The Road to Glory **** (1936, Fredric March, Warner Baxter, Lionel Barrymore, June Lang) – Classic Movie Review 9755

Director Howard Hawks’s impeccably made 1936 war drama The Road to Glory, based on the novel by Roland Dorgeles, follows a division of the French army as they struggle through the horrors of World War One.

Warner Baxter stars as Captain Paul La Roche, the battle-fatigued captain who encourages new recruits to glory. Fredric March plays Lieutenant Michel Denet, his trench-weary lieutenant and June Lang plays Monique La Coste, the nurse they both fall for. Lionel Barrymore is the fourth star as Papa La Roche / Pvt. Morin.

The impressive cast is handled with his customary elan by director Hawks, working from an effective script that renowned novelist William Faulkner had a hand in, along with Joel Sayre. Gregg Toland’s black and white cinematography is another high point.

Also in the cast are Gregory Ratoff, Victor Kilian, John Qualen, Paul Fix, Julius Tannen, Theodore von Eltz, Leonid Kinsky, and Louis Mercer.

© Derek Winnert 2020 Classic Movie Review 9755

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