Mission to Moscow (1943)

Director:

Michael Curtiz

Writers:

Joseph E. Davies (book)
Howard Koch (screenplay)

Release Date:

22 May 1943 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | History | War

Tagline:

One American's Journey into the Truth

Plot:

Mission to Moscow was made at the behest of F.D.R. in order to garner more support for the Soviet Union during WWII...

Plot Keywords:

Russia | WWII | Stalin | Ambassador | Orchestral Music Score

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar.

Cast

Walter Huston	...	Ambassador Joseph E. Davies
Ann Harding	...	Mrs. Marjorie Davies
Oskar Homolka	...	Maxim Litvinov, Foreign Minister
George Tobias	...	Freddie
Gene Lockhart	...	Premier Molotov
Eleanor Parker	...	Emlen Davies
Richard Travis	...	Paul
Helmut Dantine	...	Major Kamenev
Victor Francen	...	Vyshinsky, chief trial prosecutor
Henry Daniell	...	Minister von Ribbentrop
Barbara Everest	...	Mrs. Litvinov
Dudley Field Malone	...	Winston Churchill
Roman Bohnen	...	Mr. Krestinsky
Maria Palmer	...	Tanya Litvinov
Moroni Olsen	...	Colonel Faymonville

Runtime:

123 min (Turner library print) | 124 min (copyright length)

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Russian | German | Mandarin | French

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

Finland:S | Sweden:15 | USA:Approved (PCA #8958)

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

This film was often mentioned during the 1947 House of Representatives Un-American Committee (HUAC) investigation of communist infiltration in the motion picture industry and was chiefly responsible for the blacklisting of screenwriter Howard Koch. Jack L. Warner defended the picture as being "made when our country was fighting for its existence, with Russia as one of our allies. ... The picture was made only to help a desperate war effort and not for posterity."

Goofs:

Factual errors: Davies is shown returning to America on board ship when he receives word of the signing of the German-Soviet non-aggression pact, and upon his return home eventually meets with several congressmen and tells them that war can be expected sometime within the "next two months", either in late August or early September. However, the German-Soviet pact was signed on August 22-23, 1939, and war began just nine days later, on September 1. Davies could not possibly have talked to the congressmen about a "two-month" timetable for war to come in late August or early September if he had reached the United States after the signing of the pact.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Dallas: Mission to Moscow (#12.25)" (1989)

Soundtrack:

German National Anthem (Das Lied der Deutschen)

Grand Propaganda Film, Hollywood Style

Among the comments here I don't see much recognition of the fact that this propaganda film was released at the height of World War II, when the battle against Nazis was focused on Stalingrad, which arguably was the crucial battle of the war in Europe.

The context of this film cannot be ignored or minimized. Propaganda films are morale films, and the omissions and distortions which have been cited in Mission to Moscow are beside the point. Of course Stalin was a monster before, during and after World War II. Of course Joseph E. Davies was a naif, and a pompous one at that. Perhaps that's why he only lasted a year as ambassador.

On one hand, there is an absolutely ludicrous review here, praising Mission to Moscow as dispelling the terrible calumnies against the great Soviet achievements. On the other hand, there are those on the opposite side who, though far more accurate about Stalin and about how this film whitewashes his atrocities, seem so rabid in their responses, they fail to understand, or conveniently ignore, that propaganda films as documentaries are more or less bull, and that it's stupid to criticize a propaganda film because it's a propaganda film.

What is interesting about Mission to Moscow is not what it is trying to say or do, which requires little insight to divine, but how well it does it. This is a Hollywood "A" film enlisted in the service of propaganda. Top cast, direction and production values should have made for a very strong message to 1943 American audiences, whom the government wanted to think of the war against Germany as "We're all in this together."

As to the outrage of Stalin's show trials, I think that the sinister, menacing demeanor of one of the great Hollywood heavies Victor Francen as prosecutor Vyshinsky, versus the rather meek, contemplative demeanor of the defendants, suggests that the film knows what's going on, even if Davies doesn't.

Yes, the relentless pro-Soviet propaganda is a bit hard to take for those who sit smugly in the light of hindsight. But if you look at Mission to Moscow as document rather than documentary, you will gain an insight into the kind of public mindset called for by our government at a crucial moment in our history.