An American ambulance driver and an English nurse fall in love in Italy during World War I.An American ambulance driver and an English nurse fall in love in Italy during World War I.An American ambulance driver and an English nurse fall in love in Italy during World War I.
- Won 2 Oscars
- 4 wins & 2 nominations total
Alice Adair
- Cafe Girl
- (uncredited)
Henry Armetta
- Bonello
- (uncredited)
Herman Bing
- Swiss Postal Clerk
- (uncredited)
Agostino Borgato
- Giulio
- (uncredited)
Robert Cauterio
- Gordini
- (uncredited)
Marcelle Corday
- Swiss Nurse
- (uncredited)
Gino Corrado
- Italian Soldier
- (uncredited)
Peggy Cunningham
- Molly
- (uncredited)
George Humbert
- Piani
- (uncredited)
William Irving
- Frustrated Opera Singer
- (uncredited)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaErnest Hemingway hated this interpretation of his novel, as he felt it was overly romantic. That didn't stop him, however, from becoming lifelong friends with Gary Cooper, whom he met several years later. In fact, it was Hemingway who would insist that Cooper be cast in the lead of the adaptation of his novel For Whom the Bell Tolls (1943) 11 years later. However, the two made a point of never discussing this film.
- GoofsA night attack is shown. During World War I there was very little flying at night and the night attacks that did occur were limited to big cities. It was almost impossible for a plane to attack specific targets in a large city, so effectively attacking people on a road in the dark was not possible, and did not happen.
- Quotes
Frederic: We've never been apart, really. Not since we met.
Catherine: Not since we met.
Frederic: And never can be.
Catherine: Never apart.
Frederic: In life and in death. Say it Cat.
Catherine: In life and in death, we'll never be parted.
Frederic: You do believe that, don't you, Cat?
Catherine: I believe it, and I'm not afraid.
- Crazy creditsIn the original 1932 credits, the credits are punctuated by aerial bomb blasts, and every time there is a blast, a credit disappears to be replaced by the next one.
- Alternate versionsSPOILER: Paramount decided, after much disagreement, to keep Hemingway's original ending and fade out after the death of Catherine Barkley. This ending was kept for the European release, but a new ending in which Barkley lives was later added to the U.S. release.
- ConnectionsEdited into Your Afternoon Movie: Farewell to Arms (2023)
Featured review
This film tells the story of Lt Frederic Henry, an American who has enlisted as an ambulance driver in the Italian Army during the First World War. One day he and his friend Major Rinaldi date a pair of English Nurses; Fredric and Nurse Catherine Barkley get on well and quickly fall in love. He is soon returned to the action but following an injury he is hospitalised in the Milan hospital where Catherine works. Here their love deepens. When he returns to the front again they write to each other but Rinaldi ensures their letters don't get through leading to Fredric making some drastic and dangerous choices.
While this film is set in the war, and features some impressive battle scenes it is at its heart a love story. This plays out well and there is a good chemistry between Gary Cooper and Helen Hayes as Fredric and Catherine. Adolphe Menjou is solid as Rinaldi; a slightly ambiguous character who serves to bring the two protagonists together and later keep them apart. While the battle scenes may not be brutal and large scale as those in more modern films they are intense thanks to the way it focuses on Fredric and those around him. The camera work is very inventive; a highlight being the way we see Catherine from Frederic's point of view as she enters his hospital room and kisses him. Overall I'd definitely recommend this to fans of classic cinema.
While this film is set in the war, and features some impressive battle scenes it is at its heart a love story. This plays out well and there is a good chemistry between Gary Cooper and Helen Hayes as Fredric and Catherine. Adolphe Menjou is solid as Rinaldi; a slightly ambiguous character who serves to bring the two protagonists together and later keep them apart. While the battle scenes may not be brutal and large scale as those in more modern films they are intense thanks to the way it focuses on Fredric and those around him. The camera work is very inventive; a highlight being the way we see Catherine from Frederic's point of view as she enters his hospital room and kisses him. Overall I'd definitely recommend this to fans of classic cinema.
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Official site
- Languages
- Also known as
- Adiós a las armas
- Filming locations
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $799,520 (estimated)
- Runtime1 hour 20 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
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