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 | History | 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 | Telescope | Sister | Mirror

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 supervision
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	....	presents
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)
• 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)
• 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)
• ITV DVD (2009) (UK) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Deutsche Universal-Film (1930) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Argentina Video Home (2008) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Belle & Blade Studios (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Epoca (????) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Universal Pay Television (????) (USA) (TV) (An MCA Company)
• Universal Studios Home Entertainment (2012) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray book) (Universal 100th Anniversary) (Collector's Series)

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:

USA:TV-PG (TV rating) | Netherlands:16 (DVD rating) | West Germany:12 (re-rating) | Austria:(Banned) (1931-1945) | Germany:(Banned) (1931-1945) | Norway:16 | Argentina:Atp (re-rating) | 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

Filming Locations:

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

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

The first talkie war film to win Academy Awards.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Paul visits Franz in the ward, Franz raises his finger to his mouth. In the next shot, his hand has returned to his side.

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 Starship Troopers (1997)

Soundtrack:

All Quiet on the Western Front

The First Truly Great Movie Ever Produced

"All Quiet on the Western Front" is important filmmaking that still rings true today. The film deals with World War I combat through the eyes of the enemy (the Germans). For the first time ever it was realized how heartbreaking war really is, for all involved. One key message within the film is that innocence cannot survive on the battlefield. War is an awful thing that has no true winners, just losers. Brilliant performances from all involved make the film believable and accurate for the most part. A very young Lew Ayres is the best as his story creates tension for the entire film. This is perhaps the first film that proved that the cinema could be a truly imperative medium. The film was scorned by many in the U.S. as some thought that showing the Germans as sympathetic characters was in poor taste. Germans hated the film because of its anti-war message. Hitler was about to become a world power and he wanted all Germans to be excited and enthusiastic about combat. This film goes against those ideals. The Academy was brave enough and smart enough to award the film with the Best Picture Oscar in 1930 and Lewis Milestone became the first multiple Oscar winner in the directing category. "All Quiet on the Western Front" has the storyline of Malick's "The Thin Red Line" and the action and drama of Spielberg's "Saving Private Ryan". An overwhelming film experience. 5 stars out of 5.