blanche-2
Diamond thieves seem to abound in "I Am A Thief," a 1934 film starring Mary Astor and Ricardo Cortez. Cortez buys the famous "Karenina diamonds" at auction, winning them from Astor. The two wind up on the Istanbul Express, where Cortez is hounded by an American who insists on buying the jewels from him. The story continues with murder, secret identities, mysterious telegrams, a paste copy of the jewels, and the jewels themselves.Fast-moving story, like the train the characters ride, as the jewels change hands and different people are implicated.Astor is radiantly beautiful and charming in the role of a flirt who has another agenda, and Cortez is elegant and suspect both.Short at 1 hour plus, it's a delightful film.
David (Handlinghandel)
Mary Astor never gave a bad performance. From ingénues to the understanding romantic friend in the great "Dodsworth" to her supreme triumph in "The Great Lie" ... To -- Well, "The Matese Falcon" is not far from this movie's story. Then she became Judy Garland's mother in "Meet Me In St. Louis" and went on to play older-woman roles through the 1950s.She is elegant and a little shady here. Ricardo Cortez was never a major star but he was always good to watch, as well. Together, they make this movie.Now, if you want a truly sublime movie about jewel thieves, I direct you to "Desire." Marlene is her usual bawdy self and Cary Cooper shows a surprising and delightful gift for comedy.This one will do, though. The supporting cast is a little lackluster. The stars have to keep it going on their own. But it's a romantic mystery. And the mystery keeps us wondering till the end.
movingpicturegal
Well-done, fast-paced, slick, and fun mystery story about a pack of jewel thieves and assorted other characters aboard the Orient Express, all in hot pursuit of the famous "Karenina Diamonds". In Paris, the insurance companies are upset about the glut of jewel robberies happening in the city lately, so put up for auction the exquisite Karenina diamond necklace in hopes of luring out the thieves from hiding. Dealer Ricardo Cortez bids and wins the diamonds and is soon traveling by train to Istanbul with many others chasing him and, more importantly, chasing the prized jewels including smartly-dressed Mary Astor, a lady of mystery.Most of this film takes place aboard the train, in state rooms and dining car, with plot twists and turns that remind me of an early Hitchcock film. It also reminds me of an Agatha Christie style mystery story including gathering of all characters in the dining car for interrogation by smart police detective. This movie does not disappoint - with top-notch acting all-around and an interesting, suspenseful plot, this is really an excellent film.
John Braun (kartrabo)
After several spectacular jewel thefts an international group of insurance underwriters plan to trap the culprits by following the buyer of the Karenina diamonds.Enter man of mystery,jewel dealer Ricardo Cortez who makes the purchase,leaves Paris on the Orient Express,and is followed by numerous people hoping to get their hands on the gems.The viewer must figure out just who is an actual thief/murderer or those who are on the side of the law in this delightfully fast-paced thriller.A trainload of wonderful Warner Brothers contract players(Mary Astor,Robert H.Barrat,John Wray,Irving Pichel,Dudley Digges,Ferdinand Gottschalk,etc.) and the always terrific direction of Robert Florey keep the suspense right on track.
AD
