2h 4min | Drama, History, War | 22 May 1943
Director: Michael Curtiz
Stars: Walter Huston, Ann Harding, Oskar Homolka
LeRoy Prinz ... ballet stager (as Leroy Prinz)
Per Wikipedia (which references a State Dept page), was 2nd United States Ambassador to the Soviet Union November 16, 1936 – June 11, 1938.
This is a pretty good history lesson, covering events through Pearl Harbor, including the Japanese war on China. Makes sense of the non-aggression pact between Stalin & Hitler, and Chamberlain's appeasement with Sudetenland: both stalled for time to build military strength for war.
Shows well the American resistance to getting involved in war, and then juxtaposes the event(s) that subsequently refute the pacifist stances.
This does show USSR as somewhat heroic, which goes too far. We needed the alliance, and maybe needed to portray our ally as better than they were in order to refute those who fought intervention. I haven't read Davies' book, but I suspect the rosy tint began there, not in the Warner script.
We get a lengthy segment of the trial of Trotsky-ites. Amazing that these people would testify against themselves, but the last witness is asked to explain that, and it makes some sense: he knows he is going to die, so what does he want to die for? At least he can tell the truth as his last act. (Which then raises the question: why were you involved in this conspiracy?) The film shows Davies attending the trial; it's covered in the film because Germany & Japan were involved in the plan to overthrow Stalin.
Completely ignored: Nazi purging of Jews. This film only covers Hitler's desire to rule the world, not his desire to cleanse it.
3rd film for Cyd Charisse, who dances some ballet in USSR here.
Warner, dir. Curtiz; 7
