THE MORTAL STORM Production background The Mortal Storm was one of the few directly anti-Nazi Hollywood films released before the American entry into World War II in December 1941. The film stars James Stewart as a German who refuses to join the rest of his small Bavarian town in supporting Nazism. He falls in love with Freya Roth (Margaret Sullavan), the daughter of a Junker mother and a non-Aryan father. The Mortal Storm was the last movie Sullavan and Stewart made together. Freya and her father are implied to be Jews but the word Jew is never used, and they are only identified as non-Aryans; in addition, Freyas half brothers are all members of the Nazi Party. Though it is understood that the film is set in Germany, the name of the country is rarely mentioned except at the very beginning in a short text of introduction. MGM purposely did not mention the name of the country or the religion of Freyas family because of the large German market for its films, but it was to no avail—the movie infuriated the Nazi government and it led to all MGM films being banned in Germany. The supporting cast includes Robert Young (a major romantic lead in many Hollywood films and later Jim Anderson on televisions Father Knows Best, and the title role in Marcus Welby, MD), Robert Stack (The Untouchables, 1959–63), Frank Morgan (Professor Marvel and the Wizard in The Wizard of Oz), Dan Dailey, Ward Bond (John Waynes co-star in 23 films and one of director John Fords favorite ensemble actors), Maria Ouspenskaya, William T. Orr, and Bonita Granville, who was the first actress to play Nancy Drew onscreen. The film is based on the 1938 novel The Mortal Storm by the British writer Phyllis Bottome. Mountain snow scenes were filmed at Salt Lake City, Utah and Sun Valley, Idaho.[3] The score by award winning composer Bronislau Kaper and by Eugene Zador (who normally orchestrated) was not credited to them, but rather a pseudonym, Edward Kane. THE MORTAL STORM In 1933, Freya Roth (Margaret Sullavan) is a young German girl engaged to a Nazi party member (Robert Young). When she realizes the true nature of his political views she breaks the engagement and turns her attention to anti-Nazi Martin Breitner (James Stewart). Her father, Professor Roth (Frank Morgan), does not abide by the attitude of the new order towards scientific fact. Though his stepsons Erich (William T. Orr) and Otto (Robert Stack) eagerly embrace the regime, their fathers reluctance to conform leads at first to a boycott of his classes and eventually to his capture. He is imprisoned and made to work. His wife is permitted a five minute visit in which the professor urges her to take Freya and her younger brother and leave the country. He dies soon after. Freya is kept from leaving by Nazi officials suspicious of her fathers work. She reunites with Martin and together they attempt to escape through a mountain pass. A squad (reluctantly led by her former fiancee) gives chase and Freya is fatally wounded, dying in Martins arms just after they cross the border. Later, Erich and Otto are informed of their sisters death. Though Erich responds with anger towards Martin Otto seems repentant, wandering their once happy home before walking into the heavy snow.
Posted on: Sat, 20 Dec 2014 17:50:39 +0000
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