Watch on the Rhine (1943)

Sara and Kurt Muller and their three children are returning to her mother's home in Washington DC after 18 years in Europe. A Romanian Count living there discovers Kurt's attache case full ... See full summary »

Director:

Herman Shumlin

Writers:

Dashiell Hammett (screen play), Lillian Hellman (additional scenes and dialogue),

Stars:

Bette Davis, Paul Lukas, Geraldine Fitzgerald

Won 1 Oscar. Another 4 wins & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Bette Davis	...	Sara Muller
Paul Lukas	...	Kurt Muller
Geraldine Fitzgerald	...	Marthe de Brancovis
Lucile Watson	...	Fanny Farrelly
Beulah Bondi	...	Anise
George Coulouris	...	Teck de Brancovis
Donald Woods	...	David Farrelly
Henry Daniell	...	Phili Von Ramme
Eric Roberts	...	Bodo
Donald Buka	...	Joshua
Anthony Caruso	...	Italian Man
Helmut Dantine	...	Young Man
Clyde Fillmore	...	Sam Chandler
Erwin Kalser	...	Dr. Klauber
Kurt Katch	...	Herr Blecher

Storyline

Sara and Kurt Muller and their three children are returning to her mother's home in Washington DC after 18 years in Europe. A Romanian Count living there discovers Kurt's attache case full of money. He also finds out from friends at the German Embassy that Kurt is working with an anti-Nazi underground group in Germany. He tries to blackmail Kurt. Kurt shoots him and must flee. When Sara hears no more of Kurt, she knows that her oldest son Joshua will soon leave to work in the underground.

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Plot Keywords:

blackmail | washington d.c. | embassy | mexican border | rich snob | 

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Taglines:

On her lonesome lips a smile.

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English German

Release Date:

27 August 1943 (USA)

Also Known As:

Die Wacht am Rhein

Filming Locations:

Busch Gardens - S. Grove Avenue, Pasadena, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros

Technical Specs

Runtime:

114 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

"The Screen Guild Theater" broadcast a 30 minute radio adaptation of the movie on January 10, 1944 with Bette Davis and Paul Lukas reprising their film roles.

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Goofs

Also during the breakfast scene between George Coulouris and Geraldine Fitzgerald, her hair is sensibly shorter in close-ups.

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Quotes

Kurt Muller: [in response to an Italian man on the train asking what he does] I fight against fascism. That is my trade.

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Connections

Referenced in Saints and Soldiers: Airborne Creed (2012)

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Soundtracks

"America, My Country 'Tis of Thee"
(1832) (uncredited)
Music attributed to Henry Carey ("God Save the King!") (1744)
Played often in the score

User Reviews

Boring

So tedious... what a shame. An important subject, great actors but... it's painful waiting for something to happen. I love Dashiell Hammett too, but his fine hand is not perceived in this movie. The first hour of this film is comprised mostly of incessant small talk, stilted dialog and self-important strains of "America (My Country Tis of Thee)". Finally the action is set in motion one hour into the film. At that point it becomes compelling for about 15 minutes, then lapses into preachy monologues.

Despite the significance of the topic (Nazi resistance) especially in 1943 when the film was released, its mawkish sentimentality does not render this a robust examination of the theme in 2012. There is another film, released the year before, on this subject that we've all seen a few times at least... better to view that classic again than spend two vexing hours on this one.