Joan of Arc (1948)

The abbreviated life of the 15th Century French heroine.

Director:

Victor Fleming

Writers:

Maxwell Anderson (play), Maxwell Anderson (screenplay)

Stars:

Ingrid Bergman, José Ferrer, Francis L. Sullivan

Won 2 Oscars. Another 2 wins & 6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ingrid Bergman	...	Joan of Arc
Francis L. Sullivan	...	Pierre Cauchon - Count-Bishop of Beauvais
J. Carrol Naish	...	John, Count of Luxembourg - Joan's Captor
Ward Bond	...	La Hire
Shepperd Strudwick	...	Father Jean Massieu - Joan's Bailiff / Narrator
Gene Lockhart	...	Duke Georges de La Trémouille - The King's Chief Counsellor
John Emery	...	Jean, Duke d'Alencon - Cousin of Charles VII
Leif Erickson	...	Dunois, Bastard of Orleans
Cecil Kellaway	...	Jean Le Maistre - Inquisitor of Rouen
José Ferrer	...	The Dauphin - Charles VII, later King of France
Selena Royle	...	Isabelle d'Arc - Joan's Mother: At Domremy
Robert Barrat	...	Jacques d'Arc - Joan's Father: At Domremy
Jimmy Lydon	...	Pierre d'Arc - Joan's Younger Brother: At Domremy (as James Lydon)
Rand Brooks	...	Jean d'Arc - Joan's Older Brother: At Domremy
Roman Bohnen	...	Durand Laxart - Joan's Uncle: At Domremy

Storyline

In the Fifteenth Century, France is a defeated and ruined nation after the One Hundred Years War against England. The fourteen years old farm girl Joan of Arc claims to hear voices from Heaven asking her to lead God's Army against Orleans and crowning the weak Dauphin Charles VII as King of France. Joan gathers the people with her faith, forms an army and conquerors Orleans. When her army is ready to attack Paris, the corrupt Charles sells his country to England and dismiss the army. Joan is arrested, sold to the Burgundians England and submitted to a shameful political trial in Rouen castle.

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Plot Keywords:

f rated | character name as title | joan of arc character | reference to joan of arc | reference to the passion of joan of arc | 

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Taglines:

A cast of thousands

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | War

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Latin

Release Date:

11 November 1948 (Brazil)

Also Known As:

Joan of Lorraine

Filming Locations:

Balboa, Newport Beach, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$4,600,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Walter Wanger Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

145 min 100 min (cut) 145 min (DVD)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Mail (chain mail, chainmaille) is a type of armor consisting of small metal rings linked together in a pattern to form a mesh. A coat of this armor is often referred to as a hauberk. The "Joan of Arc" military-infantry chainmaille costumes-wardrobe posed a major problem in manufacturing as authentic wardrobe requirements - too costly to duplicate matching actual authentic chain mail - too heavy to wear for an actor to perform - actors and extras required as military regiments appearing in the film's battle sequences. Madam Karinska's solution was simply inspired. With knitting needles and yarn, Karinska knitted tunics with simple metal washers spaced equally throughout the knitted garment, then sprayed with a dull silver paint.

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Goofs

Shots at 2:22:05 and 2:22:18 are mirrored.

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Quotes

Joan of Arc: [after seeing a soldier perish in flames during battle] Death by fire is a horrible thing.

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Crazy Credits

In the 145-minute version of the film, the cast list, naming not only the actors but who they played, was deliberately presented in the style of the cast list of "Gone With the Wind", in order to evoke the feeling of an epic about to be presented. Victor Fleming, who directed "Joan of Arc", had also directed "Gone With the Wind" (after replacing George Cukor, "GWTW"'s original, uncredited director).

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Alternate Versions

In some prints of the edited version, the voices of the saints that Joan hears giving her commands are heard by the audience. In the original 145-minute version, as well as the DVD version, the saints are not heard at all. All that is heard is a soprano voice singing a wordless chant when Joan first goes into battle, and when she hears her voices for the last time.

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Connections

Referenced in We, the Women (1953)

User Reviews

Friedhofer's Music

After what seems like gargantuan efforts to obtain the DVD and the necessary equipment I have finally managed to see the uncut version of Joan of Arc.

I am thrilled with this new DVD and will add nothing further to the positive comments that have already been made. However I should like to pay particular tribute to the wonderful music of Hugo Friedhofer. Of course, for years I loved his score for 'The best years of your life' but in terms of writing for an earlier period I never regarded this composer is quite the same league as, say, William Walton, whose Shakespeare/ Olivier scores were so memorable. But I have been forced to revise my opinion.

It was Max Reger who commented to the English composer Vaughan Williams: 'you have a veritable obsession with the flattened seventh' Well so, it seems does Mr Friedhofer! I suppose one either likes or loathes pastiche and modal writing. I adore it, and think that in Joan of Arc we get the best of both worlds. The music has a direct and powerful emotional appeal. It could scarcely fail to have. Yet given the fact that Friedhofer uses C20th conventions, harmonies, instruments and musicians, his 'nods' in the direction of C15th French church music are tastefully enough done for us to feel that such scenes as the coronation are, if not exactly in any sense 'authentic' then still marvellously effective.

I should dearly love to know whether anyone has arranged the score into a suite of pieces and recorded it. That would be a rare treat. Perhaps some other readers can advise?