ID

FBW000239      Fiction

Country / Year

USA, 1941

Original Title

So Ends Our Night

Directed by

John Cromwell

Produced by

David L. Loew - Albert Lewin, Inc., Los Angeles, CA; for United Artists Corp., Los Angeles, CA / New York, NY

Staff

Producer: David L. Loew, Albert Lewin; Producer, var: Alfred Zeisler (Produktionsberatung); Production assistance: Stanley Kramer; Script: Talbot Jennings; Based on: Erich Maria Remarque ("Flotsam" / "Liebe deinen Nächsten" / Roman); Camera: William Daniels; Special optical effects: Jack Cosgrove; Editing: William Reynolds; Sound: Bernard B. Brown, Paul Neal; Art direction: William Cameron Menzies, Jack Otterson; Costumes: Irene Saltern; Music: Louis Gruenberg

Cast

Fredric March (Josef Steiner); Margaret Sullavan (Ruth Holland); Frances Dee (Marie Steiner); Glenn Ford (Ludwig Kern); Anna Sten (Lilo); Erich von Stroheim (Brenner); Allan Brett (Merrill); Joseph Cawthorn (Potzloch); Leonid Kinskey (The Chicken); Alexander Granach (The Pole); Roman Bohnen (Mr. Kern); Sig Rumann (Ammers); William Stack (Prof. Meyer); Lionel Royce (Barnekrogg); Ernst Deutsch (Dr. Behr); Spencer Charters (Swiss Policeman); Hans Schumm (Kobel); Walter O. Stahl (Police Captain); Philip Van Zandt (Bachman); Frederick Vogeding (Gestapo Colonel); Joe Marks (The Bird); Trude Rosen (als: Greta Rozen) (Elvira); James Bush (Herbert); Emory Parnell (Weiss); Kate MacKenna (Mrs. Ammers); Edit Angold (Ammer's Sister-in-Law); Edward Fielding (Durant); William von Brincken (German Official); Gisela Werbiseck (The Harpy); Adolph Milar (Black Pig Proprietor); Lisa Golm (The Pale Woman); Wolfgang Zilzer (als: John Voigt)); George Rosener (Customs Guard)

Length

3353,6 m / 122'34''

Format

35mm/sw/1:1,37

Dates

- 22 Jan 1941: Copyright LP102000
- 27 Feb 1941: Release date, New York, NY (Radio City Music Hall)

Abstract

The German and opponent of National Socialism Josef Steiner leaves his wife behind when he flees from Austria after the `Anschluß`. In his search for a place of escape he meets the young Jewish couple, Ludwig Kern and Ruth Holland. With forged passports and travel documents the trio travels across Europe, sometimes together, sometimes seperately. The journey takes them to, amongst other places, Prague, Zurich, and Genf. Steiner hears that his wife is very ill and will soon die. Risking his own life, he returns to Austria in order to see her again. Steiner fights the Nazi, Brenner, and the outcome is deathly for both. Ludwig Kern and Ruth Holland, however, manage to find safety in Paris.

Subject Terms

Anti-Nazi films (US); Exile films

Holdings

- Kinemathek Hamburg, Hamburg; 16mm

Bibliography

- Gledhill, Donald (Hg.): Press Clipping File on the Senate Sub-Committee War Film Hearings. Vol. 1, Los Angeles, CA: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, 1941
- , in: Motion Picture Herald (New York, NY), Vol. 142, Nr. 4, 25.01.1941
- Walt.: "So Ends Our Night", in: Variety, 29.01.1941
- , in: Today's Cinema, Vol. 56, Nr. 4559, 23.04.1941
- , in: Today's Cinema, Vol. 61, Nr. 4952, 05.11.1943
- , in: Kinematograph Weekly (London), Nr.1908, 11.11.1943
- , in: Today's Cinema, Vol. 68, Nr. 5509, 24.06.1947
- N.N.: "So Ends Our Night", in: Kinematograph Weekly (London), Nr. 2095, 26.06.1947
- Schwab, Lothar (Red.): Exil. Sechs Schauspieler aus Deutschland. Wolgang Zilzer (Paul Andor), Bd. 6, Berlin/West: Stiftung Deutsche Kinemathek, 1983
- Horak, Jan-Christopher: Anti-Nazi-Filme der deutschsprachigen Emigration von Hollywood 1939-1945. Münster: Maks, 1984
- Nash, Ray R. / Ross, Stanley R. / Conelly, Robert B. (Ed.): Motion Picture Guide. Chicago, IL: Cinebooks, 1987
- Person, Arnold: "Erich Maria Remarque. A War Veteran and Emigre Himself, His Books and Films Clearly Mirrored the Terrors and Sorrows of the World He Knew to Well", in: Films in Review (New York, NY), Vol. 45, Nr. 9/10, September/Oktober, 01.09.1994