George Archainbaud directed After Tonight, a Pre-Code World War I romantic spy thriller, starring Constance Bennett and Gilbert Roland.
The studio considered firing Bennett after the film lost $100,000 at the box office.
With the outbreak of World War I, a young woman is unable to purchase train ticket from Luxembourg to Austria. However, Rudolph “Rudy” Ritter is attracted to her and gets her aboard a train to Bern, Switzerland.
Later, when the train is stopped short of their destination, she slips away while he goes in search of a car. He does not even know her name.
Rudy is captain in the Austrian Ministry of War assigned to deal with Russian spies, particularly the very successful K-14.
Rudy is delighted when introduced to nurse Karen Schöntag, his former traveling companion. The pair fall in love. However, Karen is actually K-14.
After the war ends, the two meet by chance at a Swiss train station. This time, Rudy does not let her get away.
Working titles for the film were “Free Lady”, “The Woman Spy” and “Without Glory.”
In 1934, plagiarism suit was filed against the film by Baroness Carla Jenssen, who claimed that it was unauthorized version of her own story, “She Spys,” but the suit’s outcome is unknown.
RKO lost $100,000 on the film.
Cast
Constance Bennett as Carla Vanirska, K-14, Karen Schöntag
Gilbert Roland as Captain Rudolph “Rudy” Ritter
Edward Ellis as Major Lieber
Lucien Prival as Lieutenant Erlich
Ben Hendricks Jr. as Sergeant Probert
Leonid Snegoff as Private Muller
John Wray as Mitika
Mischa Auer as Adjutant Lehan
Evelyn Carter Carrington as Frau Stengel
Sam Godfrey as Franz
Landers Stevens as Major
