Fate in Vienna

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Movie
German title Fate in Vienna
Original title The Red Danube
Country of production United States
original language English
Publishing year 1949
length 119 minutes
Rod
Director George Sidney
script Gina Kaus ,
Arthur Wimperis ,
Bruce Marshall
production Carey Wilson
music Miklós Rózsa
camera Lee Garmes ,
Frank Redman
cut James E. Newcom
occupation

Schicksal in Wien (Original title: The Red Danube ) is an American film drama directed by George Sidney from 1949. The leading roles are cast with Walter Pidgeon , Ethel Barrymore and Peter Lawford .

Arthur Wimperis 'and Gina Kaus ' adaptation of the story, on which the script is based, goes back to a literary model Vespers in Vienna by Bruce Marshall . The film was nominated for an Oscar in the category “ Best Production Design ” .

action

Shortly after the end of the Second World War , the British Colonel Michael "Hooky" Nicobar is expecting his return home in Rome. Instead, however, he was transferred to Vienna together with his adjutant Junior Commander Audrey Quail and Major John "Twingo" McPhimister. Hooky will report to Brigadier CMV Catlock to assist in monitoring potentially subversive activities against the Allies and to repatriate Soviet citizens living in the British Zone in Vienna. During their support mission, Nicobar and his colleagues are housed in a monastery that is run by a friendly superior. At the same time Twingo gets to know the ballerina Maria Buhlen, who also lives in the convent. Maj. John "Twingo" McPhimister immediately falls in love with her and tries to meet her. The ballerina hesitates, however, until they are introduced to each other by the superior.

Twingo and Maria Buhlen then go out regularly until the Soviet Colonel Piniev Hooky reports that he is looking for a Russian ballerina named Olga Alexandrova, who is hiding in the monastery as Maria Buhlen. Piniev assures that nothing will happen to Olga, but that he has been instructed to bring her back to the Soviet Union. Later that night, Maria Buhlen and the superior reveal that Maria is actually called Olga and is a Volga German. A short time later, Soviet soldiers search the entire monastery and look for Maria. Hooky does not tell them that Mary is in the monastery because he does not want to endanger the reputation of the Mother Superior. The Soviets give up looking for Maria without finding her. Hooky tells them that he will give them Maria the next day. Hooky watches Twingo as he tries to help Maria escape. However, she refuses because she does not want to jeopardize the friendship between Hooky and Twingo and allows Hooky to hand her over to the Soviets.

Hooky is convicted of his iron obedience by Twingo and the Mother Superior, but puts the blame on the nun. Twingo and Hooky devote themselves again to their task of deporting Soviet citizens. For example, they tell the Soviet professor Serge Bruloff that he has to return to the Soviet Union. In response, Bruloff shoots himself. Hooky initially claims that there is no connection between Mary's reluctance to commit and Sergei's suicide. The third person on the list, Helene Nagard - Sergei's wife - bursts into tears when she learns that she is about to be deported. When Piniev's assistant tells Hooky that Bruloff's suicide is evidence of “subversive activity and treasonous behavior,” Hooky begins to question the veracity of the Soviet statements. After seeing Maria and Helene forcibly taken to a detention center, Hooky sent a letter to the war headquarters in London protesting against the forced repatriation of political dissidents.

On Christmas Eve the Mother Superior asks Hooky for forgiveness because she did not treat him Christian after the extradition of Mary. Hooky then tells her that he lost his faith after his son died. Catlock informs Hooky that the Soviets have sent a train full of refugees into the British zone. Hooky drives to the train station to check the arriving people for their sentiments. However, he realizes in what bad shape the arriving ones are. The Mother Superior accompanied Hooky to the train station and discovered Maria among those arriving. Hooky complains about the Soviets for orchestrating this incident because they have no use for people who are too young or old and therefore send the British. Hooky learns that Maria is among the refugees and helps her to meet Twingo.

When Piniev visits, Hooky and the Mother Superior refuse to cooperate. The next day, on the basis of his letter, Hooky is asked to travel to Rome to attend a conference of the United Nations as a representative, so that the forced returns can be stopped. On the same matter he took the Mother Superior with him so that she could inform the Pope in the same matter. After Hooky's return, he and Catlock are informed by Piniev that the Soviets will cease all cooperation if Maria is not handed over immediately. Catlock orders Hooky to do this, but the latter refuses and is released for it. At the same time, Twingo and Maria are planning to go to Scotland when they are suddenly captured by Hooky's successor, Colonel Omicron, who wants to hand them over to Piniev. Maria recognizes her fate and jumps out of the window. She succumbs to her injuries. A short time later, Hooky is assigned to an operation called "Humanizing the Army" and the forced returns are ended.

production

Shortly after the novella “Vespers in Vienna” was published, the film production company Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer showed interest in a film adaptation of the story. Filming started in June 1947. In January 1947, it was announced that Irene Dunne , Spencer Tracy and Robert Taylor would be playing the leading roles. In October 1947 some background shots were shot in Vienna and Rome. However, filming was discontinued and the original director Victor Saville was replaced by George Sidney. The three main actors have also been replaced by Walter Pidgeon, Ethel Barrymore and Peter Lawford. Agnes Moorehead replaced Barrymore on short notice in March 1949.

For the scenes in the prisoner-of-war camp, 1,500 emaciated-looking extras were sought, originally refugee camps were searched, but the residents mostly looked too healthy for the film. A crew member spoke of the biggest casting problem since Good Earth in 1937.

reception

criticism

Even though MGM hired well-known actors for the film and had a large budget, the film was, financially, a flop. Despite revenues of $ 1,177,000 in the US and Canada and $ 682,000 in other countries, particularly Europe, the film made a loss of $ 905,000.

The film has been criticized as a propaganda film calling for people to hate Russians and seeing the Vatican as a real winner.

Award

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ tcm.com
  2. ↑ Bluefield Daily Telegraph - Jan 28, 1947, Bluefield, West Virginia, p. 4.
  3. ^ Wisconsin State Journal - March 19, 1949, Madison, Wisconsin, p. 11.
  4. ^ The Progress - March 18, 1949, Clearfield, Pennsylvania, p. 17.
  5. ^ J. Eames, The MGM Story. P. 225.
  6. ↑ The Rotarion , February 1950, p 39. The Rotary at did time had long been at odds with the Vatican over its perceived anti-Rotarian stance.