Arch of Triumph (1948)

Illegal refugees lead dark lives in pre-World War II Paris.

Director:

Lewis Milestone

Writers:

Lewis Milestone (screenplay), Harry Brown (screenplay),

Stars:

Ingrid Bergman, Charles Boyer, Charles Laughton

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Ingrid Bergman	...	Joan Madou
Charles Boyer	...	Dr. Ravic
Charles Laughton	...	Ivon Haake
Louis Calhern	...	'Col.' Boris Morosov
Ruth Warrick	...	Kate Bergstroem
Roman Bohnen	...	Dr. Veber
J. Edward Bromberg	...	Hotel Manager at the Verdun
Ruth Nelson	...	Madame Fessier
Stephen Bekassy	...	Alex
Curt Bois	...	Tattooed Waiter
Art Smith	...	Inspector
Michael Romanoff	...	Capt. Alidze

Storyline

In winter of 1938, Paris is crowded with refugees from the Nazis, who live in the black shadows of night, trying to evade deportation. One such is Dr. Ravic, who practices medicine illegally and stalks his old Nazi enemy Haake with murder in mind. One rainy night, Ravic meets Joan Madou, a kept woman cast adrift by her lover's sudden death. Against Ravic's better judgement, they become involved in a doomed affair; matters come to a crisis on the day war is declared.

---

Plot Keywords:

refugee | murder | deportation | romantic rivalry | brandy | 

---

Taglines:

The story of an outcast and a killer!

---

Genres:

Drama | Romance | War

---

Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English German

Release Date:

March 1948 (USA)

Also Known As:

Erich Maria Remarque's Arch of Triumph

Filming Locations:

Enterprise Studios - 5300 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$5,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$1,400,000 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Enterprise Studios, The, Arch of Triumph Inc., Enterprise Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

120 min 133 min (restored)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

MPAA chief Joseph Breen made the studio tone down the excessive violence in the script. The scene in which Ravic kills Haake also included him stuffing him in the trunk, stripping him naked, burying him and burning his clothes, all eventually cut from the film. Breen also objected to the murder going unpunished, but later rationalized it as an act of war, since it was committed on the eve of the outbreak of WWII.

---

Connections

Version of Arch of Triumph (1984)

---

Soundtracks

"Dicitencello Vuie (Just Say I Love Her)"
(1930) (uncredited)
Music by Jack Val and Jimmy Dale
Lyrics by Martin Kalmanoff and Sam Ward

User Reviews

Potential unfulfilled

This could have been a much better movie. Boyer's disenchanted, vengeful refugee doctor is excellent and Bergman's Joan, unable to commit or disengage, could have been a fascinating characterisation. But while individual scenes are very fine, the film, as a whole, is oddly disconnected, suggesting ruthless cutting. The sub-plot involving Laughton's porcine Gestapo bully is perfunctory and we get far too much of Calhern's emigre. Still, the black and white photography is impressive, and I rather went for the doom and gloom!