Before the novel was published, Paramount Studios
had acquired the story and set about to make a movie. Law suits were threatened, fears of
international tensions with Mexico were a concern, problems with the script and
the talent erupted during the production and then there was all of that
worrisome sex that drew the scrutiny of the Hollywood censors.
It was quite a feat getting first-time novelist Ketti
Frings’ 1940 book, Hold Back the Dawn, to
the screen. It would rollout
theatrically in late September of 1941 and despite all of the production issues
proved to be a hit, pulling in six Oscar nominations, including Best Picture
(losing out to How Green Was My Valley … of
course, Citizen Kane
should have been the winner), Best Screenplay and a Best Actress nomination for
Olivia de Havilland (pitting her against her sister, Joan Fontaine, who won for
Suspicion).
Arrow Video, with domestic sales and distribution
expertise provided by MVD Entertainment Group, will have a new hi-def transfer
(from the original film elements) of Hold Back
the Dawn ready for release as a Blu-ray
product offering on July 16.
In this tale of romance and betrayal, we meet George
Iscovescu (Charles Boyer), a Romanian refugee who has fled Europe at the
outbreak of World War II, and now finds himself stuck in Baja California and
unable to get into the United States. A
former “dancing” partner (that’s code for sexual liaison) by the name of Anita
(played by Pauline Goddard) tells George that she solved the exact same problem
by marrying an American and then dumping him once her citizenship was granted …
he immediately sets out to do the same thing.
Living in a dollar-a-day dump, George begins to spin
his web and in short order along comes a visiting teacher from Southern
California by the name of Emily (Olivia de Havilland) and the trap is sprung. He seduces her, convinces her to marry him
and all he has to do is wait four weeks and assure an immigration snoop by the
name of Hammock (Walter Abel) that his intensions are honorable.
A lot can happen in four weeks!!!
Bonus features include a newly-prepared commentary
by film scholar Adrian Martin (“Once Upon a Time in America,” “Mysteries of
Cinema,” etc.), the featurette titled “Love Knows No Borders,” the 1971
interview with the film’s star, Olivia de Havilland, at the National Film
Theatre, which is titled “The Guardian Lecture: Olivia de Havilland” and the
1941 Lux Radio Theatre broadcast featuring Charles Boyer, Paulette Goddard and
Susan Haywood.
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