The Diary of Anne Frank (1959)

User Rating:

7.6/10   

Director:

George Stevens

Writers:

Frances Goodrich (screenplay) and
Albert Hackett (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

26 August 1959 (Denmark)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | History | Thriller | War

Plot:

Harrowing story of a young Jewish girl who, with her family and their friends is forced into hiding in an attic in Nazi-occupied Amsterdam.

Plot Keywords:

Attic | Diary | Dentist | Amsterdam | Jewish

Awards:

Won 3 Oscars. Another 4 wins & 11 nominations

Cast

Millie Perkins	...	Anne Frank
Joseph Schildkraut	...	Otto Frank
Shelley Winters	...	Mrs. Petronella Van Daan
Richard Beymer	...	Peter Van Daan
Gusti Huber	...	Mrs. Edith Frank
Lou Jacobi	...	Mr. Hans Van Daan
Diane Baker	...	Margot Frank
Douglas Spencer	...	Kraler
Dodie Heath	...	Miep (as Dody Heath)
Ed Wynn	...	Mr. Albert Dussell

Runtime:

180 min | Argentina:158 min | USA:171 min (FMC Library Print) | West Germany:152 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | German

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (magnetic prints) (Westrex Recording System) | Mono (optical prints) (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Netherlands:AL | USA:Approved (certificate #19008) | Canada:PG (video rating) | New Zealand:G | Argentina:13 | Australia:G | Chile:14 | Finland:K-12 | Sweden:15 | Taiwan:GP | UK:U | West Germany:12 (bw)

Filming Locations:

20th Century Fox Studios - 10201 Pico Blvd., Century City, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

In total, George Stevens spent four years working on the film.

Goofs:

Continuity: When the thief comes the first time, Margot has a cough. She coughs into a handkerchief. In the next shot of her, her father tosses her a handkerchief because she is coughing into her hand.

Quotes:

Anne Frank: We're not the only people that have had to suffer, there have always been people that've had to.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Hidden Hollywood: Treasures from the 20th Century Fox Film Vaults (1997) (TV)

Stevens' Big Gamble

Just as Otto Preminger gambled in the casting of unknown Jean Seaberg in the title role of "St. Joan," so George Stevens similarly took a big risk with Millie Perkins in "The Diary of Anne Frank."

As the story goes, Stevens saw model Millie on a magazine cover, fell in love with her expressive eyes, and theorized that this unknown would be more effective than an established star to portray Anne.

Though Perkins had no acting experience, Stevens--at the peak of his career--was confident that he could teach Millie to act, at least for this film.

Although Audrey Hepburn was very interested in the part (as was Stevens in her) Stevens finally decided that it would be more effective to use a fresh actor--one with whom the public would have no pre-conceptions. (Other successful cases to support his theory being Hurd Hatfield as Dorian Gray and Robert Alda as George Gershwin.) Still, it was a huge gamble, since Anne was the pivotal role in this major production.

Well, the results are now history. For many moviegoers Perkins was just fine. While some critics easily spotted her reedy inexperience and rather sympathized with her being thrust into a super-professional arena, they conceded that Millie did do a commendable job.

Unfortunately, Perkins took a lashing from most critics, and her subsequent acting career has been relegated to minor roles in "B" films. Those are the "breaks," though in the fickle film world.

Yet, with all this, many people still think of Perkins' countenance when they envision of Anne Frank. So she and Stevens made a lasting impression.

Likewise, for many, this production remains the definitive version of a profoundly touching World War II real-life chronicle.