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Four Sons

  • 1928
  • Passed
  • 1h 40m
IMDb RATING
7.2/10
851
YOUR RATING
Francis X. Bushman Jr., James Hall, Margaret Mann, George Meeker, and Charles Morton in Four Sons (1928)
DramaWar

A family saga in which three sons of a Bavarian widow go to war for Germany and the fourth goes to America, Germany's eventual opponent.A family saga in which three sons of a Bavarian widow go to war for Germany and the fourth goes to America, Germany's eventual opponent.A family saga in which three sons of a Bavarian widow go to war for Germany and the fourth goes to America, Germany's eventual opponent.

  • Director
    • John Ford
  • Writers
    • Philip Klein
    • I.A.R. Wylie
    • Herman Bing
  • Stars
    • James Hall
    • Margaret Mann
    • Charles Morton
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    7.2/10
    851
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • John Ford
    • Writers
      • Philip Klein
      • I.A.R. Wylie
      • Herman Bing
    • Stars
      • James Hall
      • Margaret Mann
      • Charles Morton
    • 19User reviews
    • 10Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 win

    Photos11

    Francis X. Bushman Jr., James Hall, Margaret Mann, George Meeker, and Charles Morton in Four Sons (1928)
    June Collyer and James Hall in Four Sons (1928)
    Carmencita Johnson and Margaret Mann in Four Sons (1928)
    Ruth Mix and Charles Morton in Four Sons (1928)
    Earle Foxe in Four Sons (1928)
    Earle Foxe in Four Sons (1928)
    Francis X. Bushman Jr., James Hall, Margaret Mann, George Meeker, and Charles Morton in Four Sons (1928)
    Francis X. Bushman Jr., June Collyer, James Hall, Margaret Mann, George Meeker, and Charles Morton in Four Sons (1928)
    Earle Foxe, Margaret Mann, George Meeker, and Ferdinand Schumann-Heink in Four Sons (1928)
    June Collyer and James Hall in Four Sons (1928)

    Top cast

    Edit
    James Hall
    James Hall
    • Joseph - Her Son
    Margaret Mann
    Margaret Mann
    • Mother Bernle
    Charles Morton
    Charles Morton
    • Johann - Her Son
    Francis X. Bushman Jr.
    Francis X. Bushman Jr.
    • Franz - Her Son
    George Meeker
    George Meeker
    • Andreas - Her Son
    June Collyer
    June Collyer
    • Annabelle
    Earle Foxe
    Earle Foxe
    • Major von Stomm
    Albert Gran
    Albert Gran
    • The Postman
    Frank Reicher
    Frank Reicher
    • The Schoolmaster
    Archduke Leopold of Austria
    • A Captain
    Ferdinand Schumann-Heink
    • A Staff Sergeant
    Jack Pennick
    Jack Pennick
    • The Iceman
    Frank Baker
    Frank Baker
    • Soldier
    • (uncredited)
    George Blagoi
    George Blagoi
    • Officer
    • (uncredited)
    Stanley Blystone
    Stanley Blystone
    • Officer
    • (uncredited)
    Carl Boheme
    • Officer
    • (uncredited)
    Harry Cording
    Harry Cording
      Constant Franke
      • Officer
      • (uncredited)
      • Director
        • John Ford
      • Writers
        • Philip Klein
        • I.A.R. Wylie
        • Herman Bing(uncredited)
      • All cast & crew
      • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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      Storyline

      Edit

      Did you know

      Edit
      • Trivia
        The film set a permanent attendance record at New York's Roxy Theater
      • Goofs
        In the New York City sequences, which take place immediately after World War I (1919-1920), all of the women's fashions are strictly in the style of 1928, and all of the automobiles are of late-1920s design.
      • Quotes

        The Schoolmaster: Books, Herr Postman, are friends that never deceive,

      • Connections
        Featured in Hollywood (1980)
      • Soundtracks
        Little Mother
        (1928) (uncredited)

        Music by Erno Rapee

        Lyrics by Lew Pollack

        Sung by Harold Van Duzee and the Roxy Male Quartette

      User reviews19

      Review
      Review
      Featured review
      9/10
      Ford Arms to Hold You
      In Germany, at the dawn of World War I, widow Margaret Mann (as Frau Bernle) is blessed with "Four Sons" - strapping soldier Francis X. Bushman Jr. (as Franz), dreamy rustic James Hall (as Joseph), handsome metalworker Charles Morton (as Johann), and fair-haired shepherd George Meeker (as Andreas). And, she makes the best honey-cakes in Bavaria. With one son serving the Fatherland, and two more about to join him on the battlefield, Ms. Mann arranges for adventurous Mr. Hall to emigrate to democratic America. There, he opens a delicatessen and marries sweet, beautiful June Collyer (as Annabelle). Eventually, the Great War results in multiple brother tragedies, testing old mother Mann's ability to count her blessings.

      The last years of the "silent film" era produced an avalanche of stunning motion pictures; in hindsight, you wonder if the "talkie" might have prevented the silent from advancing even beyond its late 1920s peak. "Four Sons" is another artful example, with John Ford and his picturesque cameramen, George Schneiderman and Charles C. Clarke, directing under the influence of F.W. Murnau - the combination produced a winning film, full of memorable scenes and images. Ford's best symbolic double whammy has two white birds flying to heaven, followed by postman Albert Gran hurling stoning the church's reflection. The restored print looks lovely, but lacks the original's innovative "synchronized sound effects" track, which will hopefully turn up somewhere.

      The film won the "Best Picture" of 1928 medal from "Photoplay" and placed #4 on the annual "Film Daily" honor roll.

      ********* Four Sons (2/13/28) John Ford ~ Margaret Mann, James Hall, George Meeker, Charles Morton
      helpful•4
      0
      • wes-connors
      • Jun 5, 2010

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      Details

      Edit
      • Release date
        • February 13, 1928 (United States)
      • Country of origin
        • United States
      • Language
        • English
      • Also known as
        • Cetiri sina
      • Filming locations
        • 20th Century Fox Studios - 10201 Pico Blvd., Century City, Los Angeles, California, USA
      • Production company
        • Fox Film Corporation
      • See more company credits at IMDbPro

      Technical specs

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      • Runtime
        1 hour 40 minutes

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      Francis X. Bushman Jr., James Hall, Margaret Mann, George Meeker, and Charles Morton in Four Sons (1928)
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