Reunion in France (1942) User Reviews

The second half is fabulous, worth getting through the long set up...

[secondtake · 7/10 · 11 April 2011]

Reunion in France (1942)

First important fact: this movie, about the first year of WWII when Hitler took over France, was released a month before "Casablanca." It does not compare in most ways with the drama, the humor, the writing, the music, the velocity, and the legendary actors of the more famous movie. But it is a very good movie with an interesting early pro-American, pro-French message. Joan Crawford crackles as much as she can in a topsy turvy role, going from spoiled and frivolous rich woman Michele de la Becque to (briefly) a refugee to, finally, an ordinary woman fighting with all her heart for France.

There are two male actors with important roles and they couldn't be more different. One is Michele's lover and fiancé, played with a cultured perfection by Philip Dorn, a Dutch actor who pulls off the pan-Euro, mostly French aristocrat and businessman well. Opposite him in every way is the homey, tough, humble American who shows up halfway through the film, John Wayne. I don't know if this really makes sense in the film, but I can see it on paper, since Wayne played a non-cowboy merchant seaman in the terrific John Ford film which prefigures this one in some ways, "The Long Voyage Home." He doesn't seem as wily and smart as a fugitive from the Nazis would have to be, behind the lines in occupied Paris, but he at least plays the role of an ordinary American ready to help the French, and this is the political message throughout.

In fact, the movie borders on a brilliant propaganda device, putting message ahead of plot now and then, just perceptibly. Crawford is so good even her speeches make a convincing case, and I'm assuming American audiences cheered her on by December of 1942 when it was released (on Christmas day). The scenes of the Germans taking over Paris are always horrifying, and they are again here. There is even a deliberate homage to Soviet director Eisenstein when a baby carriage runs off after the mother is killed by gunfire.

But back to "Casablanca." It's an interesting problem to solve, feeding the American audience worried about the war and about U.S. involvement. Because Hollywood was both a symptom of public opinion and a shaper of it, and these are two rather different kinds of films with very similar messages. Director Jules Dassin, who is not French but American, had just started making films in 1941, and there is a sense of expertise at the expense of intuitive magic. "Reunion in France" is strong, smart, and convincing. But it doesn't sizzle or build the aura of the time like it could. And yet, in its defense, it has no perspective at all on the events, since it was made while they were unfolding, even before they were unfolding since it has to anticipate to some extent how the film will settle six months after being written and shot. Watch it. It's really good.

Joan as patriot

[blanche-2 · 7/10 · 12 September 2005]

Decked out in gowns and outfits designed by Irene, Joan Crawford plays the French version of Scarlett O'Hara with her "Oh, war, war, war" grumbling until she has to duck a bomb while on vacation. Returning to Paris, she finds her house commandeered by the Nazis. She gets only one room for herself and those gowns. In the meantime, her boyfriend, played by Philip Dorn, seems to have gone over to the dark side and is living high. Once she realizes that, she refuses to have anything to do with him. Her patriotism for her country comes to the surface when she helps an RAF pilot on the run, played by John Wayne. Despite some of the other comments on the film, I rather enjoy the handsome Wayne out of his spurs and boots. Because of Wayne, Crawford has to make it look like she's reuniting with her old beau, who has the power to arrange to get him out of the country.

Very entertaining.

Getting The Duke Out Of France

[bkoganbing · 6/10 · 19 January 2007]

Reunion in France finds Joan Crawford as an upper class French woman happily engaged to industrialist Philip Dorn and confident that the French army will defend the Maginot Line and the Germans will be defeated once they make a move west. Of course history and the film both tell us it didn't work out that way.

When she arrives back in Paris because she's away in the country when the surrender happens, she finds that the Germans have taken over her house to use as office space, but they've permitted her to occupy one room on the ground level with its own entrance to the street.

That's a minor inconvenience compared to when she learns that her fiancé is collaborating with the Nazis.

Around that time a young flier with the RAF Eagle Squadron, John Wayne, accosts her in the street and gets her to take him in. He's escaped from Nazi custody and looking to get back to Great Britain.

This is a minor film in the credits of both John Wayne and Joan Crawford in there one and only film together. Crawford was being slowly eased out at MGM and she knew it. Still she was a professional if nothing else and gives the role her best. The part called for her to look chic and those Adrian gowns were in play again.

John Wayne doesn't even get into the film until almost 40 minutes into the story. When he does get in, even though he makes a play for Crawford, the Duke has some real problems as Crawford in order to help him has to play up to Dorn and his Nazi friends. It's not the John Wayne we're used to because it really isn't his film.

There's been some criticism by other reviewers that Crawford doesn't sound French. Then again neither does anyone else in the film. The rest of the cast. The cast in fact has a variety of European and American accents, Frenchmen weren't in good supply at that point in Hollywood, either that or they were otherwise committed. Surely Crawford was no more French sounding than Humphrey Bogart in Passage to Marseille.

Albert Basserman is the commanding general in Paris and the fellow who Dorn cultivates. John Carradine may be the best one in the film as the Gestapo agent who knows there's something fishy with Crawford, but can't quite prove it.

Both the Duke and Joan Crawford had better days ahead of them. Still the film is a curiosity and worth a look.

A nice surprise

[MOscarbradley · 7/10 · 13 November 2015]

Crawford is excellent as a rich French bitch who discovers her patriotism and a slightly softer side to her character when Hitler invades France. John Wayne is the American flyer she gets involved with. The movie is "Reunion in France", a very early Jules Dassin, and it's a good one even if it does fall short of classic status. The plot involves Crawford's suspicions that her fiancée Philip Dorn is a Nazi collaborator, while at the same time helping Wayne escape from the Gestapo and Dassin rings a good deal of suspense from it. The first-rate supporting cast includes John Carradine, Albert Basserman, Henry Daniel, Reginald Owen and in a small and uncredited part of a salesgirl, an up-and-coming starlet called Ava Gardener.

"Certainly you have changed from a Frenchman to a Nazi!"

[classicsoncall · 7/10 · 12 September 2016]

Though he's second billed in the credits, John Wayne doesn't make his appearance in the picture until about the forty two minute mark. I kept wondering how his character, Pat Talbot, managed to evade arrest and detainment in the story, seeing as how he just showed up with no credentials to show for it in case the Nazis started asking questions. Maybe that's the problem, Talbot was never really put on the spot as he squired Michele de la Becque (Joan Crawford) after she learned that her fiancé was a Nazi collaborator.

Or was he? Seems Philip Dorn's character Robert Tortot, was assuming a dual role, sort of a double agent as it were without getting into the espionage racket. Even though this picture preceded "Casablanca" by a scant month or so, the parallels are obvious enough to make it look like this lesser known film might have been pulling off a cheap imitation. You had the French Resistance angle personified by Crawford's character, complete with 'exit papers' signed by the military governor of Paris, much like Ingrid Bergman's 'letters of transit'. Wayne is no Bogey of course, nor is Philip Dorn, though John Carradine takes a pretty good stab at Conrad Veidt's Major Strasser. And if you want to make a stretch of it, J. Edward Bromberg resembles a poor man's Claude Rains as a French policeman.

I didn't have too much problem with all of this, except for Crawford's see-sawing relationship between her two leading men. At one point she excoriates Tortot with that quote above in my summary line, but still sidles up to him when it's to her advantage. For his part, Wayne managed to call her 'Mike' more than a couple times with no one raising an objection. I don't know how the French or Germans would have understood the translation.

With Talbot whisked away aboard a rescue plane, the film closes on a firm, patriotic note, though I highly doubt that the pilot would have had the time or resources to sky write the word 'COURAGE' in the air above Paris. It ends the picture on a high note, but it seems to me a more likely outcome would have had a German plane knock it out of the sky.

Just have fun with it

[AlsExGal · 6/10 · 24 July 2015]

John Wayne is second billed to the other lead, Joan Crawford, because after all this is MGM, Joan's studio, at least for awhile longer. This is a film that was obviously targeting a wartime audience with the objective of building patriotism and morale, so you have to look at the miscasting in the context of the times. Joan Crawford plays a French woman who seems to be plumbing the depths of shallowness in her high-rolling lifestyle until the Germans invade. She returns to Paris to find her fancy home confiscated, her boyfriend helping the Germans, and her inner patriotism aroused. She runs across an RAF pilot (Wayne) who has been shot down, and she must play up to her boyfriend and his German friends in order to help Wayne evade capture. Forget the fact that the actors playing Frenchmen don't sound French, that Wayne doesn't sound British, and that the Germans are portrayed as not being smart enough to find Berlin on a map, and just have fun with it. If you are a film history buff like myself, you will see much worse and weirder material about WWII particularly in the early war years.

Joan is Great Here!

[traceybulldog · 7/10 · 15 July 2020]

This is not one of Crawford's better known films, but I was glad I caught it on TCM recently. I think Joan's character feels very believable. She starts out as a spoiled, entitled rich French girl who isn't really concerned about the world around her. The war changes her for the better and opens her eyes. But her background as a wealthy woman makes her believable when standing up to the Nazis. In her home, for instance, she never backs down - by gosh it's her freaking house! I like her spunk and it feels real because nothing really bad has every happened to her so she's not afraid of the Nazi intruders. She's more annoyed by them.

I liked it. Crawford it always entertaining to watch.

Interesting story of patriotism and suspense.

[bfm_1017 · 8/10 · 26 December 2008]

I found this film on TCM one day recently, and decided to check it out mostly because it was made during the war and had John Wayne in the cast. I'm not much of a Joan Crawford fan, but she did a very good job in this story of patriotism during German occupation of France. The lead actor was very handsome and hard to figure out until later in the movie. Wayne was not the star of the movie, and did a very good acting job as the RAF American volunteer downed pilot. While the story seems implausible, most war films do. Of course there were a lot of heroic people in WW II, on all sides, and in the 'occupied' countries such as France. The fact that the Germans were not completely one dimensional gave some depth to the movie. As any German from that time will tell you, not all the German people were in lock step with the regime, but they had to stay alive. Many fought on several levels, many of those we will never hear of. I do think the caricature of the Gestapo was perhaps a little cartoon like in the movie, and John Carradine epitomizes that caricature. From what I have read over the years, the Gestapo was a very dangerous organization and usually left nothing to chance. I love the twists and turns in the movie, and will not spoil it for others. Suffice it to say I recommend this movie for its storyline, and its acting. A great wartime film in my book.

Better than you might think!

[Pat-54 · 7/10 · 10 November 1998]

Considered to be a dud at the time of its release (1942), the film plays much better today. Joan Crawford is very attractive in the role (but unconvincing as a Frenchwoman.) John Wayne received top billing, but his part is actually rather small. Pure propaganda, it never stops entertaining because of its interesting script.

JW vs the Boche

[Chase_Witherspoon · 5/10 · 21 May 2011]

John Wayne plays an American airforce pilot shot down over war-torn France, taken in by the enchanting Joan Crawford who conceals his identity posing him as her chauffeur until she can arrange for his passage to safety. Her boyfriend however appears to be conspiring with the Boche, and so an elaborate plan is devised to spirit both Wayne and Crawford (who have formed a romantic connection) out of Paris and to Lisbon with the aid of resistance fighters and British intelligence.

Great performances showcases Crawford's acting talents and dark beauty, outshining the burly exterior of Wayne (which it must be said, is more subdued than usual) while John Carradine has a key supporting role as an unwelcome Gestapo agent later in the film. If you look carefully, you'll also spot Ava Gardner in a small role as a sales girl.

While there's some jingoist sentiments to this film (made during WWII, the fade-out shot has the word "courage" beamed across the screen), there's sufficient dramatic plot twists and thrills to entertain for the lengthy duration. I personally found the movie to be a watchable B-grade war intrigue, with an almost film noir characteristic in Crawford's enigmatic heroine.

Well Worth Watching

[atlasmb · 8/10 · 24 May 2020]

With a storyline that feels like it was adapted from a sprawling novel, "Reunion in France" is a surprising film. Released during wartime, it details the hubris of the French nation, then the traitorous dealings of certain members of French society. The depressing storyline is contrasted with the unbreakable allegiance of Michele (Joan Crawford), a French socialite who never wavers in her love of France.

She meets an American (John Wayne) who is on the run from German authorities. Clearly, this is a predictable film of romantic intrigue set against the backdrop of Nazi occupation, not unlike "Casablanca".

But the impressive score by Franz Waxman, the fashions by Irene, and the script---with each line layered in double and triple meanings---imply something more. In the end, the film delivers a powerful message that audiences of 1942 would have embraced.

Strong performances abound in this film, including John Carradine, who slithers through every scene as a Gestapo officer. Watch for Howard Da Silva as Anton Stregel, Ava Gardner as a salesgirl, and Natalie Schafer (Gilligan's Mrs. Howell) as a self-absorbed opportunist.

I nearly stopped watching after the first fifteen minutes, but there is a reward for endurance.

Good movie, lousy casting

[planktonrules · 6/10 · 25 May 2007]

If this slick MGM film had only been intelligently cast, it might have earned a 7 or possibly even an 8. However, it seems that when it came to assembling a cast, the powers that be put the names of actors on a roulette wheel and just spun it--as the final casting decision just made no sense at all. The first and biggest mistake was having Joan Crawford play a French lady. It was very odd that all the other French men and women had correct accents but Ms. Crawford didn't even try to sound or act the least bit French. She was simply way outside her range. Second, what numb-skull thought that pairing her with John Wayne would generate any sparks?! While he was not the only love interest for Crawford in the film, him pawing at her and kissing her just seemed weird and Joan seemed pretty uncomfortable with all this. There was just no way on this planet that such a pairing could occur!

As for the script, I really feel bad for the writers. They managed to create an exciting and different film to get the public behind the war effort. It was NOT a run-of-the-mill and showed some intelligence. But unfortunately all the nice machinations, decent dialog and exciting action got lost due to the casting and oddness of the final product. It's really too bad, but in the end this is just a time-passer and nothing more.

Doing its Part Against Nazi Germany

[nycritic · 4/10 · 23 August 2005]

If Joan Crawford had hopes of reviving her career at MGM following the successes of THE WOMEN and A WOMAN'S FACE, she was disillusioned once again and it shows in this badly produced Hollywood melodrama posing as a war film with its "patriotism" message. It's probably not her fault that she was being given such poor material - or better yet, material more suited for any of the given rising starlets of her time - it was clear that MGM wanted her out; Norma Shearer and Greta Garbo had reaped the benefits of the better scripts the previous decade and had retired, and actresses such as Greer Garson were on the rapid rise and literally forcing her out, and at thirty-eight, the Adrian seams were coming apart leaving her basically naked for the savaging.

But, professional as she reportedly was, she made this film about a Frenchwoman (with an American accent and fabulous dresses) coming to terms with her own patriotism once Nazi Germany invades Paris. It's just too bad that nowhere is there really an "antiwar sentiment" throughout the film, full of stock footage, bad editing, and fluff; if anything, the duplicity of her leading man (Phillip Dorn) as he portrays a collaborator to the Nazi's (but then it's revealed he's working covert, probably to add to the suspense) and then the appearance of John Wayne, of all people, playing an American aviator, was only for the sake of playing the worn out love triangle her films endlessly presented, and by the time this movie came around, it was basically over. One more film, ABOVE SUSPICION, would have her cancel out her contract to MGM and begin her Warner Bros. phase, which would be more productive.

Starts out strong

[BumpyRide · 6/10 · 20 October 2004]

I was enjoying this movie very much until John Wayne arrived on the scene. Suddenly, after his arrival the movie breaks down and becomes a mess of clichés and silliness. The first half dealing with France being occupied, and how it impacted the lives of the French was quite interesting. The Nazi's of course were portrayed as inept, bumbling idiots. One can't help but notice that in this movie, Joan has perfected her definitive "Joan Crawford" look. The hair, the look, the clothes all come together here. Too bad the movie couldn't stay on track, but I guess Joan did need at least two lovers per movie. The chemistry between Joan and John works, but John looks like he'd rather be lassoing wild horses than capturing Nazi's!

Joan Crawford in occupied France during WWII...

[Doylenf · 6/10 · 19 January 2012]

Wearing a stunning array of gowns by Irene and photographed with glossy MGM care, Joan Crawford is a French woman (with a cultured American accent) who doesn't think France has to worry about the occupation of her country by Hitler's Nazis until they take over her home while she's vacationing elsewhere.

With the reality of war, comes the realization that her husband (Philip Dorn) might be collaborating with the Nazis. She loves him dearly but is beginning to despise his affiliation with so many Nazi friends. Then along comes an American pilot (John Wayne), whom she hides in her apartment until she can get him safely out of the country. That's the set-up in this basically suspenseful melodrama which, while unconvincing and full of twists and turns in the plot, is played by a competent team of actors, all of varying accents, who keep the story moving toward a not too surprising climax.

Among the good supporting players are Reginald Owen, Albert Basserman, Natalie Schaefer, John Carradine, Howard DaSilva, Henry Daniell and J. Edward Bromberg.

And yet, the whole film has the air of a minor B-film despite such extravagant settings and Crawford's never-ending wardrobe changes. It also has the air of artificiality which works against sustaining the sort of suspenseful atmosphere it seeks to gain throughout.

Philip Dorn rates special mention as Joan's true love. He gives a colorful, nuanced performance that is interesting to watch.

Insignificant work of Jules Dassin

[JuguAbraham · 6/10 · 15 January 2002]

I saw the film because of the director, Jules Dassin. Dassin has made much better films in later years. I thought there was quite a lot of resemblance in Joan Crawford's performance if compared to that of Dassin's wife Melina Mercourri in the later works of the director, especially "Dream of Passion." Did he like to make the leading ladies passionate, tender and honest? I will know if I will get to see all his films. I thought Philip Dorn or Fritz van Donitz had an impressive screen presence and totally overshadowed John Wayne. I also liked John Carradine, but neither Carradine could sound like a German nor Crawford a Frenchwoman. The greatest flaw in the film was pronunciations of the characters. Yet the film was credible--thanks to the director. It was good to spot Ava Gardner in an unbilled role. Even with all its flaws, the film was good to watch just once.

Lots of MGM gloss, but not that believable

[nickandrew · 12 August 2001]

Joan Crawford once again is miscast in this dated wartime melodrama that takes place in Paris during Hitler's take-over. Dorn is her fiance, who she suspects is a Nazi; Wayne is the American pilot whom she hides from the Gestapo. It's very attractive and glossy, but overall not too believable. Crawford in a later interview remarked that if she is to be punished in an after-life for her sins, this is the film that would be shown over and over again to her. 2 out of 4.

Patriotic, Romantic, Inspiring

[JRis1-4Jesus · 8/10 · 27 August 2005]

This 1942 movie arouses your patriotic instincts. In this good vs. the apparent overwhelming evil, chalk one up for the good guys. The heroine, played by Joan Crawford, is convincing in her portrayal of a spoiled, pompous rich woman who becomes a patriot when her France is occupied by Nazi Germany. She is allowed to live in a one room, ground floor apartment of her mansion, taken over by the Nazi military. She is the fiancé of a supposed Nazi sympathizer, (who used to be a French patriot). She takes in an American flier (John Wayne) and houses him in her one room apartment. She joins the underground efforts to get the American flier back to his base in England. This movie is typical of cinemas of that era and is as believable as most and better than some others. The heroine reminds me of the Ingrid Bergman character in Casablanca. She also has to make hard choices. Will she stay and fight for her France? Will she go to England with the flier she has saved from capture? Will she be loyal to the man she loves, even though he appears to have radically changed from patriot to Nazi collaborator? The choices she makes are inspiring and patriotic. You, of course want her to stay and fight or do you want her to leave with her new found love, the American flier? The end is very satisfying. After the movie is over, you will want to join with others in saying. Viva la France!

A mess of a movie

[lwetzel · 7/10 · 12 January 2005]

Joan Crawford is OK as a disillusioned and confused french Mademoiselle coming to grips with the German occupation of France in WWII. The movie is everywhere - downed pilots, civilian collaboration with the Nazis and love. Joan falls for a couple of guys...a Frenchman and a downed RAF pilot (John Wayne - on screen for only about half of the movie and unfortunately miscast). He tries to disguise himself as a college student with Joan's help. Too much of the movie is about German carpetbaggers shopping for high fashion and looting the Louvre of French art treasures. If the movie had focused on Joan and her travails, it would have been better.

Joan battles the Nazi's in haute couture!!!!!

[tamstrat · 5/10 · 27 June 2005]

I found this movie entertaining for 1 reason, to see Joan Crawford playing a Frenchwoman (unbelievable) who starts out the movie as a frivolous, spoiled mistress of a French businessman. Then while on holiday in the south of France the Nazi's invade and then Joan learns about patriotism and courage. She runs from the Nazi's (dressed of course to the nines-this was MGM in it's heyday) and ends up back in Paris, to find it occupied. From that point on the movie becomes convoluted, she fights the Nazi's, falls in love with John Wayne (terribly miscast as an RAF flier) and the propaganda machine that was Hollywood during WWII goes into full force. It was ridiculous, but is interesting to look back and see how Hollywood helped the war effort. And Joan is never more lovely to look at than in this movie.

Great World War II era movie!

[mcelroyjd-885-66202 · 10/10 · 28 January 2019]

If you are in for a WWII era movie that you haven't seen before I think this is worth the 1 hour 45 minutes to watch. Quick build up to the Nazi occupation of Paris from the POV of Parisian high society aristocrats (Joan Crawford, Philip Dorn). Nazi gestapo played well by John Caradinne. And then John Wayne shows up as a downed American RAF flyer and things heat up. Give it a watch.

Joan Vs. Nazis!

[cdale-41392 · 6/10 · 20 April 2019]

It is May 9, 1940, and we first meet Michele de la Becque (Joan Crawford) at a banquet to celebrate the war efforts of French industrialists. Her boyfriend, Robert Cordot (Philip Dorn), is one of the men being honored at the event ... but Michele is bored.

We learn that she is a wealthy and spoiled Frenchwoman who has no interest in current events like that oh-so-inconvenient war raging in Europe; so she flits off to the south of France for a break while Robert stays behind to do whatever it is he does.

And that's when the "stuff" hits the fan and France is invaded. We are treated to a montage of newspaper headlines, archival footage of various battles, and shots of Michele experiencing the inconveniences of war! Poor Michele!

When she finally returns to Paris it is an occupied city, and her humble mansion has been commandeered by the Nazis as an office of some sort. When she is finally reunited with Robert it is at another banquet. This time it is filled with Nazis! It appears that Robert is a collaborator! And Michele is having none of this or him!

Well, a girl's gotta eat, so she hoofs it to Montanot, the (once-exclusive) Parisian boutique where she used to get her gorgeous gowns. Only this time she's looking for a job. Her attitude towards the staff has changed dramatically by this time. She is humbled.

It's on the way home from work one evening that she encounters RAF pilot Pat Talbot (John Wayne) lurking in the shadows, trying to outrun the Nazis chasing him. Michele gives him a hiding place, then the rest of the story is all about trying to get Pat out of Nazi occupied France.

Random Notes:

Joan doesn't even attempt a French accent.

There must have been a sub-plot cut out of the film involving the gas mask cannister that Michele carries then leaves behind with Robert. It's never explained why there was a small box in the canister instead of a mask.

The filmmakers take quite a few amusing jabs at the weight and lack of sophistication of the occupying Nazi women. There's a scene at Montenot where the women are fighting over clothes on a table like pigs at a trough. And one of the former models at the shop explains that she no longer models clothes there because "... mannequins are running to larger sizes now!"

Natalie Schafer (Mrs. Thurston Howell, AKA "Lovey" from Gilligan's Island) makes an appearance as a spoiled rich Nazi woman.

Although I really do not care for John Wayne, I've got to admit that he was tolerable here.

The very last scene is kind of cheesy but understandable for the time period.

Overall, it's a fairly entertaining 100 minutes with a somewhat convoluted plot. Not a bad way to pass the time.

Where was the dialogue coach?

[holdencopywriting · 4/10 · 25 March 2008]

Reunion in France is excruciating to listen to because of the lame attempts at German, French and British accents and the pathetic pronunciations of German and French names and words. It begins with a speech by a "French" general in which the American actor playing him can barely restrain his southern accent (I expected him at any minute to say y'all). I understand that there probably was a shortage of German and French actors in Hollywood at the time. But surely there were actors who could do believable foreign accents? Several times "Germans" speak several sentences in German and the pronunciation is so bad that it comes off as gobbledygook.

The film is a heavy-handed propaganda piece: The Germans are fat and coarse. The French are noble and self-sacrificing. They lost the war not because of poor planning, insufficient defenses and inept military and political decisions, but because France was "betrayed." It's all a bit overblown and accompanied by stabs of dramatic background music.

It's always interesting to see John Wayne in an early, non-western role. In this film, however, he seems unnecessary and the film slows down drastically once he arrives. If he was intended to be the patriotic opposite of the Nazi sympathizer character and the second man in a love triangle, he arrives in the film too late to register strongly as either.

Top-notch historical fiction with WWII setting

[bjdesantis · 10/10 · 24 January 2019]

Knowing all about the historical war references as well as the career paths of Joan Crawford and John Wayne, this movie provided a well told, dramatized story. I thoroughly enjoyed its true to life recount of how things really were in France at that time, while keeping with the sentiments and outlook of the French, Allied forces, and underground resistance. I highly recommend this movie to anyone who enjoys watching a good war movie with a great script and terrific acting, not to mention the wonderful commentary on the infiltration of German soldiers and their wives. The fashions add a wonderful element since much of the scenery is at times bland and dull due to plot lines. If you enjoy war movies as I do, you will love this sleeper and enjoy seeing Crawford in her early days when she was truly stunning.