Commandos Strike at Dawn

Reading the title, I'll bet you're waiting for a rip-roaring war picture, with fight scenes, explosions and guns blazing. But you would very mistaken, since this is a placid character study with a great deal of dialogue. There is a battle scene towards the end of the picture, but Director John Farrow was sorely in need of a competent second unit director. The battle has an artificial look to it and the explosions are small in scale. In one scene an allied soldier throws a Nazi to the ground, and plainly stabs the ground next to him, lending an amateurish quality to a heretofore passable film.

The story itself is good and depicts the Nazi onslaught into Norway, in particular a small hamlet in a spot of strategic interest to the Nazis. The acting is top shelf, with Paul Muni, Anna Lee, Cedric Hardwicke and Robert Coote in prominent roles. There are a few instances of suspense and tension but none are sustained. It's a good movie - but not if you're looking for a conventional war picture.

****** 6 of 10

In 1939 Norway, peace-loving widower Paul Muni (as Erik Toresen) attends the wedding of a fisherman friend. There, he dances with leading lady Anna Lee (as Judith Bowen), daughter of visiting English admiral Cedric Hardwicke. She returns to England and Mr. Muni stays behind, only to witness wicked Adolf Hitler's Nazi forces invade his country. After the Germans demonstrate the expected brutality, Muni becomes a Norwegian resistance leader...

This pedestrian World War II propaganda story is not complimented by its own rewards. The Canadian filming location is lovely and the cast inviting. Especially noteworthy is the big screen return of legendary Lillian Gish (as Hilda Bergesen) after ten years focused on stage work, but in too small a role; Ms. Gish only punctuates how "Commandos Strike at Dawn" adds up to so much less than it should. There is certainly enough here, however, to recommend the film.

****** Commandos Strike at Dawn (12/30/42) John Farrow ~ Paul Muni, Anna Lee, Lillian Gish, Cedric Hardwicke

The film was particularly interesting for me as my father was stationed at the Canadian/RAF base in 1942 on Vancouver Island. He mentioned how gracious the star's were and that they took the time to visit the lads who were busy flight training. I have recently read an old RAF magazine called (The Patrician)about director, John Farrow and actor Paul Muni being livid after a British extra ruined a battle scene by laughing hysterically in front of the camera. The area of the secret German camp is actually a military/civilian firing range and is still active today. A set of over grown cement stairs that the Commando's used as they struggled up a steep bank can still be seen in the beautiful Saanich Inlet from the water 64 years later.

Although another of the "common folk against Nazi invasion and occupation" films, this one is better than most. The acting on all levels ranges from good to superior. The plot is complete and dynamic, and the technical elements, like music and setting, are extremely good. Amazingly, the accomplishments of Norway's underground during World War Two are more dramatic than those portrayed in the film. In addition to sabotage, the underground was able to cross and recross the Swedish border, many times to save Nordic Jews. In this instance, reality exceeds the fictional world of the movie industry. This is a well written dramatic film, well worth seeing and preserving!

Its propaganda roots are obvious now but still a well acted war drama about the struggle of Norway against the Nazi machine.

Paul Muni is strong in the lead. Famed for parts where he was under heavy makeup like Emile Zola and Louis Pasteur those performances viewed today are heavy and hammy whereas in plain clothes such as here and I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang he is far more naturalistic.

A cast of fine character actors all add texture to the film. Lillian Gish's part is small and mostly without dialogue but of course she could convey more with a look than most actresses with a telephone book worth of words.