The Mortal Storm (1940)

User Rating:

7.9/10   

Director:

Frank Borzage

Writers:

Claudine West (screenplay) &
Hans Rameau (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

14 June 1940 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

The Roth family lead a quiet life in a small village in the German Alps during the early 1930's. When the Nazi's come to power...

Plot Keywords:

Professor | Hitler | University | Politics | Gunshot Wound

Cast

Margaret Sullavan	...	Freya Roth
James Stewart	...	Martin Breitner
Robert Young	...	Fritz Marberg
Frank Morgan	...	Prof. Viktor Roth
Robert Stack	...	Otto von Rohn
Bonita Granville	...	Elsa
Irene Rich	...	Amelie Roth
William T. Orr	...	Erich von Rohn
Maria Ouspenskaya	...	Hilda Breitner
Gene Reynolds	...	Rudi Roth
Russell Hicks	...	Rector of University
William Edmunds	...	Lehman, University Doorman
Esther Dale	...	Marta, Roth's Maid
Dan Dailey	...	Holl, Youth Party Leader (as Dan Dailey Jr.)
Granville Bates	...	Prof. Berg

Runtime:

100 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | USA:Approved (PCA #6230) | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

Salt Lake City, Utah, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

Reports claimed that uncredited co-producer Victor Saville actually directed large portions of the film.

Quotes:

[first lines]
[white clouds appear; they quickly turn to storm clouds]
Narrator: When man was new upon the earth, he was frightened by the dangers of the elements. He cried out, "The gods of the lightning are angry, and I must kill my fellow man to appease them!" As man grew bolder, he created shelters against the wind and the rain and made harmless the force of the lightning...

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Funny About Love (1990)

Soundtrack:

Academic Festival Overture

Hitler Hated This Film

When Hitler saw this movie he banned all MGM films from Nazi occupied Europe. That is how powerful this movie is. Top notch acting and high production values augment this thought provoking script about life in nazi Germany for an average family. Very final scene with a young Robert Stack and his brother is chilling. The message of this film of standing up against adversity and what you believe in, is as fresh today as in 1940 when this film was released. Cast is marvelous with a toss up between Jimmy Stewart and Frank Morgan (who played the wizard in Oz the year before) to who steals the film. But then everyone is good in this. Robert Young plays against type as an preppy evil Nazi. Interesting note: German Ambassador to US asked Louis B Mayer to "think twice" about releasing this movie. Thankfully he only thought once. See this you will not be disappointed.