The Notorious Sophie Lang (1934)

64 mins | Comedy-drama | 20 July 1934

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HISTORY

According to copyright records, the scene in which Gertrude Michael falls through a glass window occurred accidentally, and because Michael was unharmed, Ralph Murphy altered the scene to include the event. According to a news item in DV, the Catholic Church condemned this film. In 1937, Paramount released Sophie Lang Goes West, also starring Gertrude Michael, based on the characters created by Frederick Irving Anderson (see below). ...

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According to copyright records, the scene in which Gertrude Michael falls through a glass window occurred accidentally, and because Michael was unharmed, Ralph Murphy altered the scene to include the event. According to a news item in DV, the Catholic Church condemned this film. In 1937, Paramount released Sophie Lang Goes West, also starring Gertrude Michael, based on the characters created by Frederick Irving Anderson (see below).

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SOURCE CITATIONS
SOURCE
DATE
PAGE
Daily Variety
10 May 1934
p. 4
Daily Variety
7 Jul 1934
p. 3
Daily Variety
13 Aug 1934
p. 6
Film Daily
21 Jul 1934
p. 3
Motion Picture Daily
9 Jul 1934
p. 7
Motion Picture Herald
28 Jul 1934
p. 48
New York Times
21 Jul 1934
p. 14
CAST
PRODUCTION CREDITS
NAME
PARENT COMPANY
PRODUCTION COMPANY
DISTRIBUTION COMPANY
NAME
CREDITED AS
CREDIT
DIRECTOR
PRODUCERS
WRITER
PHOTOGRAPHY
Photog
Cam op
Asst cam
ART DIRECTORS
Art dir
Art dir
FILM EDITOR
Film ed
COSTUMES
SOUND
Rec eng
SOURCES
LITERARY
Based on the novel The Notorious Sophie Lang by Frederick Irving Anderson (London, 1925).
LITERARY SOURCE AUTHOR
DETAILS
Release Date:
20 July 1934
Production Date:
began 9 May 1934
Copyright Info
Claimant
Date
Copyright Number
Paramount Productions, Inc.
18 July 1934
LP4841
Physical Properties:
Sound
Western Electric Noiseless Recording
Black and White
Duration(in mins):
64
Length(in reels):
7
Country:
United States
PCA No:
12
Passed by NBR:
Yes
SYNOPSIS

After an absence of five years, Sophie Lang returns to the city to defend her title as its finest jewel thief. Both she and her competitor, Max Bernard, who currently uses the pseudonym of Sir Nigel Crane, lead police inspector Stone on a merry chase. Stone has never seen Sophie, despite the fact that she is often two steps away from him, and knows every move he makes because she has bugged his apartment from the apartment next door. Stone sets health-obsessed detective Stubbs to follow Bernard, hoping he will lead them to Sophie. In the meantime, Sophie has taken a personal interest in Bernard, and sets up a meeting with him by having her accomplice, Aunt Nellie, impersonate a society woman, and she her niece. The ruse works, and Sophie and Bernard are enchanted by each other. Before their date, however, they each attempt to steal a famous set of pearls at Telfen Jewelers. Augustus Telfen and Stone try to set them up by using a hidden camera and substituting fake pearls for the real ones, but Sophie foils their plans by impersonating a Russian Countess, eluding the camera's eye and stealing the real pearls. Bernard arrives at Telfen's after the theft. On their date, the thieves recognize one another for who they really are, but maintain their aliases. Bernard slyly steals the pearls from around Sophie's neck while kissing her, but he is caught by Stone in his apartment and is arrested. Sophie pretends to be shocked by her date's occupation, and under the guise of confiding in Stone, steals back the pearls. She drops them ...

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After an absence of five years, Sophie Lang returns to the city to defend her title as its finest jewel thief. Both she and her competitor, Max Bernard, who currently uses the pseudonym of Sir Nigel Crane, lead police inspector Stone on a merry chase. Stone has never seen Sophie, despite the fact that she is often two steps away from him, and knows every move he makes because she has bugged his apartment from the apartment next door. Stone sets health-obsessed detective Stubbs to follow Bernard, hoping he will lead them to Sophie. In the meantime, Sophie has taken a personal interest in Bernard, and sets up a meeting with him by having her accomplice, Aunt Nellie, impersonate a society woman, and she her niece. The ruse works, and Sophie and Bernard are enchanted by each other. Before their date, however, they each attempt to steal a famous set of pearls at Telfen Jewelers. Augustus Telfen and Stone try to set them up by using a hidden camera and substituting fake pearls for the real ones, but Sophie foils their plans by impersonating a Russian Countess, eluding the camera's eye and stealing the real pearls. Bernard arrives at Telfen's after the theft. On their date, the thieves recognize one another for who they really are, but maintain their aliases. Bernard slyly steals the pearls from around Sophie's neck while kissing her, but he is caught by Stone in his apartment and is arrested. Sophie pretends to be shocked by her date's occupation, and under the guise of confiding in Stone, steals back the pearls. She drops them in her goldfish bowl, and after Stone realizes he has been duped, leads him on a chase through the hotel. Bernard also escapes and after tying up a Russian marshall, dons his costumes and steals his limousine. Nellie gets the pearls but the goldfish bowl becomes stuck on her hand. As Sophie joins Bernard in the limousine and they escape, Nellie smashes the bowl on Stubbs's head, and he ends up with the pearls. Sophie and Bernard, in love, set sail for England, but after Stubbs finds jewelry cleverly hidden in the plumbing of Sophie's hotel room, Stone alerts Scotland Yard of the arrival of the two thieves.

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Legend
Viewed by AFI
Partially Viewed
Offscreen Credit
Name Occurs Before Title
AFI Life Achievement Award

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The American Film Institute is grateful to Sir Paul Getty KBE and the Sir Paul Getty KBE Estate for their dedication to the art of the moving image and their support for the AFI Catalog of Feature Films and without whose support AFI would not have been able to achieve this historical landmark in this epic scholarly endeavor.