Trivia / Mata Hari

• Fake Nationality: Mata Hari was Dutch, and played by the Swedish star Greta Garbo.
• Fake Russian: The Mexican actor Ramon Novarro as the Russian lieutenant Alexis Rosanoff.
• Missing Trailer Scene: The film had to be recut thanks to the Hays Code's restrictions in 1934, but the trailer still contains a bit of Mata Hari's erotic dance to the statue of Shiva that was cut down in the finished thing.
• Orphaned Reference: In one scene, Rosanoff refers to Mata Hari's "ridiculously long" eyelashes, which was referencing a scene that had to be cut to appease the Hays Code.
• Pop-Culture Urban Legends: While the censored version is available, there's a report that the original uncensored cut still exists and was shown publicly in 2005. It has never been confirmed but not contradicted either.
• Romance on the Set: The press tried to report that Greta Garbo and Ramon Novarro were involved, but they were Just Friends.
• Scully Box: Ramon Novarro wore lifts in his boots to appear much taller than Greta Garbo.
• Those Two Actors:
  • Greta Garbo starred with Lionel Barrymore in three other films, most famously Grand Hotel.
  • Ramon Novarro and Lewis Stone had starred together in two other films too.