Three Faces West (1940)

Viennese surgeon Dr. Braun and his daughter Leni come to a small town in North Dakota as refugees from Hitler. When the winds of the Dust Bowl threaten the town, John Phillips leads the ... See full summary »

Director:

Bernard Vorhaus

Writers:

F. Hugh Herbert (original screenplay), Joseph Moncure March (original screenplay)

Stars:

John Wayne, Sigrid Gurie, Charles Coburn

Cast

Complete credited cast:
John Wayne	...	John Phillips
Sigrid Gurie	...	Leni 'Lenchen' Braun
Charles Coburn	...	Dr. Karl Braun
Spencer Charters	...	Dr. 'Nunk' Atterbury
Helen MacKellar	...	Mrs. Welles
Roland Varno	...	Dr. Eric Von Scherer
Sonny Bupp	...	Billy Welles
Wade Boteler	...	Mr. Harris - Department of Agriculture Official
Trevor Bardette	...	Clem Higgins
Russell Simpson	...	Minister
Charles Waldron	...	Dr. William Thorpe
Wendell Niles	...	Man-on-the-Street Radio Announcer

Storyline

Viennese surgeon Dr. Braun and his daughter Leni come to a small town in North Dakota as refugees from Hitler. When the winds of the Dust Bowl threaten the town, John Phillips leads the townsfolk in moving to greener pastures in Oregon. He falls for Leni, but she is betrothed to the man who helped her and her father escape from the Third Reich. She must make a decision between the two men.

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Plot Keywords:

third reich | surgeon | small town | dust bowl | oregon | 

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Taglines:

What barrier mars the path of their destiny...the fulfillment of their right to happiness? (original poster)

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Genres:

Adventure | Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

3 July 1940 (USA)

Also Known As:

A Caminho do Ocidente

Filming Locations:

Alabama Hills, Lone Pine, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$100,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Republic Pictures (I)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

79 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA "High Fidelity" Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Two of the movie's main characters are introduced via a radio program called "We The People." This was a real radio show that ran on the CBS blue network (originating on WABC, New York) from circa 1937 to circa 1949. The sponsor was Calumet Baking Powder. The show was created by Phillips Lord (of "Gangbusters" fame) to give "a half-hour to the people of this country so we can hear their experiences." The radio program shown in this movie is essentially the same as in real life--real people spoke at the microphone telling their own stories.

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Goofs

During the final scenes of the North Dakota town (c.55 minutes) there are taller, modern buildings in the background.

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Quotes

Farmer: There ain't no college professor gonna teach me how to farm my land.
John Phillips: How much land you got left that hasn't blown away? Look, men, let's quit arguing and kidding ourselves. We're all in the same boat. And we're all gonna sink unless we stick together. Every one of us has been served with a "dispossess notice," not by Uncle Sam or a bank or some mortgage company, but by a little ol' gal we've been kicking in the teeth, Mother Nature.

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Connections

Featured in American Experience: Civilian Conservation Corps (2009)

User Reviews

Epic John Wayne neo-western in dusty Oklahoma

An old fashion moral tale with sweetness. John Wayne gives a great performance, and Sigurd Gurie shines as the daughter of a Viennese Surgeon (Charles Coburn). The historical significance of this picture is accurate and compelling, though rather melo-dramatic. Ms Gurie gives a kind and sensitive performance in one of the finest roles of her brief career. The Oklahoma dust bowl is the setting for this early 20th century tale that keeps an eye on several moral issues. It tells the brave tale of poor farmers who were strongly bonded with "good honest sweat", and who face a decision to stick together and head west. Spencer Charters, playing the town veterinarian/comedian gives a fine performance as do many of the players in this one. Well worth a watch.