For Whom the Bell Tolls (1943)

During the Spanish Civil War, an American allied with the Republicans finds romance during a desperate mission to blow up a strategically important bridge.

Director:

Sam Wood

Writers:

Ernest Hemingway (novel), Dudley Nichols (screenplay),

Stars:

Gary Cooper, Ingrid Bergman, Akim Tamiroff

Won 1 Oscar. Another 3 wins & 8 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Gary Cooper	...	Robert Jordan
Ingrid Bergman	...	María
Akim Tamiroff	...	Pablo
Arturo de Córdova	...	Agustín
Vladimir Sokoloff	...	Anselmo
Mikhail Rasumny	...	Rafael
Fortunio Bonanova	...	Fernando
Eric Feldary	...	Andrés
Victor Varconi	...	Primitivo
Katina Paxinou	...	Pilar
Joseph Calleia	...	El Sordo
Lilo Yarson	...	Joaquin
Alexander Granach	...	Paco
Adia Kuznetzoff	...	Gustavo
Leonid Snegoff	...	Ignacio

Storyline

Spain in the 1930s is the place to be for a man of action like Robert Jordan. There is a civil war going on and Jordan who has joined up on the side that appeals most to idealists of that era -- like Ernest Hemingway and his friends -- has been given a high-risk assignment up in the mountains. He awaits the right time to blow up a bridge in a cave. Pilar, who is in charge there, has an ability to foretell the future. And so that night she encourages Maria, a young girl ravaged by enemy soldiers, to join Jordan who has decided to spend the night under the stars.

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Plot Keywords:

bridge | mountain | civil war | spanish | spanish civil war | 

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Taglines:

Thunderous! Tender! Touching!

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Genres:

Adventure | Drama | History | Romance | War

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

28 April 1944 (Sweden)

Also Known As:

Pour qui sonne le glas

Filming Locations:

Blue Canyon, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$3,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

170 min 134 min (re-release) 168 min (restored)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Vera Zorina was to play Maria. When she was replaced by Ingrid Bergman, she threatened to sue Paramount, so they gave her a cash settlement.

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Goofs

Early in film when Gary Cooper's character Robert Jorden meets General Golz, Cooper's shadow can be seen on a wall in the background. In the straight-on angle it's Cooper's shadow. But in another angle it's obvious another person was used to create the shadow. When Cooper places his hand on his chin, the shadow's move is late by a second.

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Quotes

Robert Jordan: A man fights for what he believes in, Fernando!

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Connections

Referenced in The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis: For Whom the Wedding Bell Tolls (1962)

User Reviews

I no provoke, Inglis!

I have read most of Hemingway's novels and enjoy him for the romantic he is (why is it some people view him as a realist?). However, when I see this film, as well as the Tyrone Power version of THE SUN ALSO RISES, I am left wondering if the problem with Hollywood adaptations of his work was that they were TOO faithful. That's right, all you Hemingway lovers: too faithful. The man's dialog works on paper, but when spoken by the actors--good actors at that--it becomes downright silly.

Hemingway once wrote a play, THE FIFTH COLUMN, that was snickered by theatre-goers in 1937. He learned his lesson and never wrote another play. Some of the Hollywood scriptwriters might have also learned, if not from the reviews of THE FIFTH COLUMN, at least from the film of THE KILLERS: the best way to adapt Hemingway is to steer away from his dialog, not stick so close to it.

That said, I must confess I enjoy this film like the others...though I can't help but chuckle at it sometimes.