Beloved Enemy (1936)

Irish rebels launch an uprising against the British occupation of Ireland in the 1920s. One of the rebellion's leaders and a beautiful aristocratic Englishwoman meet and, despite the ... See full summary »

Director:

H.C. Potter

Writers:

Rose Franken, David Hertz (additional dialogue),

Stars:

Merle Oberon, Brian Aherne, Karen Morley

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Merle Oberon	...	Helen Drummond
Brian Aherne	...	Dennis Riordan
Karen Morley	...	Cathleen O'Brien
Henry Stephenson	...	Lord Athleigh
David Niven	...	Capt. Gerald Preston
Jerome Cowan	...	Tim O'Rourke
Donald Crisp	...	Liam Burke
Ronald Sinclair	...	Jerry O'Brien (as Ra Hould)
Granville Bates	...	Ryan
P.J. Kelly	...	Rooney
Leo McCabe	...	Connor
Pat O'Malley	...	Patrick Callahan
Jack Mulhall	...	Casey
Claude King	...	Col. Loder
Wyndham Standing	...	Thornton

Storyline

Irish rebels launch an uprising against the British occupation of Ireland in the 1920s. One of the rebellion's leaders and a beautiful aristocratic Englishwoman meet and, despite the enormous class, cultural, political and social differences between them, fall in love.

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Plot Keywords:

irish republican army

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Taglines:

He's a Bloody Killer!

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

12 March 1937 (France)

Also Known As:

Geliebter Rebell

Company Credits

Production Co:

Samuel Goldwyn Company, The

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

"Lux Radio Theater" broadcast a 60 minute radio adaptation of the movie on December 27, 1937 with Brian Aherne and Donald Crisp reprising their film roles.

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Goofs

Despite the fact that the film takes place in the 1916-1922 era, all of Merle Oberon's clothing and hairstyles are strictly in the contemporary 1936 fashion.

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Soundtracks

"Who Were You With Last Night?"
(uncredited)
Written by Fred Godfrey and Mark Sheridan

User Reviews

intelligently handled for what it is

In the "love-against-the-backdrop-of" genre, BELOVED ENEMY occupies a rather high position because of the intelligence with which an extremely unlikely romantic relationship is handled. Merle Oberon, the daughter of a British bigwig (Henry Stephenson), falls in love with an Irish rebel leader (Brian Aherne). But not only does her love for him not turn her against her own people, she even rats on him to the British military, only to be hugely relieved when he escapes from their ambush. Then she has the gall to visit him and admit her betrayal! This is truly a case of love conquers all. On one level this film is a plea for peace from a woman's point of view. Movies with pleas for peace were not uncommon in the mid- to-late Thirties. Needless to say, this production is a pure Hollywood gloss on the realities of the 1921 Irish Civil War, but at least the opening credits admit clearly that the story is "legend based on fact" with fictitious characters. When the going gets a bit heavy, we have those stunning physical specimens of Oberon and Aherne (their surnames even sound like poetry together) to feast our eyes upon. In close-up profile they both look exquisite. Oberon was a fine actress, much underrated. She had her limitations, but here, as in many other films, not only turned in a creditable and convincing performance but was a pleasure to watch as she did so. Aherne, as finely carved a block of wood that ever took human form, never quite comes to life. He is somehow not all there.