Nina Maria Azara is the beautiful and alluring singing spy for Spain during the Napoleonic Wars. Her mission is to seduce French officers, in order for them to reveal Napoleon's intentions toward Spain. She is sent to Bayonne, France to gather military secrets. Prior to this, she meets Don Diego while performing at a club. Unknown to her, Don Diego is actually Captain Andre, who is sent to Spain to spy on her. While in France, Nina discovers Diego's true identity, only after she has fallen in love with him. Nina Maria outwits her potential captors, returns to Spain and goes into hiding. Napoleon's troops invade Spain, resulting in Nina's capture. In a strange twist of fate, Nina and Captain Andre are reunited, but the 2 nations are now at war...
Acting
MacDonald's voice weaponizes charm itself.
Costume
Napoleonic-era gowns that scream MGM budget.
Score
Rudolf Friml's operetta roots in every number.
Director
Robert Z. Leonard
Jeanette MacDonald
Nina Maria
Allan Jones
Don Diego
Warren William
Major de Rouchemont
Billy Gilbert
Innkeeper
Henry Daniell
General Savary
Douglass Dumbrille
Marquis de Melito
Leonard Penn
Etienne
Tom Rutherford
King Ferdinard
Belle Mitchell
Lola
George Zucco
Secret Service Chief
Corbet Morris
Duval
Matthew Boulton
Wellington
Stanley Price
Joseph Bonaparte (uncredited)
Ian Wolfe
Izquierdo (uncredited)
Brandon Hurst
English General (uncredited)
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
This was Rudolf Friml's final original film score after decades dominating Broadway operetta.
MacDonald and Jones were paired specifically to recreate their 'San Francisco' chemistry, but the spy framework lets their romance curdle into suspicion in ways that musical usually avoided.
US
