The North Star ** (1943, Anne Baxter, Dana Andrews, Walter Huston, Walter Brennan, Ann Harding, Farley Granger, Jane Withers, Erich von Stroheim, Dean Jagger) – Classic Movie Review 8883

Director Lewis Milestone’s 1943 romantic wartime drama The North Star is an embarrassing, unreal pro-Soviet propaganda piece on behalf of the post-German invasion American-Russian alliance, about Nazis invading a Russian farming community in the Ukraine in June 1941, and the locals banding together to fight back.

The North Star is well meaning, well made and decently acted within its limitations. But a remarkable amount of top talent is in deep water here in a film that looks at reality but just doesn’t seem to be telling the truth.

It stars Anne Baxter, Dana Andrews, Walter Huston, Walter Brennan, Ann Harding, Farley Granger, Jane Withers, Erich von Stroheim, and Dean Jagger. It is written by Lillian Hellman, features production design by Perry Ferguson, and is scored by Aaron Copland, with lyrics by Ira Gershwin, and cinematography by James Wong Howe.

It is ultra-classy. It could hardly have a better crew. But the no-doubt well-meaning screenplay by distinguished writer Lillian Hellman is as unpersuasive as the vocal performances of the American actors trying to play Russians.

Nevertheless, it was nominated for six Oscars, including Best Original Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Black-and-White, Best Art Direction-Interior Decoration, Black-and-White and Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture.

And now it is fascinating historically as an American propaganda film of the era. It was judged ‘subversive’ in October 1947 by the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), which decided that its sympathetic portrayal of Russian peasants and guerrillas battling Nazi forces was an ‘endorsement of Communism’, even though when this film was made in World War Two Russia was America’s ally against Nazi Germany.

The Fifties were a shameful era in America. The North Star was cut and re-edited for re-release in 1957 and re-titled as Armored Attack, and then sold like that to TV. The 108 minutes running time was cut by 26 minutes to 82 minutes, removing all references to the word ‘comrade’ and, with the help of voice-over narrations, turned the alleged pro-Communist piece into anti-Communist one.

Farley Earle Granger was born in 1925 in San Jose, California, to Eva (Hopkins) and Farley Earle Granger, who owned a car dealership.

Farley Granger makes his film debut in a relatively small role as Damian Simonov, after being brought to the attention of movie producer Samuel Goldwyn right out of high school.

Also in the cast are Eric Roberts [known for Watch on the Rhine (1943), The North Star (1943) and Fighting Father Dunne (1948)], Esther Dale, Ruth Nelson, Paul Guilfoyle, Martin Kosleck, Robert Lowery, Carl Benton Reid, Ann Carter, Tonio Selwart, Peter Pohlenz, Gene O’Donnell, Frank Wilcox, Lynn Winthrop, Charles Bates, Florence Auer, Frederic Brunn, John Bagni, Teddy Infuhr, Emma Dunn, Edmund Cobb, George Lynn, Tommy Rall, Harry Strang, Ray Teal and Crane Whitley.

The North Star is directed by Lewis Milestone, runs 108 minutes, is made by The Samuel Goldwyn Company, is released by RKO Radio Pictures, is written by Lillian Hellman, based on an original story by Lillian Hellman, is shot in black and white by James Wong Howe, is produced by Samuel Goldwyn and William Cameron Menzies (associate producer), is scored by Aaron Copland and is designed by Perry Ferguson.

It is filmed at Samuel Goldwyn Studios, 7200 Santa Monica Boulevard, West Hollywood, California.

© Derek Winnert 2019 Classic Movie Review 8883

Check out more reviews on http://derekwinnert.com