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:

Greatest of all spectacles!

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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

The company that produced this film was not the same Sierra Pictures that had produced silent films. It was an all-new company formed by Walter Wanger, Victor Fleming and Ingrid Bergman. The company produced no more films after this one.

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Goofs

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

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Quotes

Jean Beaupere: Why did you display your banner at the coronation?
Joan of Arc: It had shared in the toil, it was only right that it should share in the honor.

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Crazy Credits

In the 100-minute edited version, only the first ten actors listed in the cast are given credit. Even actors who have very noticeable, if small roles, such as George Coulouris, Alan Napier, Jeff Corey, William Conrad, and George Zucco go unmentioned in the short version, as do Selena Royle and Robert Barrat, who play Joan's parents. In the complete 145-minute film, all of the actors mentioned above are listed, as are the characters they play, in addition to many other actors in the film who play small but significant roles. Only those with bit parts go unmentioned.

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Alternate Versions

The cut version of the film reduced many of the supporting actors' roles (notably those of Hurd Hatfield and Jeff Corey) to mere walk-ons, with all of their dialogue gone. Hatfield, especially, was practically edited out of the shorter version, so that viewers who have seen only the 100-minute cut of the film, and knew that he was in it, were left wondering if he really appeared in the movie at all. Both of Robert Barrat's dialogue scenes were also cut, despite the fact that he plays Joan's father, a rather important role. Dialogue belonging to Joan's mother (Selena Royle), however, was retained in the edited version.

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Connections

Referenced in Has Anybody Here Seen Canada? A History of Canadian Movies 1939-1953 (1979)

User Reviews

Ingrid's great triumph!

I am lucky enough to have a video of the uncut version of this film, in which the trial is shown in full. This is the part of the film in which we see Ingrid's best acting. It's so immensely moving! Ingrid believed in Joan and it shows. She had just come from a triumphant Broadway run in Joan of Lorraine, the play on which this movie is based. The movie is a more straightforward telling of Joan's story [the play is a play within a play] and I would say it's accurate, though some details have to be left out, due to lack of time. Sadly, Ingrid's popularity in the USA had waned when this film was released. What a tragedy! I am amazed that a so-called enlightened and free nation could turn against this honest woman, because of her love for an Italian film director and the birth [out of wedlock] of their beautiful son. I think Ingrid would have won another Oscar with "Joan of Arc", had it not been for the "scandal". It's definitely the best film version of this remarkable saint's story and a fulfilment of Ingrid's lifetime wish. Long live Ingrid Bergman - and her favourite saint! Mary Hutchings [Founder, Ingrid Bergman International, Yahoo clubs]