All Quiet on the Western Front (1930)

Director:

Lewis Milestone

Writers:

Erich Maria Remarque (by)
Maxwell Anderson (adaptation)
(more)

Release Date:

24 August 1930 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | War

Tagline:

At last....the motion picture!

Plot:

A young soldier faces profound disillusionment in the soul-destroying horror of World War I.

Plot Keywords:

Soldier | Death | Orchard | War Veteran | Knife

Awards:

Won 2 Oscars. Another 4 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Louis Wolheim	...	Kat
Lew Ayres	...	Paul (as Lewis Ayres)
John Wray	...	Himmelstoss
Arnold Lucy	...	Kantorek
Ben Alexander	...	Kemmerich
Scott Kolk	...	Leer
Owen Davis Jr.	...	Peter
Walter Rogers	...	Behn (as Walter Browne Rogers)
William Bakewell	...	Albert
Russell Gleason	...	Mueller
Richard Alexander	...	Westhus
Harold Goodwin	...	Detering
Slim Summerville	...	Tjaden (as 'Slim' Summerville)
G. Pat Collins	...	Bertinck (as Pat Collins)
Beryl Mercer	...	Paul's Mother
Edmund Breese	...	Herr Meyer
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Zasu Pitts	...	Frau Bäumer - Silent Version Trailer only (scenes deleted)
Ernie Adams	...	2nd Medic Orderly (uncredited)
Marion Clayton Anderson	...	Anna Bäumer (uncredited)
Poupée Andriot	...	French Girl (uncredited)
Vince Barnett	...	Assistant Cook (uncredited)
Daisy Belmore	...	Frau Kemmerick (uncredited)
Glen Boles	...	Young Soldier (uncredited)
Heinie Conklin	...	Joseph Hammacher (uncredited)
Yola d'Avril	...	Suzanne (uncredited)
Renée Damonde	...	French Girl (uncredited)
Arthur Gardner	...	Student (uncredited)
Raymond Griffith	...	Gérard Duval (uncredited)
Ellen Hall	...	Young Girl (uncredited)
William Irving	...	Ginger - the Cook (uncredited)
Frederick Kohner	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Frank Leichtfried	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Tom London	...	1st Medic Orderly (uncredited)
Bertha Mann	...	Sister Libertine (uncredited)
Joan Marsh	...	Poster Girl (uncredited)
Edwin Maxwell	...	Herr Bäumer (uncredited)
Jack McHugh	...	Schoolboy (uncredited)
Maurice Murphy	...	Soldier (uncredited)
Robert Parrish	...	Schoolboy (uncredited)
Bodil Rosing	...	Mother of Hospital Patient (uncredited)
Wolfgang Staudte	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Jack Sutherland	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
David Tyrell	...	Soldier (uncredited)
Dorothy Vernon	...	Charwoman (uncredited)
Fred Zinnemann	...	Minor Role (uncredited)

Directed by
Lewis Milestone

Writing credits
Erich Maria Remarque		(by)
Maxwell Anderson		(adaptation & dialogue)
George Abbott		(screen play)
Del Andrews		(adaptation)
C. Gardner Sullivan		(supervising story chief)
Walter Anthony		(titles for silent version)
Lewis Milestone		uncredited

Produced by
Carl Laemmle Jr.	....	producer

Original Music by
Sam Perry		(silent version) (uncredited)
Heinz Roemheld		(silent version) (uncredited)

Cinematography by
Arthur Edeson
Karl Freund		(uncredited)

Film Editing by
Edgar Adams		(film editor)
Milton Carruth		(non-dialogue version)
Edward L. Cahn		(uncredited)

Art Direction by
Charles D. Hall
William R. Schmidt		(as W.R. Schmitt)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Nate Watt	....	assistant director

Sound Department
C. Roy Hunter	....	recording supervisor
William Hedgcock	....	sound technician (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Frank H. Booth	....	special photographic effects (uncredited)
Harry Lonsdale	....	special effects (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Tony Gaudio	....	camera operator: second camera (uncredited)
Cliff Shirpser	....	assistant camera (uncredited)

Editorial Department
David Broekman	....	synchronization
Maurice Pivar	....	supervising film editor

Music Department
David Broekman	....	score supervisor
William Axt	....	composer: stock music (silent version) (uncredited)
Giuseppe Becce	....	composer: stock music (silent version) (uncredited)
Adolph Fink	....	orchestrator (non-dialogue version) (uncredited)
Sam Perry	....	music adaptor (silent version) (uncredited)
Andor Pinter	....	orchestrator (non-dialogue version) (uncredited)
Erno Rapee	....	composer: stock music (silent version) (uncredited)
Heinz Roemheld	....	conductor (uncredited)
Heinz Roemheld	....	musical adaptation (uncredited)
William Schiller	....	orchestrator (non-dialogue version) (uncredited)
Meredith Willson	....	composer: stock music (silent version) (uncredited)

Other crew
Carl Laemmle	....	presenter
George Cukor	....	dialogue director (uncredited)
Lewis Milestone	....	hand double: Lew Ayres (uncredited)
Hans von Morhart	....	advisor: military history (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Universal Pictures

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (1930) (USA) (theatrical)
• Deutsche Universal-Film (1930) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Universal Pictures (1930) (UK) (theatrical)
• Universal Pictures (1934) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Universal Pictures (1939) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Universal Pictures (1950) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Universal Pictures (1952) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• MCA/Universal (1992) (USA) (VHS) (for MCA Home Video)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (1995) (USA) (VHS) (for MCA Home Video with restored footage)
• Universal Studios (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Benelux (2001) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Universal Home Entertainment (2002) (USA) (VHS)
• BFI (Access) (2003) (UK) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Universal Home Entertainment (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures (2006) (Germany) (DVD)
• Argentina Video Home (2008) (Argentina) (DVD)
• ITV DVD (2009) (UK) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Universal Studios (2012) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray book) (Universal 100th Anniversary) (Collector's Series)
• Belle & Blade Studios (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Epoca (????) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Universal Pay Television (????) (USA) (TV) (An MCA Company)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

UK:145 min (cut) | UK:147 min (BBFC submission before censorship) | Germany:136 min | USA:133 min (restored version: Library of Congress) | 138 min (copyright length) | Spain:128 min (DVD edition) | USA:101 min (TV version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French | German | Latin

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

Argentina:13 (original rating) | Australia:PG | South Korea:15 | Sweden:15 | UK:A (original rating) (cut) | UK:PG (re-rating) (2003) (uncut) | UK:PG (video rating) (1986) | USA:Unrated | Iceland:12 | USA:TV-PG (TV rating) | Netherlands:16 (DVD rating) | Austria:(Banned) (1931-1945) | West Germany:12 (re-rating) | Germany:(Banned) (1931-1945) | Norway:16 | Argentina:Atp (re-rating)

Filming Locations:

RKO-Pathé Studios - 9336 Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

The iconic final shot was filmed during the editing process. All the actors had left so that is actually Lewis Milestone's hand we see in the final shot.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Paul is with the dead soldier in the pit, the arms move on the dead body between night and day.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Man cleaning doorknob:Thirty thousand.
Maid:From the Russians?
Man cleaning doorknob:No, from the French. From the Russians we capture more than that every day.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: Star Force: Fugitive Alien 2 (#4.18)" (1991)

Soundtrack:

All Quiet on the Western Front

Still One of the Best Movies of Its Kind

Still one of the most worthwhile films about the hard realities of war, "All Quiet On The Western Front" has numerous memorable images and thoughtful moments. Too many war dramas, regardless of their perspective, resort to distortions of history and overblown characters that make them convincing only to those who watch uncritically. This one works nicely by keeping the characters low-key and by, for the most part, allowing the events and situations to speak for themselves. It's not perfect in this respect, and it is perhaps a movie more to be respected than enjoyed, but it has many notable strengths.

The characters, most of them young soldiers, are played very simply, even plainly, but this is by no means a weakness - rather, it allows the movie to show what war is like for real soldiers rather than for idealized or stereotyped characters. The two most important characters are developed more fully, and are played well. Louis Wolheim's resourceful 'Kat' is the liveliest of the soldiers, and as Paul, Lew Ayres is quite understated but very believable. His character is well-chosen as the focal point of most of the movie.

The close-fighting nature of World War I particularly lends itself to this kind of movie, and the atmosphere is convincing and detailed. The contrast with the civilian scenes is also set up well, although the civilian scenes sometimes seem slightly less convincing. The overall effect is a movie that, while you probably wouldn't call it exciting or fun, is one you won't forget.