The Diary of Anne Frank (1959)

During World War II, a teenage Jewish girl named Anne Frank and her family are forced into hiding in the Nazi-occupied Netherlands.

Director:

George Stevens

Writers:

Frances Goodrich (screenplay), Albert Hackett (screenplay)

Stars:

Millie Perkins, Shelley Winters, Joseph Schildkraut

Won 3 Oscars. Another 5 wins & 14 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Millie Perkins	...	Anne Frank
Joseph Schildkraut	...	Otto Frank
Shelley Winters	...	Mrs. Petronella Van Daan
Richard Beymer	...	Peter Van Daan
Gusti Huber	...	Mrs. Edith Frank
Lou Jacobi	...	Mr. Hans Van Daan
Diane Baker	...	Margot Frank
Douglas Spencer	...	Kraler
Dodie Heath	...	Miep (as Dody Heath)
Ed Wynn	...	Mr. Albert Dussell

Storyline

In Nazi-occupied Holland in World War II, shopkeeper Kraler hides two Jewish families in his attic. Young Anne Frank keeps a diary of everyday life for the Franks and the Van Daans, chronicling the Nazi threat as well as family dynamics. A romance with Peter Van Daan causes jealousy between Anne and her sister, Margot. Otto Frank returns to the attic many years after the eventual capture of both families and finds his late daughter's diary.

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Plot Keywords:

attic | diary | world war two | amsterdam netherlands | holocaust | 

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | Family | History | War

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English German

Release Date:

1959 (UK)

Also Known As:

El diario de Ana Frank

Filming Locations:

Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands

Box Office

Budget:

$3,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$5,014,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

George Stevens Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

180 min 171 min (FMC Library Print)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In 1957, Israeli stage actress Elana Eden (then Elana Cooper) was screen-tested in Tel Aviv for the role of Anne Frank. This screen test brought her to the attention of the producers of The Story of Ruth (1960), another 20th Century Fox release; she was given the role of Ruth and signed a seven-year contract with the studio.

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Goofs

Many incidents from the diary are depicted out of order, and some specific speeches and actions are attributed to the wrong persons.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Kraler: Mr. Frank. - Mr Frank?
Otto Frank: Kraler. - Mr. Kraler. Miep. My good friends.

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Crazy Credits

At the end, neither a "The End" credit nor a cast list appears, only the title of the film once more ("The Diary of Anne Frank").

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Alternate Versions

Originally released at 170 minutes, then later cut and available only in 156-minutes version. Complete edition has been recently restored on video.

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Connections

Referenced in The 71st Annual Academy Awards (1999)

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Soundtracks

Symphony No. 5 in C Minor
(1809) (uncredited)
Written by Ludwig van Beethoven
Played on the radio

User Reviews

Good watch.

We had to watch this movie in Drama class my freshman year of high school. Problem was that I had Drama 1st period. I slept a lot 1st period (and sometimes 2nd). So a 3 hour movie that the teacher taped (with commercials) was turned in to a two week affair, or so it seemed. I got another shot to watch it late one night, 4 am or so, on Bravo. Problem was, unbeknownst to me, it was a two night deal. So I only took in the first half of it. Finally got the shot to see the whole thing on AMC this afternoon. Millie Perkins was just wonderful as Anne Frank, and a great cast all around. I knew Shelley Winters had won an Oscar but not what for. Sometimes a good story is so much better because it's a true story, like Apollo 13, and this is no exception. It's hard to imagine these things actually happened.

Go watch this sometime when you have 3 hours free.

8 out of 10 from me.