IMDb >
The First Legion (1951)
Watch It
Buy it at Amazon
Rent it at blockbuster.com
Discuss in Boards More at IMDb Pro Add to My Movies Update Data
BETA
Discuss in Boards More at IMDb Pro Add to My Movies Update Data
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotesOverview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany creditstv scheduleAwards & Reviews
user commentsexternal reviewsnewsgroup reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guiderecommendationsmessage boardPlot & Quotes
plot summaryplot synopsisplot keywordsAmazon.com summarymemorable quotesFun Stuff
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQOther Info
merchandising linksbox office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specslaserdisc detailsDVD detailsliterature listingsNewsDeskPromotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo galleryExternal Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clipsThe First Legion (1951) More at IMDbPro »
Overview
User Rating:
Release Date:
4 May 1951 (France) moreAwards:
1 nomination moreUser Comments:
A time to doubt and a time to believe moreCast
(Cast overview, first billed only)| Charles Boyer | ... | Father Marc Arnoux | |
| William Demarest | ... | Monsignor Michael Carey | |
| Lyle Bettger | ... | Dr. Peter Morrell | |
| Barbara Rush | ... | Terry Gilmartin | |
| Leo G. Carroll | ... | Father Rector Paul Duquesne | |
| Walter Hampden | ... | Father Edward Quarterman | |
| Wesley Addy | ... | Father John Fulton | |
| Taylor Holmes | ... | Father Keene | |
| H.B. Warner | ... | Fr. Jose Sierra | |
| George Zucco | ... | Father Robert Stuart | |
| John McGuire | ... | Father Tom Rawleigh | |
| Clifford Brooke | ... | Brother Clifford | |
| Dorothy Adams | ... | Mrs. Dunn | |
| Molly Lamont | ... | Mrs. Nora Gilmartin | |
| Queenie Smith | ... | Henrietta |
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
Add content advisory for parentsRuntime:
USA:86 minCountry:
USAColor:
Black and WhiteAspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 moreSound Mix:
MonoCertification:
USA:ApprovedFilming Locations:
Mission Inn - 3649 Mission Inn Avenue, Riverside, California, USAFAQ
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.more
Message Boards
Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for The First Legion (1951)Recommendations
If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
Show more recommendations
|
|
|
|
|
| The Song of Bernadette | The Bells of St. Mary's | Amadeus | Magnolia | Johnny Got His Gun |
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
IMDb User Rating:
|
Related Links
| Full cast and crew | Company credits | External reviews |
| IMDb Drama section | IMDb USA section | Add this title to MyMovies |


For those who believe in God,no explanations in necessary .For those who don't ,no explanation is possible.("The Song of Bernadette" by Henry King).
Detlef Sierck alias Douglas Sirk was not reportedly a believer ."Traditional" religion does not play a prominent part in the rest of his movies;only the black servant Annie ("imitation of life" ) shows devotion -and the return of her prodigal daughter just to cry over her coffin can be seen as some kind of small miracle in itself.If "all that Heaven allows " begins with a shot of a steeple,one of the characters discovers something that "changed " his life , not in the Bible but a in Thoreau's work;"magnificent obsession" hints at Jesus ,but the late doctor (and Hudson's character) are secular saints -the religious side was more important in Stahl's first version of this melodrama.And Sirk's masterpieces such as "tarnished angels" ,"written on the wind" and the harrowing "A time to love and a time to die" (the title of which,from EM Remarque ,was slightly modified but was taken from the Book of the Ecclesiastes ) depict God-forsaken worlds.It's extraordinary that Sirk's most mediocre movie of these latter days ," Battle hymn" ,was the only one which had an important "religious" side:but it was a dubious philosophy as we learn that if war happened ,that's because God planned it.
That leaves us with "thunder on the hill" where a nun (Claudette Colbert) worked some kind of miracle by clearing a young girl of a murder.And "the first legion" ,which remains Sirk's most intriguing work ,coming from an atheist. Charles Boyer ,par excellence the French lover ,is cast against type and gives one of his finest performances.Barbara Rush ,one of Sirk's favorite actresses ("magnificent obsession" the rather weak "Taza"),shines in her part of a disabled girl who believes that faith can move mountains.The last scenes were certainly influenced by King's movie .In the small village of Lourdes,miracles did happen,like in "first legion" and the doctor,the scientist can no longer explain it.Sirk does not forget irony and a very short scene shows the moneychangers in the temple.