Conspirator (1949)

Interesting facts

Conspirator is a 1949 British film noir, suspense, espionage and thriller film directed by Victor Saville and starring Robert Taylor and Elizabeth Taylor. It was written by Sally Benson and Gerard Fairlie based on the 1948 novel Conspirator by Humphrey Slater. The story concerns an American woman who falls in love with a Soviet spy, who must choose between his marriage and his ideology.

Production

The producers were careful to cut mentions in the film of the British traitors during World War II, such as John Amery and Norman Baillie-Stewart, for fear of litigation from their families. However, an indirect mention of Baillie-Stewart remains in the film when he is simply called "that fellow in the tower".

Robert Taylor, a staunch political conservative and strident opponent of communism who plays a Soviet spy in the film, said: "It is a full acting role but a mighty unpleasant character." Taylor, who was in his late 30s, plays the romantic lead of Elizabeth Taylor, who was 16 at the time of production.

While on set in England, Elizabeth Taylor was required to spend three hours per day in an improvised schoolroom under the tutelage of a teacher sent by the Los Angeles Board of Education. Although British law did not mandate schooling beyond the age of 14, the producers were obliged to abide by California law.

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