First Comes Courage

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First Comes Courage

1943,

1h 28m,

War

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Watchlist

83%

6 Reviews

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Popcornmeter

83%

Tomatometer

6 Reviews

Popcornmeter

Beautiful Norwegian woman Nicole Larsen (Merle Oberon) is dedicated to the local resistance movement, and seduces Nazi officer Paul Dichter (Carl Esmond) in order to gain information that will help to defeat the Germans. Complicating matters for Nicole are both the difficulty of her loathsome undercover work and the appearance of an old flame, handsome English soldier Allan Lowell (Brian Aherne), who would like nothing more than to reunite with her.

Wanda Hale

New York Daily News

Dec 22, 2020

3/4

While the ending of First Comes Courage is a little far-fetched... You won't mind because the events leading up to that are presented convincingly, thanks to Dorothy Arzner, who directed this film with a great deal of skill.

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Mildred Martin

Philadelphia Inquirer

Dec 22, 2020

[The stars] play with a nice sincerity and Dorothy Arzner has given them and the slightly frayed material the benefit of her sound directional talent.

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Marjory Adams

Boston Globe

Dec 22, 2020

Aherne and Miss Oberon are convincing actors and make the old stuff look up-to-date and even worthwhile. The shoddiness is of story rather than acting or direction.

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David Parkinson

Radio Times

Aug 22, 2024

3/5

This wartime saga is best known for being the final film made by Dorothy Arzner, who was one of the few women directors working in the studio system.

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Josephine O'Neill

Daily Telegraph (Australia)

Apr 2, 2019

Merle Oberon plays with the verve of a wooden doll, Brian Aherne's commando is a bore, and Carl Esmond's Nazi a stodge. The action is fumbled by bad direction.

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Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Jan 7, 2011

B-

This WWII propganda film, starring Merle Oberon as a spy, is the last festure to be directed by Dorothy Arzner, the only female director during the studio system.

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Dorothy Arzner

Director

Merle Oberon

Nicole Larsen

Brian Aherne

Capt. Allan Lowell

Carl Esmond

Maj. Paul Dichter

Isobel Elsom

Rose Lindstrom

Fritz Leiber

Dr. Aanrud

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Synopsis

Beautiful Norwegian woman Nicole Larsen (Merle Oberon) is dedicated to the local resistance movement, and seduces Nazi officer Paul Dichter (Carl Esmond) in order to gain information that will help to defeat the Germans. Complicating matters for Nicole are both the difficulty of her loathsome undercover work and the appearance of an old flame, handsome English soldier Allan Lowell (Brian Aherne), who would like nothing more than to reunite with her.

Director: Dorothy Arzner
Producer: Harry Joe Brown
Screenwriter: Melvin Levy, Lewis Meltzer
Production Co: Columbia Pictures
Genre: War
Original Language: English
Runtime: 1h 28m

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