The Demi-Paradise

romance · Anatole De Grunwald · Two Cities Films

Very enjoyable” “Better than average propaganda” “A British take on ‘Ninotchka’?” (IMDB reviews quotes). A major wartime propaganda epic meant to foster better Anglo-Russian relations, which unlike the similar American film “Mission to Moscow” doesn’t go off the deep end. The lengthy story begins with a Russian nautical engineer’s pre-war visit to London. Its solid cast is headed by Laurence Olivier. The production values are lavish considering the time and place. IMDB rating 6.3. Directed by Anthony Asquith. Released in 1943 (UK). Complete print. AKA “Adventure for Two” (US). SPECIAL NOTE: A worthy US film with a similar motive (better US-Soviet wartime relations) is Samuel Goldwyn’s “The North Star.” The Archive has its fully restored version here: https://archive.org/details/TheNorthStarVideoQualityUpgrade