecting the sacred for the profane, blowing the flame out and the room goes into darkness. The camera pulls away and we are supposed to know instinctively that they are making love all through the night. And of course evil descends on Ramon's character, and he goes blind, but what the heck, this is Hollywood.
Watch it for the stars, not for history. If you want history, read a book.
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- overseer-3
- Dec 9, 2003
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Details
Box office
- Budget
- $558,000 (estimated)
- Runtime1 hour 29 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.20 : 1
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