Betrayed (1954)

Release Date: September 7,1954
Directed by: Gottfried Reinhardt
Studio: MGM

Costarring:
Lana Turner
Victor Mature

Available on DVD through The Warner Brothers Archive Collection

DearMrGable.com’s Movie of the Month, June 2012

Nutshell Review, March 2014

10th Anniversary Celebration Movie of the Week: August 6, 2018

Gable is Colonel Pieter Deventer of Dutch Intelligence during World War II. He trains Carla Van Oven (Turner) to be the liaison between the British and the local resistance movement, led by a spunky rogue called “The Scarf” (Mature).  Before she is put into position Pieter and Carla begin a romance. The team starts to suffer heavy losses after she joins them and Pieter begins to suspect she is a Nazi spy.

Quote-able Gable

“Why the rank?” first line

“You fascinate me.”

“In my job, we don’t carry credentials.”

“Is that why you dyed your hair? Or is this the real one and the other the phony? Or are
you both a lie?”

“You only fell in love with your husband after they shot him dead!”

“Don’t lie to me, I’ll know if you do, don’t try it!”

“It’s my job to look for the worst in people, to suspect them, mistrust them–everyone!”

“My compliments on a remarkable performance. But why invent such a ludicrous story? If
you felt you had to explain your presence here at this hour of the night, you might have
at least cooked up something that was less of an insult to my intelligence!”

“Outside working hours, you’re your own mistress.”

“You stupid, whimpering fool. No, I’m the fool. You are what you always were.”

“How does it feel to be sure of a place in your country’s history?”

“Take off the bandage.” last line

Behind the Scenes

Shot on location in Holland with interiors shot at MGM’s British studio.

The entire film was shot in eight weeks as Gable wanted to return home to the United States after being abroad for over a year making Never Let Me Go and Mogambo.

Gable’s last film for MGM, after being a contract player there for 23 years. His box office had been faltering and MGM did not want to renew his $500,000 contract. Gable was also anxious to branch out and pursue his own projects.

The film flopped at the box office and barely recouped its production costs. Gable, however, was still included on the list of the top 10 box office attractions of 1954 thanks to Gone with the Wind being re-released that year.

One of the few films in which Turner appears with dark hair. She had it dyed dark brown for her role in Flame and the Flesh and the producers of Betrayed had wanted her blonde, but due to lack of time in pre-production, let her keep the dark hair for the film.