Movies

At That Time (1943) Outstanding German melodrama. Zarah Leander is a woman who was seen leaving a hotel room where a dead man was found minutes later. The investigation leads to numerous men who tell in flashback the story of her life of noble sacrifice; losing her marriage, career and romance for the sake of others - every time she does what she knows is right she pays a terrible price. Leander is every bit the equal of Joan Crawford or Susan Hayward, and this story might have been as good a vehicle for Bette Davis. Production values are a bit quirky - lavish sets one moment, rear-projection street scenes the next; sometimes flat, other times stylishly lit, but she comes through it all as an excellent dramatic actress. This is pure escapism with locales glamorous, seedily exotic, or grimly lit with the shadow of prison bars. A pleasure to watch. 9/10

Zarah Leander