Anna Christie (1931)

Director:

Jacques Feyder

Writers:

Walter Hasenclever (German dialogue)
Frances Marion (adaptation)

Release Date:

27 March 1931 (Germany)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Old sailor Chris Christofferson eagerly awaits the arrival of his grown daughter Anna, whom he sent...

Plot Keywords:

Sailor | Storm | Father Daughter Relationship | Waterfront | Rescue

Cast

Greta Garbo	...	Anna Christie
Theo Shall	...	Matt Burke
Hans Junkermann	...	Chris Christofferson
Salka Viertel	...	Marthy Owens (as Salka Steuermann)

Runtime:

85 min

Country:

USA

Language:

German

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Filming Locations:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

German-language version, filmed directly after Anna Christie (1930), using the same sets.

Movie Connections:

Version of Anna Christie (1936) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Let Me Call You Sweetheart

The Better of Garbo's Anna Christies

Filmed by MGM on the same sets as the English version, but in German, Garbo's second portrayal of "Anna Christie" benefited from practice and her apparent ease with German dialog. Garbo appears more relaxed and natural under Jacques Feyder's direction than under Clarence Brown's, and her silent movie mannerisms have all but disappeared, which made her transition to sound complete. The strength she brought to the character remains here, although it has been softened, and Garbo reveals more of Anna's vulnerability. The entire cast, with the exception of Garbo, is different from the previous version of the film, and Garbo benefits from not having to compete with Marie Dressler, who stole every scene she was in during the English-language version. In Feyder's film, Garbo holds the center of attention throughout, although the three supporting players, particularly the father, gave excellent performances.

Feyder's direction was more assured than Clarence Brown's, and his use of the camera and editing techniques did not seem as constrained by the new sound process as did those of Brown. The film moves with more fluidity than the English language adaptation, and the static nature of the first film has been replaced with a flow that maintains viewer interest. Even William Daniels cinematography seems improved over his filming of the Brown version. He captured Garbo's luminescence and the atmospherics of the docks with style. Also, the screenplay adaptation for the European audience made Anna's profession quite clear from the start, and the explicitness clarifies for viewers who were unfamiliar with the play as to what was only implied in the Brown filming. However, the film was made before the Production Code was introduced, which made the censorship puzzling.

Garbo's Oscar nomination for "Anna Christie" was always somewhat mystifying, and I suspected that the nod was given more in recognition of her relatively smooth transition to sound films than for her performance. However, some of the Academy voters may have seen the German-language version of the film, and they realized, as will contemporary viewers, that her "Anna Christie" under Feyder's direction was definitely Oscar worthy.