One Night in Lisbon
Cast & Crew
Edward H. Griffith
Fred Macmurray
Madeleine Carroll
Patricia Morison
Billie Burke
John Loder
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
Prior to America's entry into World War II, Texan pilot Dwight Houston, who had been transporting bombers from a factory in California to England, arrives in London during an air raid and shares a shelter with Leonora Perrycoste, an upper class English woman. Dwight is immediately smitten by Leonora, whom he dubs "Steve," but she is frightened by his relentless flirtation. When the all-clear sounds, she rushes to a party hosted by Catherine Enfilden, a longtime friend of Dwight. Leonora slips out to avoid Dwight but Catherine encourages him to pursue her despite the protests of Leonora's suitor, Commander Peter Walmsley, a handsome and proper Englishman. Leonora resists her growing attraction to Dwight because of protocol, which never stops Dwight. She tries to get out of a lunch date with Dwight by sending Peter to insist that he stop pursuing her. Dwight amiably agrees but then sets up the lunch on the sidewalk where Leonora, who is a volunteer driver for Minister of War Lord Fitzleigh, waits in her car. Leonora refuses to join him, but Lord Fitzleigh is delighted to share lunch with Dwight. During a nighttime air raid, Leonora finally surrenders to her feelings for Dwight, and after they kiss, Dwight asks her to go with him to Lisbon the next day. Fitzleigh, who has already arranged the trip for them, asks her to personally deliver a letter to an English ambassador. In Lisbon, Leonora and Dwight get adjoining rooms in a hotel but are disappointed when they discover that Peter has taken an adjacent room as well. Unknown to Leonora, the hotel clerk is working with German spies who plan to steal Fitzleigh's letter. The spies unsuccessfully attempt to get the letter at a nightclub, where a romantic catastrophe then occurs when Dwight's ex-wife Gerry shows up unexpectedly and befriends Leonora in the powder room. Leonora is shocked to learn that Dwight is a divorcé and this breach of propriety makes her decide to leave Lisbon with Peter. Before she can leave, Leonora is kidnapped by the German spies and held in the hotel basement. The spies, led by Erich Strasser, try to interpret Fitzleigh's letter, which reads, "Of all forms of caution, caution in love is the most fatal," but only Leonora understands the message, which pertains directly to her. Dwight is alarmed by Leonora's disappearance, but Peter explains to him that he was sent as a watchdog by Fitzleigh, who has been trying to round up a ring of German spies and has used Leonora to help achieve this aim. Peter and Dwight locate the entry into the basement, and after knocking out two spies, Fitzleigh appears with British agents to arrest the others. Leonora finally takes Fitzleigh's advice and pledges her love to Dwight.
Director
Edward H. Griffith
Cast
Fred Macmurray
Madeleine Carroll
Patricia Morison
Billie Burke
John Loder
Dame May Whitty
Edmund Gwenn
Reginald Denny
Billy Gilbert
Marcel Dalio
Bruce Wyndham
Jerry Mandy
Billy Bevan
Mikhail Rasumny
Douglas Walton
Walter Byron
Barbara Denny
Catherine Craig
Keith Richards
Herbert Evans
David Clyde
James Finlayson
Harry Allen
Marten Lamont
Keith Hitchcock
Evan Thomas
Lumsden Hare
Francisco Maran
Mary Lou Wentz
Fred Velasco
Antoinette Valdez
Loulette Sablon
Jan Buckingham
Pete Petersen
Gavin Muir
Crew
Edmund Bernoudy
John Cope
Hans Dreier
Ernst Fegté
Bert Glennon
Hugo Grenzbach
Edward H. Griffith
Edith Head
Dr. Brewster M. Higley
Daniel E. Kelly
Sigmund Krumgold
Virginia Van Upp
Eda Warren
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
The working title of this film was There's Always Juliet. Roland Asher was listed in Hollywood Reporter production charts as assistant director, but he is not credited in any other source and his participation in the film has not been confirmed. According to information in the Paramount press kit, the sound effects for the air raids were recorded in England for use in this film. A Hollywood Reporter news item indicated that director Edward H. Griffith intended to shoot some scenes in Searchlight, NV; however, there is no further indication that any scenes were shot there. Dame May Whitty originated the role of "Florence" in the British stage play of There's Always Juliet. Hollywood Reporter news items and production charts noted that Akim Tamiroff was cast as a cab driver, and news items state that Argentine actress Carazol Bossi was tested for a role, but neither actor appears in the film. This film marks French actor Marcel Dalio's American screen debut.
