Voice in the Wind (1944)

Director:

Arthur Ripley

Writers:

Arthur Ripley (original story)
Friedrich Torberg (adaptation)

Release Date:

3 March 1944 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Drama | Romance | War

Tagline:

Strange music...strange madness...strange men in a symphony of terror...and of love! (original poster)

Plot:

A concert pianist has lost his memory, the result of his being arrested and tortured by the Nazis during the war for playing a banned song...

Plot Keywords:

Island | Nazi | Knife | Killer | German

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars.

Cast

Francis Lederer	...	Jan Volny
Sigrid Gurie	...	Marya
J. Edward Bromberg	...	Dr. Hoffman
J. Carrol Naish	...	Luigi
Alexander Granach	...	Angelo
David Cota	...	Marco
Olga Fabian	...	Anna
Howard Johnson	...	Capt. von Neubach
Hans Schumm	...	Piesecke
Luis Alberni	...	Bartender
George Sorel	...	Detective
Martin Garralaga	...	Policeman
Jacqueline Dalya	...	Portuguese Girl
Rudolf Myzet	...	Novak
Fred Nurney	...	Vasek

Runtime:

85 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:Approved | USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15

Company:

Ripley/Monter Productions

Trivia:

Although this film was produced by, and was originally intended for release by, low-rent Producers Releasing Corp. (PRC), when word got around Hollywood that the picture was far better than PRC's usually shoddy product, other studios expressed interest in it, and it was eventually bought from PRC and released by United Artists.

Soundtrack:

Má vlast

Downbeat

Jan Volny (Francis Lederer) is a concert pianist who has ended up on the island of Guadelupe. He had a lover Marya (Sigrid Gurie) and they both fled the Nazi occupation of their homeland and have ended up in Guadelupe unaware of each other's presence there. Jan has lost his memory and can't speak and lives as a vagrant. He still plays the piano, in particular, a tune that was banned by the Nazis and is a symbol of Czech patriotism. Marya is living a few doors away from him and is dying of pneumonia. She hears him playing this particular tune and is drawn towards the sound. However, she collapses and dies in the street - he finds her and slowly begins to remember who she is...... meanwhile, there are a couple of smuggler brothers Angelo (Alexander Granach) and Luigi (J Carrol Naish) who have fallen out over Jan as they blame him for setting fire to their boat......

The quality of this film is poor and the pace is slow. Its an atmospheric film that is told in flashback and its basically a depressing melodrama. The music score is very good and the moments when Jan plays the piano are the best moments in the film. Another good moment comes when Jan tells the Nazi interrogating officer what he thinks of him. Unfortunately, this leads to his head injury and subsequent amnesia. I'm not sure whether its a good film or not.