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:

Ambassador Joseph Davies is sent by FDR to Russia to learn about the Soviet system and returns to America as an advocate of Stalinism.

Plot Keywords:

Russia | Ambassador | Stalinism | Farmer | Madison Square Garden Manhattan New York City

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	...	Maj. 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	...	Col. Faymonville
Minor Watson	...	Loy Henderson
Vladimir Sokoloff	...	Mikhail Kalinin, USSR president
Maurice Schwartz	...	Dr. Botkin
Joseph E. Davies	...	Himself - in Prologue
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ernst Hausman	...	Ship's Steward
John Abbott	...	Grinko (uncredited)
Ernie Adams	...	Heckler (uncredited)
Ed Agresti	...	Second Trial Judge (uncredited)
Alex Akimoff	...	O.G.P.U. Man (uncredited)
Fred Aldrich	...	Man at Bar in Montage (uncredited)
Demetrius Alexis	...	O.G.P.U. Man (uncredited)
Elizabeth Archer	...	Elderly Woman (uncredited)
Louis V. Arco	...	Train Announcer (uncredited)
Sam Ash	...	American Senator (uncredited)
Herbert Ashley	...	Electrician at Madison Square Garden (uncredited)
Hooper Atchley	...	Father (uncredited)
Robert Baikoff	...	Soldier (uncredited)
Felix Basch	...	Dr. Hjalmar Schacht - Banker (uncredited)
Nino Bellini	...	Italian Reporter (uncredited)
Ted Billings	...	Man at Inn (uncredited)
Tina Blagoi	...	Russian Woman (uncredited)
Oliver Blake	...	Heckler (uncredited)
Monte Blue	...	Heckler (uncredited)
Eugene Borden	...	M. Delbeau - French Minister (uncredited)
Egon Brecher	...	Heinrich Sahm (uncredited)
Barbara Brown	...	Well-Wisher at Train (uncredited)
Morgan Brown	...	American Delegate (uncredited)
Alexander Campbell	...	Senator (uncredited)
George M. Carleton	...	Congressman (uncredited)
James Carlisle	...	American Senator (uncredited)
Maurice Cass	...	Yugoslavian President (uncredited)
Nikolai Celikhovsky	...	Soviet Official (uncredited)
Feodor Chaliapin Jr.	...	Shop Foreman (uncredited)
Luke Chan	...	Japanese Diplomat (uncredited)
Cyd Charisse	...	Galina Ulanova - Ballerina (uncredited)
Jack Chefe	...	Newspaperman in Courtroom (uncredited)
Alex Chivra	...	Pierre Laval (uncredited)
Peter Chong	...	Japanese Ambassador Shigemitsu (uncredited)
Virginia Christine	...	Maria - Beautician (uncredited)
Winston Churchill	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Wallis Clark	...	Well-wisher with Bill (uncredited)
Donald Clayton	...	Vincent Massey (uncredited)
Edmund Cobb	...	Heckler (uncredited)
James Conaty	...	Dinner Guest (uncredited)
Harry Cording	...	Blacksmith (uncredited)
Gino Corrado	...	Italian (uncredited)
Jerome Cowan	...	Spendler (uncredited)
Noel Cravat	...	Workman (uncredited)
Joseph Crehan	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Oliver Cross	...	Delegate Van deWater (uncredited)
Albert D'Arno	...	Frenchman (uncredited)
Jacqueline Dalya	...	Russian Girl (uncredited)
William B. Davidson	...	Senator (uncredited)
George Davis	...	French Reporter (uncredited)
Jean De Briac	...	French Maniac (uncredited)
Leander De Cordova	...	Heckler (uncredited)
Wally Dean	...	Isolaltionist (uncredited)
Igor Dega	...	Litvinov's Secretary (uncredited)
Jean Del Val	...	Molotov's Secretary (uncredited)
Lala Detolly	...	Russian Woman (uncredited)
John Dilson	...	American Senator (uncredited)
Warren Douglas	...	Emlen's Well-Wisher at Train Station (uncredited)
Eugene Eberle	...	Son (uncredited)
Oliver Eckhardt	...	Radio Listener (uncredited)
Anthony Eden	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Ben Erway	...	Heckler (uncredited)
Fred Essler	...	Dutch Banker (uncredited)
Herbert Evans	...	Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
Adolph Faylauer	...	German Diplomat at Train Station (uncredited)
Frank Faylen	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Frank Ferguson	...	American Newsman (uncredited)
Robert Fischer	...	von Schulenberg (uncredited)
James Flavin	...	American Senator (uncredited)
Ray Flynn	...	Isolationist (uncredited)
Lee Tung Foo	...	Tsiang Ting Fu - Chinese Ambassador (uncredited)
Ross Ford	...	Johnny - Emlen's Well-Wisher at Train Station (uncredited)
William Forrest	...	American Newsman (uncredited)
Patrica Fung	...	Chinese Girl (uncredited)
Jack Gardner	...	Newsreel Photographer (uncredited)
Gene Gary	...	Russian Foreman (uncredited)
Art Gilmore	...	Commentator (uncredited)
Joseph W. Girard	...	American Senator (uncredited)
George Glebeff	...	O.G.P.U. Man (uncredited)
Sam Goldenberg	...	Mr. Leon Trotsky (uncredited)
Ernest Golm	...	Fat German (uncredited)
Lisa Golm	...	Train Passenger Arriving Late (uncredited)
Gregory Golubeff	...	Commandant of the Court (uncredited)
Christine Gordon	...	Parachutist (uncredited)
William Gould	...	Isolationist (uncredited)
Alexander Granach	...	Russian Air Force Officer (uncredited)
Jesse Graves	...	White House Butler (uncredited)
Henry Guttman	...	O.G.P.U. Man in Taxi (uncredited)
Hermann Göring	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Bobby Hale	...	Man at Inn (uncredited)
John Hamilton	...	Charlie - American Newsman (uncredited)
Lumsden Hare	...	Lord Chilston (uncredited)
Sam Harris	...	Parade Spectator (uncredited)
Henry Hebert	...	Isolaltionist (uncredited)
Frank Hemphill	...	Grandfather (uncredited)
Yvonne Hendricks	...	Minister's Wife (uncredited)
Louis Jean Heydt	...	American Newsman (uncredited)
Herbert Heyes	...	Congressman (uncredited)
Adolf Hitler	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
David Hoffman	...	Mr. Radek (uncredited)
Bert Howard	...	Senator (uncredited)
Mauritz Hugo	...	Heckler (uncredited)
Arthur Stuart Hull	...	Dinner Guest (uncredited)
Olaf Hytten	...	Parliament Member (uncredited)
Frieda Inescort	...	Madame Molotov (uncredited)
Ted Jacques	...	Machinist (uncredited)
Frank Jaquet	...	Dutch Banker (uncredited)
Allen Jung	...	Japanese Diplomat (uncredited)
Erwin Kalser	...	German Businessman (uncredited)
Joseph Kamaryt	...	Old Russian (uncredited)
Eddie Kane	...	Heckler (uncredited)
Zoia Karabanova	...	Russian Train Engineer (uncredited)
Kurt Katch	...	Gen. Semen Timoshenko (uncredited)
Edward Keane	...	Isolationist (uncredited)
Kenner G. Kemp	...	Newspaperman (uncredited)
Bill Kennedy	...	American Newsman (uncredited)
Colin Kenny	...	Parade Soldier Spectator (uncredited)
Jack Kenny	...	Heckler (uncredited)
Emmett King	...	British Delegate (uncredited)
Manart Kippen	...	Joseph Stalin (uncredited)
Nicholas Kobliansky	...	O.G.P.U. Man (uncredited)
Al Kunde	...	Father (uncredited)
Adia Kuznetzoff	...	O.G.P.U. Man (uncredited)
Charles La Torre	...	Rosso - Italian Ambassador (uncredited)
Charles Lane	...	Man in Kitchenin Montage (uncredited)
Ivan Lebedeff	...	Mr. Rosengoltz (uncredited)
Charles Legneur	...	Dancer at Ball (uncredited)
Gabriel Lenoff	...	O.G.P.U. Man (uncredited)
George Lessey	...	Bill - Well-wisher (uncredited)
Marion Lessing	...	Telephone Operator (uncredited)
Carl M. Leviness	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Adolf E. Licho	...	Bookseller (uncredited)
Rolf Lindau	...	German Reporter (uncredited)
Doris Lloyd	...	Mrs. Churchill (uncredited)
Kathleen Lockhart	...	Lady Chilston (uncredited)
Arthur Loft	...	Man with Microphone (uncredited)
Wilbur Mack	...	American Newsman (uncredited)
Rosa Margot	...	Russian Servant (uncredited)
Michael Mark	...	Timid Man (uncredited)
Janet Martin	...	Natasha (uncredited)
John Maxwell	...	Reporter at Train (uncredited)
Mike Mazurki	...	Russian Machinist Workman (uncredited)
Frank McClure	...	League of Nations Official / Ball Guest (uncredited)
Lafe McKee	...	Radio Listener (uncredited)
Alex Melesh	...	Mr. Pyatakov (uncredited)
Marie Melish	...	Young Woman (uncredited)
Tina Menard	...	Telephone Operator (uncredited)
Peter Michael	...	German Reporter (uncredited)
Harold Miller	...	Dancer at Ball / Congressman (uncredited)
Howard M. Mitchell	...	Heckler (uncredited)
Vyacheslav Molotov	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Clive Morgan	...	Anthony Eden (uncredited)
Forbes Murray	...	Isolationist (uncredited)
Martin Noble	...	Russian Officer (uncredited)
Barry Norton	...	Ball Guest (uncredited)
Field Norton	...	Congressman (uncredited)
Alex Novinsky	...	Courtroom Reporter (uncredited)
Pat O'Malley	...	Irish-American in Montage (uncredited)
Daniel Ocko	...	Mr. Yagoda (former OGPU Head) (uncredited)
Michael Panaieff	...	Ulanova's Dancing Partner (uncredited)
Paul Panzer	...	Court Attendant (uncredited)
Emory Parnell	...	Uncaring Businessman (uncredited)
Manuel París	...	Russian Military Policeman (uncredited)
Irene Pedrini	...	Telephone Operator (uncredited)
Frank Penny	...	Heckler (uncredited)
Francis Pierlot	...	Doctor (uncredited)
René Plaissetty	...	Coulendre (uncredited)
Frank Puglia	...	Trial Judge Ulrich (uncredited)
Louis Quince	...	Member of Parliament (uncredited)
Emil Rameau	...	Ignacy Paderewski (uncredited)
Frank Reicher	...	General von Koestrich - German ambassador (uncredited)
Duncan Renaldo	...	Italian Reporter (uncredited)
Georges Renavent	...	President Paul van Zeeland (uncredited)
Vera Richkova	...	Parachutist (uncredited)
Betty Roadman	...	Mother (uncredited)
Constantine Romanoff	...	Accused Member of O.G.P.U. (uncredited)
Nico Romoff	...	Foreman (uncredited)
Lionel Royce	...	Herr Schmidt (uncredited)
Richard Ryen	...	German Major (uncredited)
Loulette Sablon	...	Telephone Operator (uncredited)
Tanya Samova	...	Flower Girl (uncredited)
Sam Savitsky	...	Spadebeard (uncredited)
Ferdinand Schumann-Heink	...	German Reporter (uncredited)
Hans Schumm	...	Train Gate Guard (uncredited)
Irina Semochenko	...	Parachutist (uncredited)
Konstantin Shayne	...	Mr. Nikolai Bukharin (uncredited)
Robert Shayne	...	Engineer (uncredited)
Tamara Shayne	...	Russian Nurse (uncredited)
Evelynne Smith	...	Daughter (uncredited)
Leonid Snegoff	...	Kommodov (uncredited)
George Sorel	...	German Bund Member (uncredited)
Joseph Stalin	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Rudolf Steinboeck	...	German (uncredited)
Glenn Strange	...	Southerner in Montage (uncredited)
Mark Strong	...	Englishman (uncredited)
Sándor Szabó	...	Ski Troop Lieutenant (uncredited)
Ben Taggart	...	Guest at Davies' Speech (uncredited)
Mike Tellegen	...	O.G.P.U. Man (uncredited)
Zina Torchina	...	Parachutist (uncredited)
Ivan Triesault	...	Mr. Tukhachevsky (former general) (uncredited)
Charles Trowbridge	...	Secretary of State Cordell Hull (uncredited)
Tom Tully	...	American Engineer in Russia (uncredited)
Olga Uljanovskaja	...	Russian Nurse (uncredited)
Edward Van Sloan	...	German Diplomat in Berlin (uncredited)
Henry Victor	...	Herr Schufeldt - Hamburg Official (uncredited)
Michael Visaroff	...	Barkov (uncredited)
Ray Walker	...	Raymond - Davies' Butler (uncredited)
Glen Walters	...	Mother (uncredited)
Pierre Watkin	...	Naval Attache (uncredited)
Peggy Watts	...	Telephone Operator (uncredited)
Frank Wayne	...	Heckler (uncredited)
John Wengraf	...	Polish Ambassador Grzybowski (uncredited)
Mischa Westfall	...	Petya (uncredited)
Leigh Whipper	...	Haile Selassie (uncredited)
Marek Windheim	...	Mr. Sokolnikov (uncredited)
Joan Winfield	...	Telephone Operator (uncredited)
Isabel Withers	...	Well-Wisher at Train (uncredited)
Jean Wong	...	Parachutist (uncredited)
Victor Wong	...	Japanese Diplomat (uncredited)
Jack Young	...	President Roosevelt (uncredited)
Alfred Zeisler	...	German Train Conductor (uncredited)
Esther Zeitlin	...	Russian Woman (uncredited)

Directed by
Michael Curtiz

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

Produced by
Robert Buckner	....	producer
Jack L. Warner	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Max Steiner

Cinematography by
Bert Glennon

Film Editing by
Owen Marks

Art Direction by
Carl Jules Weyl

Set Decoration by
George James Hopkins

Costume Design by
Orry-Kelly		(gowns)

Makeup Department
Gordon Bau	....	makeup artist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Frank Heath	....	assistant director (uncredited)
Don Siegel	....	second unit director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Oliver S. Garretson	....	sound

Special Effects by
Roy Davidson	....	special effects
Hans F. Koenekamp	....	special effects (as H.F. Koenekamp)

Editorial Department
James Leicester	....	montage
Don Siegel	....	montage

Music Department
Leo F. Forbstein	....	musical director
Bernhard Kaun	....	orchestral arrangements (as Bernard Kaun)
Hugo Friedhofer	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Jay Leyda	....	technical advisor
LeRoy Prinz	....	ballet stager (as Leroy Prinz)
Don King	....	unit publicist (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Warner Bros (as Warner Bros.-First National Pictures)

Distributors

• Warner Bros (1943) (USA) (theatrical)
• Warner Home Video (2009) (USA) (DVD) (DVD-R)

Other Companies

• Turner Entertainment  DVD package design
• Warner Bros. Entertainment  DVD package design

Also Known As:

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)

Filming Locations:

Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA

Company:

Warner Bros

Trivia:

According to the book "The Films of World War II" by Joe Morella, Edward Z. Epstein and John Griggs, this film "was extremely controversial in the United States, where it was attacked on the one hand as a whitewash of the Soviet regime and defended on the other as a fitting tribute to a gallant ally", while "in Russia some of Hollywood's conceptions of Russian life presented in 'Mission to Moscow' evoked laughter."

Goofs:

Factual errors: Davies and the rest of the diplomatic corps are shown watching the 1938 May Day parade through Red Square. Some time later, at the farewell dinner being held in Davies's honor, Litvinov is handed a communique stating that Germany had just invaded and annexed Austria (the Anschluss). In fact Germany had taken over Austria on March 13, 1938, a full seven weeks before the May Day parade that in the film precedes the Anschluss.

Quotes:

Freddie:Say, do you let girls ride with the engineer?
Railroad official:She IS the engineer!
[laughs]

Movie Connections:

Featured in Warner at War (2008) (TV)

Soundtrack:

America

If you like a film that glorifies and falsifies the dictatorship of Joseph Stalin then this is for you

This film was made to patronize Joeseph Stalin and warm USA audiences to American-Soviet relations. Warner boss Jack Warner called it the worst mistake of his career. Warner was a supporter of FDR and Roosevelt asked him to have this film made based on the 1941 book by former Ambassador to the USSR (1936-1938) Joseph E. Davies. Several films were made during this time to achieve the same effect like song of Russia, North Star and Counter Attack but this was a film for Stalin to see himself, hand delivered on a yet another mission to Moscow by Davies. This film portrays the brutal dictator Stalin as a fair and just man who has turned his backward country into a progressive industrial and agricultural giant that is moving toward democracy and desires peace and protection of it's borders. It mentions nothing of the one million deaths in the Soviet gulags that happened during Davies' ambassadorial tenure on his mission to Moscow. It glosses over the infamous purge show trials where Stalin rid himself of prominent party leaders where he had 50 of the 54 of the three trials executed under the guise of traitors who were conspiring with Germany and Japan to weaken the USSR. Stalin wanted absolute power but this film portrays these as fair and just trials. The costly Russo-Finnish War of 1939 is described by Davies as simply the Soviets wanting to annex Finland to protect Finland from the Nazi's. 23,000 Finns were killed and 43,000 wounded in this so-called effort to protect them. 127,000 Soviets were killed and 265,000 wounded. There is no mention of Stalin's man-made famine of the 1930's that resulted in the genocide of millions of Ukrainians. Stalin is portrayed as everybody's favorite uncle and FDR wanted Stalin to see how sympathetic we were to to him by having him actually view this film to maneuver a FDR-Stalin meeting in Alaska. FDR sent former Ambassador Davies on another mission to Moscow with this film and a message to Stalin from Roosevelt as to how much he respected him. Davies' successor in Moscow Ambassador William H. Standley was not in the loop on this mission and furious and resigned. Davies screened this film for Stalin. Stalin wasn't that impressed with the film or FDR's intentions and stalled on the Alaska summit. FDR was forced to send Secretary of State Cordell Hull to Moscow and Stalin agreed to a summit in Teheran instead of Alaska which would also include Winston Churchill who FDR didn't want for his proposed Alaska summit.

Michael Curtiz is the director and the film looks good from an artistic standpoint. Curtiz was best known for Casablanca and after starting out as an important European director in the teens and twenties he moved to Hollywood and became an important filmmaker. Howard Koch who wrote screenplays for such films as Casablanca adapted the Davies' book for the screen which later got him blacklisted from Hollywood. Bert Glendon who did such films as Hotel Imperial and The Ten Commandments in the 20's, Kidnapped and Young Mr. Linclon in the 30's and One Night in Lisbon and Our Town in the 40's is the film's cinematographer. This film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Art Direction and stars FDR's favorite actor Walter Huston as Ambassador Davies. Also in the talented cast are Ann Harding, George Tobias, Oscar Homolka, Eleanor Parker, Gene Lockhart, Frank Faylen and Cyd Charisse. You can enjoy the documentary style approach to this film and the skills of it's renowned filmmakers and big studio production but you can't get past a propaganda film that glorifies the Stalin dictatorship. I would give it a 4.5 out of 10.