The Red Danube (1949)Shortly after the end of World War II, British Colonel Michael 'Hooky' Nicobar is assigned to a unit in the British Zone of Vienna... See full summary » Director:George Sidney |
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119 min - Watch now
Nominated for Oscar.
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Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Walter Pidgeon | ... |
Col. Michael S. 'Hooky' Nicobar
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| Ethel Barrymore | ... |
Mother Superior ('Mother Auxilia')
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| Peter Lawford | ... |
Major John 'Twingo' McPhimister
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| Angela Lansbury | ... |
Audrey Quail
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| Janet Leigh | ... |
Olga Alexandrova
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Maria Buhlen
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| Louis Calhern | ... |
Colonel Piniev
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Francis L. Sullivan | ... |
Colonel Humphrey 'Blinker' Omicron
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Melville Cooper | ... |
Private David Moonlight
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Robert Coote | ... |
Brigadier C.M.V. Catlock
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Alan Napier | ... |
The General
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Roman Toporow | ... |
2nd Lt. Maxim Omansky
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Kasia Orzazewski | ... |
Sister Kasmira
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Tamara Shayne | ... |
Helena Nagard
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Konstantin Shayne | ... |
Professor Serge Bruloff
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Janine Perreau | ... |
Mickey Mouse
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Storyline
Shortly after the end of World War II, British Colonel Michael 'Hooky' Nicobar is assigned to a unit in the British Zone of Vienna. His duty is to aid the Soviet authorities to repatriate citizens of the Soviet Union, many of whom prefer not to return to their home country. Billeted in the convent run by Mother Auxilia, Nicobar, and his military aides Major John 'Twingo' McPhimister and Audrey Quail, become involved in the plight of a young ballerina who is trying to avoid being returned to Moscow. Nicobar's sense of duty is tested as he sees first hand the plight of the people he is helping return to the Soviet Union; his lack of religious faith is also shaken by his contact with the Mother Superior. Written by Ron Kerrigan <mvg@whidbey.com>
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Details
Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
(USA) See more »Also Known As:
El Danubio rojo See more »Box Office
Budget:
$1,961,000 (estimated)Gross:
$1,859,000 (Worldwide) (1950)Company Credits
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Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
Mono (Western Electric Sound System)Color:
Black and WhiteAspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1
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Col. Michael S. 'Hooky' Nicobar: The ladder?
Mother Superior: There is the ladder, there is the ceiling and there is the paint. If you want the ceiling painted, someone must climb the ladder.
Col. Michael S. 'Hooky' Nicobar: Yes, you, um, need a painter.
Mother Superior: But suppose the painter remains at the foot of the ladder? You cannot say that the ladder has failed you, or the paint has failed you, or the ceiling has failed you.
Col. Michael S. 'Hooky' Nicobar: No, no you can't.
Mother Superior: I know about you more than you know about yourself. You want the ceiling painted but... all the cruelty in the world, all the horror and tragedy you see, these you do not oppose with your own courage. You do not try to replace them with your own high hopes for the world and the human race. You complain that God has failed you. No, my friend. God has not failed man- man has failed God. For every man knows what God wants him to do.
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(uncredited)
Music by Johann Strauß
Played at the beginning of the Vienna segment See more »
Did You Know?
Trivia
"Lux Radio Theater" broadcast a 60 minute radio adaptation of the movie on March 19, 1951 with Walter Pidgeon, Peter Lawford and Janet Leigh reprising their film roles. See more »Quotes
Mother Superior: [Referring to a previous conversation about religion and its inefficacy in Wartime] Like that ladder...Col. Michael S. 'Hooky' Nicobar: The ladder?
Mother Superior: There is the ladder, there is the ceiling and there is the paint. If you want the ceiling painted, someone must climb the ladder.
Col. Michael S. 'Hooky' Nicobar: Yes, you, um, need a painter.
Mother Superior: But suppose the painter remains at the foot of the ladder? You cannot say that the ladder has failed you, or the paint has failed you, or the ceiling has failed you.
Col. Michael S. 'Hooky' Nicobar: No, no you can't.
Mother Superior: I know about you more than you know about yourself. You want the ceiling painted but... all the cruelty in the world, all the horror and tragedy you see, these you do not oppose with your own courage. You do not try to replace them with your own high hopes for the world and the human race. You complain that God has failed you. No, my friend. God has not failed man- man has failed God. For every man knows what God wants him to do.
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Connections
Featured in Some of the Best: Twenty-Five Years of Motion Picture Leadership (1949) See more »Soundtracks
"An der schönen, blauen Donau, Op. 314 (On the Beautiful Blue Danube)"(uncredited)
Music by Johann Strauß
Played at the beginning of the Vienna segment See more »
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