The Firefly (1937): cast, story & where to watch
1937 · Film · ★ 6.4
Released in 1937, The Firefly is a drama, music and history film directed by Robert Z. Leonard, running about 131 minutes. “Jeanette MacDonald Is The Luminous Singing Spy!” — that tagline sets the tone.
What it’s about. Nina Maria Azara is the beautiful and alluring singing spy for Spain during the Napoleonic Wars. Her mission is to seduce French Officers, in order for them to reveal Napolean's intentions toward Spain. She is sent to Bayonne, France to gather military secrets. Prior to this, she meets, Don Diego while performing at a club. Unknown to her, Don Diego is actually Captain Andre, who is sent to Spain to spy on her. While in France, Nina discovers Diego's true identity, only after she has fallen in love with him. Nina Maria outwits her potential captors and returns to Spain, and goes into hiding. Napoleon's troops invade Spain, resulting in Nina's capture. In a strange twist of fate, Nina and Captain Andre are reunited, but, the 2 nations are now at war... Written by Kelly
Who’s in it. The Firefly stars Jeanette MacDonald as Nina Maria, Allan Jones as Don Diego, Warren William as Major de Rouchemont and Billy Gilbert as Innkeeper, among others.
How it landed. With an audience score of 6.4/10, The Firefly has drawn a solid, mixed-to-positive response.
Where to watch. In US you can rent or buy it from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies and YouTube. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch The Firefly page.
If you liked it. Fans of The Firefly tend to enjoy The Shawshank Redemption, The Godfather, Schindler's List and The Godfather Part II.
Frequently asked
- Where can I watch The Firefly (1937)?
- In US, The Firefly is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store and Google Play Movies. Availability varies by country — check our where-to-watch page for every region.
- Is The Firefly worth watching?
- The Firefly holds an audience score of 6.4 out of 10, and is a strong pick if you enjoy drama, music and history. Reactions are mixed, so it may depend on taste.
- Who stars in The Firefly?
- The Firefly stars Jeanette MacDonald, Allan Jones, Warren William, Billy Gilbert and Douglass Dumbrille.
- When was The Firefly released?
- The Firefly was released in 1937, with a runtime of about 131 minutes.