Una voz en la tormenta

I saw this film at least six times. I grew up a fan of Francis Lederer and I am also a musician. This film was premiered by my uncle at the Hawaii Theater in Hollywood. It was unique in more than one way: Not only was it an intensive dramatic story of a pianist who tries to recover from abuse by the Nazis, but elegantly portrays nationalism. The Moldau by Smetana is the background music which holds the film together. Keep in mind that I saw the film in the 1940s, and not since; perhaps no one has since. Another uniqueness: my uncle managed to bring a pianist on stage; he began playing the Moldau and it bled into the film music. The pianist, as I recall, was Vladimir Brenner, who sought to restore a career after the war. I do not know if other theaters included an on-stage pianist. Critics suggest the film was moody, even dull, but I found it then, as I remember it now, a film classic.

After playing Smetna's Maldau in Czechoslovakia, and accused of inciting anti-German feelings, pianist Jan Volny finds himself running from the Nazis in "Voice in the Wind" from 1944. This is a rarity - it's an independent film at a time when very few were made, due to the power of the movie studios.

Volny is tortured by the Nazis and sent to a concentration camp; however, he overpowers his captors and later boards a ship for Guadalupe. There he is known as El Hombre -- he has amnesia and remembers nothing of his past.

His wife, whom he left in the care of a friend in Czechoslovakia, finally lands in Guadalupe as well, but she is quite ill. She hears El Hombre playing the piano and realizes that it is Jan.

Very sad and depressing but full of heart and the human spirit.

This film is quite atmospheric. It certainly captures the essence of the nazis bouncing a Czech from his native land (but he does have the pleasure of killing two of them). He migrates to Guadaloupe with two thugs from Portugal. The film is decidedly overdramatic and maudlin; however, the situation was overdramatic and maudlin at the time. Francis Lederer gives it his best wide-eyed try, and we are taken in by the beautiful music the film evokes. However, a real nazi would not have sent him to prison; he would have merely smashed his hands to bits, so he would never have been able to play again. That part of the film is a bit unbelievable. The rest is rather depressing, but an accurate account of thousands of lives ruined by WW2. Interesting.

I tried to get some interest in this movie, very atmospheric but so boring, talkative, a film where you wonder what the story leads to without having any satisfaction. It's not Francis Lederer's fault, just the overall story and maybe directing too. Art Ripley made something far better fourteen years later with THUNDER ROAD, a real must see, cult movie, starring Bob Mitchum. You can try it anyway.

Rare that an independent film could be made of such maturity in a time of studio run films. Arthur Ripley helped create the character of Harry Langdon in the 20s. A skilled writer, he had a keen eye and his direction of him own screenplay for Voice in the Wind is tight, powerful and direct. I believe Francis Lederer gives one of his finest performances, with Sigrid Gurie as the wife he cannot remember. Best of all, keep your eyes on two character actors: Alexander Granach and J. Carol Naish. Both give in-depth character studies that are the backbone of this unusual film. Done on a shoestring budget during the powerful days of the major studios, the film is a character study in depth. If you can pick up a copy of it, it's more than worth it.

I wish I had more room to comment on this film, as I do know a few personal stories about how it came about. I knew Arthur Ripley when he was near the end of his career. Get a copy of this film.