Charles Boyer, Olivia de Havilland, and Paulette Goddard try to “Hold Back the Dawn”

Set against the backdrop of a dusty Mexican border town, Hold Back the Dawn (1941), directed by Mitchell Leisen, follows the story of Georges Iscovescu (Charles Boyer), a suave but desperate European dancer stranded in a crowded hotel. Having fled the turmoil of war-torn Europe, Georges is one of many refugees stuck in a bureaucratic limbo, waiting for a quota number that will allow him to legally enter the United States. When he realizes his wait could last years, he becomes disillusioned and decides to take a more cynical path to gain entry.

The plot pivots when Georges encounters an old flame and former dance partner, Anita Dixon (Paulette Goddard), who has successfully entered the U.S. by marrying an American citizen and then quickly divorcing him. Anita convinces Georges that his best chance at freedom is to find a naive American woman to marry for the sole purpose of obtaining a visa. This cold-hearted plan sets the stage for a calculated seduction, as Georges begins to scan the various tourists visiting the border for a suitable target.

His mark arrives in the form of Emmy Brown (Olivia de Havilland), a sweet, wholesome schoolteacher from California who has brought her students on a brief field trip across the border. Sensing her innocence and romantic nature, Georges turns on his considerable charm, sweeping her off her feet in a whirlwind twenty-four-hour courtship. Emmy, unaware of the legal mechanics behind his sudden affection, falls deeply in love and agrees to marry him, believing she has found a genuine soulmate amidst the chaos of the world.

The final act of the story explores the growing tension between Georges’s deceptive intentions and the unexpected emotional impact of Emmy’s unwavering kindness. As an immigration officer begins to investigate the suspicious speed of their marriage, Georges is forced to navigate a high-stakes game of pretense. The film focuses on the psychological conflict of a man caught between his desperate need for a new life and the guilt of exploiting a woman who represents the very best of the country he is so desperate to join.

 

Charles Boyer and Olivia de Havilland

Hold Back the Dawn trivia

1. The Movie That Made Billy Wilder a Director

The legendary Billy Wilder co-wrote the screenplay, but he was so infuriated by the filming process that he vowed never to let another director “ruin” his scripts again. Specifically, lead actor Charles Boyer refused to film a scene Wilder had written where his character, in a moment of despondent isolation, has a conversation with a cockroach on his hotel wall. When director Mitchell Leisen sided with the actor and cut the scene, Wilder decided he had to become a director himself to protect his work. His very next project was his directorial debut, The Major and the Minor (1942).

2. Semi-Autobiographical Origins

The film’s focus on the grueling wait for a U.S. visa was deeply personal for Billy Wilder. As a Jewish refugee fleeing Nazi Germany, Wilder had actually spent time stranded in a Mexican border town (Mexicali) in the late 1930s, waiting for his own quota number to come up so he could legally re-enter the United States. He channeled that genuine anxiety and the “limbo” of the border hotels directly into the script.

3. The Sister vs. Sister Oscar Showdown

The 1941 Academy Awards featured one of the most famous sibling rivalries in history. Olivia de Havilland was nominated for Best Actress for Hold Back the Dawn, while her sister, Joan Fontaine, was nominated in the same category for Hitchcock’s Suspicion. When Fontaine won, it notoriously cooled their relationship for years. This remains one of the few times in Oscar history that two sisters competed against each other for the same top honor.

4. A Clever “Meta” Cameo

The film uses a “story-within-a-story” framing device where Charles Boyer’s character enters a movie studio to sell his life story to a director. The director he speaks to is played by none other than Mitchell Leisen, the real-life director of Hold Back the Dawn. In the scene, Leisen is shown directing a movie starring Veronica Lake and Brian Donlevy, which was actually real footage from I Wanted Wings, a film Leisen had completed just months earlier.

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Discussion questions

 1. The Morality of the “Visa Marriage”

Georges begins the film as a cynical opportunist who views Emmy merely as a “passport” to the United States. Given the desperate circumstances of the European refugees in the hotel, does the film successfully make Georges a sympathetic protagonist, or does his exploitation of Emmy’s innocence make him irredeemable? At what specific point in the film—if ever—do you think his feelings for her become genuine?

2. The Portrayal of Bureaucracy and the Border

Hold Back the Dawn was released in 1941, while the real-world visa crisis for refugees was at its peak. How does the film portray the American immigration system? Does the “limbo” of the Mexican border town feel like a prison, or is it presented with the lighthearted touch typical of Paramount romances of that era? Consider how the setting of the Hotel Esperanza reflects the emotional state of its residents.

3. Emmy Brown: Naivety vs. Strength

Emmy is often described as a “wholesome schoolteacher,” a archetype common in 1940s cinema. However, by the end of the film, she is forced to confront a devastating betrayal. Does Emmy remain a victim throughout the story, or does her reaction to the truth show a different kind of strength? Discuss how Olivia de Havilland’s performance (which earned her an Oscar nomination) elevates a character that could have been a one-dimensional "mark."

4. The “Wilder” Influence and Tone

Knowing that Billy Wilder was frustrated by the direction of this film, can you spot the “Wilder touch” in the dialogue or the darker, more cynical moments of the plot? Compare the sophisticated, witty banter between Georges and Anita to the earnest, romantic scenes with Emmy. How do these two different “worlds”—the cynical European past and the optimistic American future—clash within the film’s narrative?

 

 

Book review: "Olivia de Havilland: Lady Triumphant"

Olivia de Havilland: Lady Triumphant

Author: Victoria Amador

ISBN: 978-0-8131-5465-7 (trade paper edition)

Olivia de Havilland: Lady Triumphant by Victoria Amador, is one part biography, one part film history, and one part fangirl. The life of Olivia de Havilland is the story of Hollywood's Golden Age. The days when a young woman could get discovered in a play at the Hollywood Bowl while still in her teens and end up with a seven-year contract with Warner Brothers. Such is the story of Olivia de Havilland.

For many young women, being under contract to a major studio, earning a good salary, and working with leading men like Errol Flynn would be exciting enough. Being the "girl" in pictures wasn't de Havilland's idea of a career. She wanted to be taken seriously as an actress; she wanted the career that fellow Warner Brothers colleague Bette Davis had.

Jack Warner never considered de Havilland as anything more than a pretty girl to co-star with leading men like Flynn. As much as she enjoyed working with Flynn (admitting to being in love with him for a time), she wanted more challenging roles than looking pretty in beautiful clothes and period costumes. But de Havilland's beautiful face and charming demeanor hid a strong ambition and a willingness to take risks with her career.

To get the role of Melanie Hamilton in Gone with the Wind, the biggest movie production of the century, de Havilland appealed to Jack Warner's wife. She got the role, an Oscar nomination, and screen immortality. But that wasn't enough for de Havilland; she wanted better roles.

Olivia de Havilland as Melanie Hamiltion, age 23 and at 103

When presented with inferior scripts, de Havilland refused them. This put her on suspension and at odds with Warner. During the studio era, when an actor or actress refused a role assigned to them, they were put on suspension which meant they went without pay until the film they refused to do was completed. The studios would add the time spent on suspension to their contract which would keep a performer under contract indefinitely. When she thought her seven-year contract was up, Warner Brothers told her she owed them another six months work. This didn't sit well with de Havilland and at great peril to her career, she decided to take the studio to court. 

The court decided that contracts could not last past their calendar date, thus siding with the actress in what became known as the "de Havilland decision." That decision was the beginning of the end to the Hollywood studio system. After leaving Warner Brothers, de Havilland went on to win two Best Actress Academy Awards for To Each His Own (1946) and The Heiress (1949).

If you're a classic movie fan, you probably know a lot of the details of de Havilland's career. However, the author has written an engaging biography/memoir that includes her relationship and friendship with the legendary actress, giving us a glimpse at her life in Paris during her latter years. 

Disclaimer: I won Olivia de Havilland: Lady Triumphant in a contest sponsored by Classic Movie Hub. You may like them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter.

Chicago and Movie History

Gloria Swanson, Charlie Chaplin and Marion Davies

Hollywood in the Midwest?

Before anyone heard of a place called Hollywood, Chicago played an important role in the history of film in America.

Charlie Chaplin and Gloria Swanson Slept (and worked) Here

Before the sound era, Chicago housed Midwest corporate offices for Paramount, Warner Bros., Universal, and the Samuel Goldwyn studios. Most of the offices were in Chicago's South Loop along Wabash Ave. Other film offices were located one block east on Michigan Ave. During this period, major silent movie productions starring screen legends Charlie Chaplin and Gloria Swanson were made in Chicago.

Distribution Hub

Some evidence of this history still exists. The Film Exchange Lofts at 1307 S. Wabash Ave. was once owned by the Warner Bros. studio. They had corporate offices at that location, but its most important use was for storing film for distribution. With Chicago's location and access to train travel, it was the ideal distribution point for Chicago and Illinois theatres.

Ruins From Past Glories

The Universal International logo
can be seen at 1234 S. Michigan Ave.*

The famous terra cotta archway entrance to the Jesse Lasky Famous-Players (a forerunner of Paramount) building on Wabash near 13th Street was rescued from destruction by Columbia College. It now stands in their Media Production Center at 1600 S. State St.

*Ming Hin South Loop removed the Universal International logo when they opened at 1234 S. Michigan Ave. Why they felt this was necessary no one knows.

Ernst Lubitsch, "To Be or Not To Be," and Lombard's last impression

Coming to America

Director Ernst Lubitsch left his native Germany in 1922 at the invitation of silent-screen legend Mary Pickford. He directed Pickford in two popular films, Rosita (1923) and The Marriage Circle (1924). Right from the start, his American films had a quality, polish, and sophistication that seemed fresh and new. Audiences loved the "Lubitsch touch" and his career in Hollywood prospered. When talking pictures took hold, Lubitsch adapted immediately without missing a beat.

Hollywood fights back

In 1935, Lubitsch's German citizenship was erased by the Nazis. Like many Europeans living in America, Lubitsch was horrified by the rise of Adolf Hitler and his ever-increasing stranglehold on his home continent. During the late 1930s the war in Europe was heating up and Lubitsch thought the time was right for a satire about Hitler and the Nazis. After all, The Great Dictator (1940), written and directed by Charles Chaplin was a huge hit. Surely Lubitsch with his talent for comedy would be able to be equally successful with To Be or Not To Be (1942).

Show me the money

At this point in his career, Lubitsch was working independently, without the backing of a major studio. As an independent, he had to obtain funding to make To Be or Not To Be, as well as work out a distribution agreement. From the beginning, the movie was meant to be a star vehicle for Jack Benny. Benny was a superstar on the radio, but his movie career never matched his radio success. To help secure financing, Benny actively courted Lombard to star opposite him. Lubitsch, anxious to work with Lombard didn't think the part was large enough to interest her. Surprisingly, Lombard loved the script. The fact that she would be part of an ensemble cast rather than being the "star" didn't seem to matter. Additionally, Lombard thought that with the rumors of a World War on everyone's mind, a satire like To Be or Not To Be would help in the fight against the Axis powers.

Together again: Lubitsch and Lombard

With Lombard onboard, the financing was guaranteed and production started in October 1941. From all accounts, the filming was a pleasant experience for Lombard and all of the cast. Benny loved working with Lombard and she helped him get past his anxiety about working with a director of Lubitsch's stature. Once again, Lubitsch allowed Lombard to act as uncredited producer, just like he did during the filming of Hands Across the Table, when he was in charge of production at Paramount six years earlier.

Remember Pearl Harbor
During the filming of To Be or Not To Be, Pearl Harbor was attacked and the United States entered World War II. The mood of the country was somber with American casualties mounting on a daily basis. Americans feared invasion from Japan, especially those on the west coast, which included Hollywood. Ever the patriot, Lombard wrote President Roosevelt to ask what she and her husband, Clark Gable, could do? His response: keep making movies to keep people's spirits up.

War bond tour

Not one to sit by the sidelines, Lombard went on a war bond rally on January 12, including a huge drive in her native state, Indiana. The goal was to sell $500,000 worth of bonds, but Lombard's enthusiasm and star power brought that total above $2 million! After a hectic bond-selling schedule (so hectic in fact that a January 14, 1942 stop in Chicago generated an article in the Chicago Tribune entitled "A Whirlwind! It Was Carole on Chicago Visit"), Lombard wanted to fly back to California, instead of taking the train as originally planned. She was anxious to see her husband and didn't want to waste the time on the train. Traveling with her mother, Elizabeth Peters and MGM press agent Otto Winkler, Lombard tried to convince her traveling companions that flying home was their best option. Peters and Winkler were against flying, but Lombard prevailed.

California bound
After a brief refueling stop in Las Vegas, the DC-3 plane that Lombard and 21 others occupied, took off for the west coast on January 16. They never made it home. The plane, flying too low, slammed into a mountain not far from the Las Vegas airport. Everyone on board was killed instantly.

Farewell to the screwball girl

On January 21 at 4 p.m., funeral services were held for Lombard and her mother at the Hilltop Church of the Recessional in Forest Lawn cemetery, Glendale, CA. According to Lombard's wishes, her funeral was simple with mostly family and friends in attendance. As reported in the January 22 edition of the Chicago Tribune, those present included "...Mr.and Mrs. Spencer Tracy, Jack Benny, Mr. and Mrs. Ernst Lubitsch, ... the William Powells, Louis B. Mayer, ...and the Fred MacMurrays."

To Be or Not To Be released

Lombard's last movie was met with generally good reviews, but audiences weren't flocking to see it. It's hard to know why, since today, To Be or Not To Be is considered a classic. More than sixty years after its release, the American Film Institute in it's list of the one hundred funniest films of all time, ranked it at forty-nine. Some people thought the black humor was too much for wartime audiences. New York Times critic, Bosley Crowther wrote in his March 7, 1942 review, "To say it is callous and macabre is understating the case." Other period reviews were positive: "It's an acting triumph for Lombard, who delivers an effortless and highly effective performance..." (Variety).

Lasting legacy
It's sad that a talent like Carole Lombard was taken from us at the height of her career. The plans to make another movie with Lubitsch, Preston Sturges, and Billy Wilder would never be realized. But fortunately for us, she left a body of work that still brings us joy, laughter, and tears.

"A loud cheer for the screwball girl!"

What a difference a year makes: Lombard and "Hands Across the Table."

If 1934 was a breakthrough year for Carole Lombard with her star-making role in Twentieth Century, then her work in 1935 proved the previous year's performance was no fluke.

Shall we dance...again?

The year started with a sequel of sorts: Rumba, reunited Lombard with George Raft, her costar in Bolero. Although not well remembered today, Rumba was a commercial success and this time, Lombard received equal billing with Raft. If 1935 started well, it would end even better.

The Lubitsch touch
Ernst Lubitsch, recently installed as production manager at Paramount, found himself working with Lombard on a property called Hands Across the Table. The story about a cynical manicurist, was based on "Bracelets," a story by Vina Delmar, who would go on to win an Oscar nomination, two years later, for writing the screenplay for The Awful Truth.

A shaky start
The production didn't start off smoothly, however. Lubitsch was unsure of director Mitchell Leisen's ability to handle comedy material. Additionally, Lubitsch and Leisen were concerned with their inexperienced leading man, Fred MacMurray. Signed to a standard seven-year contract in 1934, MacMurray had already appeared in five films in 1935 before production on Hands Across the Table had begun. The last film he made was Alice Adams, a star vehicle for Katherine Hepburn, directed by George Stevens. MacMurray's performance in that film received good notices, but there was some concern that he did not have the depth needed for his performance opposite Lombard. In Leisen's retelling, Lombard pitched in as almost the codirector. According to MacMurray's account, "I owe so much of that performance and my subsequent career to her [Lombard] .... She worked with me on every scene."

A new film team is born
The work paid off and the chemistry between Lombard and MacMurray was strong enough that they eventually starred in three additional films, all of which were critical and commercial successes at the time. In 1937, they starred in two films together, The Princess Comes Across, and Swing High, Swing Low, which was Paramounts biggest grossing film that year. It is interesting to note that the pairings of Hepburn and Cary Grant which are much more heralded today, were not nearly as commercially successful as the pairings of Lombard and MacMurray.

Natural beauty

When Hands Across the Table was released, the critics loved it. Many compared it to It Happened One Night released the year before. Some critics commented that Lombard, by eliminating the heavy makeup that she typically used, revealed a natural beauty that previously had not been seen by the movie-going public. Apparently, Lombard took note of these critiques and her future films reflect a more natural look.

With the success of Hands Across the Table, Lombard proved she was no one-hit wonder and that she could carry a film on her own. Her career would be in high gear from hereon in.