Errol Flynn and Ann Sheridan fight the Nazis in "Edge of Darkness"

Edge of Darkness (1943) is a World War II directed by Lewis Milestone and starring Errol Flynn and Ann Sheridan. Others in the impressive supporting cast include Walter Huston, Nancy Coleman, Ruth Gordon, Helmut Dantine, and Judith Anderson. The cinematography was by Sidney Hickox (Gentleman Jim, The Big Sleep, White Heat).

Gunnar Brogge (Flynn) and Karen Stensgard (Sheridan) head the Nazi resistance in their small fishing village in Norway. Against all odds, they push back against the Nazi control of their village.

Will their efforts help them gain their freedom?

Lewis Milestone (1895 – 1980) was a Russian-born American film director. He is a two-time Academy Award-winner for Best Director: Two Arabian Knights (1927) and All Quiet on the Western Front (1930). Other notable films directed by Milestone include The Front Page (1931), Of Mice and Men (1939), A Walk in the Sun (1945), Les Miserables (1952), and Ocean’s 11 (1960).

Errol Flynn (1909 – 1959) was an Australian-American actor who was one of the most popular actors during Hollywood’s Golden Age. He was famous for playing in romantic swashbuckler roles, often co-starring with Olivia de Havilland. Flynn obtained screen immortality early in his career with The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938). Other major films include Captain Blood (1935), The Charge of the Light Brigade (1936), Dodge City (1939), and Santa Fe Trail (1940). Flynn’s hard-drinking and wild personal life seriously affected his career. He died on October 14, 1959, at age 50.

Ann Sheridan and Errol Flynn in an on-set publicity photo of them reading the novel.

Ann Sheridan (1915 - 1967) was an American actress and singer. Her movie career began in 1934 when she appeared in 19 films! Her roles were all small and mostly unbilled, but she appeared in another 20+ films before she was signed to Warner Bros. in 1938. She was given better roles and was groomed for major stardom. The studio dubbed her “The Oomph Girl,” a title she hated but helped contribute to her popularity. During World War II she was a popular pin-up girl. As a star, Sheridan starred in Angels Wash Their Faces (1939), Castle on the Hudson (1940), It All Came True (1940), They Drive by Night (1940), City for Conquest (1941), and The Man Who Came to Dinner (1942). During this time she starred opposite Warner’s top leading men including John Garfield, James Cagney, and George Raft. Her biggest success during this period came with Kings Row (1942), a film in which she received top billing over Robert Cummings, Ronald Reagan, and Betty Field. Sheridan made the transition to television and was starring in the weekly western series, Pistols 'n' Petticoats (1966-67) when she became sick with cancer. She died on January 21, 1967, at the age of 51.

Walter Huston (1883 - 1950) was a Canadian singer, stage, and film actor. He is also the patriarch of the Huston clan which includes his writer-director son John, and his granddaughter, actress Anjelica. Huston worked in the theater, with roles on Broadway where he made his debut in 1924. Once talking pictures began in Hollywood, Huston worked as both a leading man and also a character actor. Some of Huston’s films include The Virginian (1929), Rain (1932), Gabriel Over the White House (1933), The Devil and Daniel Webster (1941), and The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948) for which he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, directed by his son John. Huston’s last film was The Furies (1950) co-starring Barbara Stanwyck and Wendell Corey.

Edge of Darkness trivia

• When the film was announced it was going to star Anne Sheridan and Humphrey Bogart.
• Errol Flynn went on trial for rape while the film was in production.
• Ann Sheridan's marriage to George Brent collapsed at the same time as production due to Sheridan's affair with Flynn.
• Weather problems hinder production, keeping Ruth Gordon and Judith Anderson in Hollywood longer than they wanted due to stage commitments.
• Sheridan and Flynn co-starred in Dodge City (1939) and Silver River (1948).

To watch the film on YouTube, click on the link below.

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Discussion questions

1. How do you think this film ranks among World War II films you've seen?
2. Do you think the portrayals of the Norwegian freedom fighters were realistic?
3. What did you think of the film score by Fraz Waxman? Did it enhance or detract from the film in your opinion?
4. The supporting cast is exceptional. Did any one of the supporting characters stand out to you?
5. How do you think American audiences reacted to this film in 1943?