Doorway to Suspicion (DVD)

American bandleader Paul Stapleton is on a tour of Europe with his jazz combo. While in Munich, he sees an astonishingly beautiful girl in the audience. Determined to get to know her, he learns the statuesque beauty's name is Greta. The two begin a whirlwind romance that culminates in an impromptu wedding on an ocean liner. Greta becomes Paul's constant companion as the band continue to tour Europe. But Paul's bandmates start noticing her stepping out in the middle of gigs mysteriously. It isn't long before Paul realizes that his wife is a Communist spy for the Soviet Union - and that his band's itinerary is a convenient cover for her seditious activities. Now Paul must confront the woman he loves with the truth - but is it possible that Greta has been doing the Soviets' bidding against her will?

Doorway to Suspicion is one of several low-budget movies shot in Germany after World War II by producer Burt Balaban, son of Paramount Pictures President Barney Balaban and the cousin of actor Bob Balaban. This Cold war-era thriller stars Jeffrey Lynn, a handsome Hollywood actor of the late 30s and early 40s. Lynn found success in one of his earliest roles, 1938's Four Daughters, directed by Michael Curtiz and starring the three singing Lane sisters (Priscilla, Rosemary, and Lola.) That film had two sequels, Four Wives (1939) and Four Mothers (1941). Lynn also made an impression in the crime drama The Roaring Twenties (1939) and the romantic All This, and Heaven Too (1940) with Bette Davis. World War II stalled Lynn's career (though he was awarded a Bronze Star for his service.) One of his more notable post-war starring roles was in Home Town Story (1950), in which a young Marilyn Monroe played his shapely secretary.

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