First Comes Courage

Merle Oberon ("Nicole") is quite effective in this tale of the Norwegian resistance to the occupying Nazis. She earns the disdain of her fellow countrymen by fraternising with "Maj. Dichter" (Carl Esmond) but is really milking him for information which she has passed on to the British. When a few commandos are parachuted in - including "Lowell" (Brian Aherne), the true love of "Nicole" - things really start to heat up and just about everybody's life is on the line. "Dichter" is also now really starting to smell rat very close to home. It's a good, solid adventure story this with plenty of stirring music from Ernest Tock that builds to quite a fitting, exciting and touching denouement. The sentiment of courage and bravery is well delivered. The strength of character from this young woman determined to do her bit for her nation, regardless of the risk to herself, is well captured by Dorothy Arzner here. There is plenty going on for 90 minutes and it is well worth watching.

There were several "Norwegian fishing village" movies made in the thick of WWII, to show American audiences why we needed to help the world and inspire us to be as courageous as the peasants in the movies. First Comes Courage is one such movie, and while I appreciated Merle Oberon's performance, it's not my favorite of the subgenre.

Merle fans will love her in this, playing a strong secret spy who has to withstand the entire town turning against her. She's pretending to be the faithful mistress of Carl Esmond, one of the top Nazi officers occupying the town, but secretly she's working with the underground resistance and passing along pillow talk secrets. There are some very tense situations where her cover threatens to be exposed, but she's got one strong backbone!

Where does Brian Aherne come in? He also works for the resistance, and he comes to town on a special mission. Will he mind that Merle's been cozying up to Carl, or will he realize it's all in the line of duty? If you've never seen one of these movies before, you'll probably really like it. I've seen Edge of Darkness, however, and have been spoiled by the best!

Every bit as good as "Commandos Strike At Dawn" and WWII films made while the war was still going on tend to a very good watch. Merle was very "cool" as she would be described these days, and very elegant.

I know someone who is half Norwegian with his father having travelled to Scotland on the "Shetland Bus" which was fishing boats, at great risk to the crew, that transported Allied personnel from Norway to Shetland, and the other way of course. Norway did a lot to fight the Germans even after occupation unlike that country famous for the capital having a large steel tower in the middle of it.

Highly recommended to watch.

Two of Hollywood's British colony are the leads in this Columbia Pictures war film about the Norwegian Resistance. Brian Aherne and Merle Oberon, a British barrister and a Norwegian woman who have some before the war history come together when British commandos raid Norway.

Oberon has a dangerous assignment, she plays the mistress of a German Major Carl Esmond and as such is despised by her fellow Norwegians. But in fact she's a spy for the Allies. Still it's not easy to hang around knowing that you're vilified behind your back.

Wouldn't you know it Aherne is landed by submarine and is to make contact with Oberon. He also knows the local Norwegian terrain. Can they get their mission done and keep their minds on the mission is the theme of First Comes Courage.

Carl Esmond does a good job as the major who is a typical cruel Nazi, but whom you also feel a bit sorry for as Oberon is making a fool of him. As such he has a bit more dimension to him than Conrad Veidt as Major Stroesser in Casablanca.

After a lot of hot and heavy action when the commandos do raid, the ending is a Casablanca like one and I'll not say more.

First Comes Courage is distinguished by the good performances of its leads, Oberon, Aherne, and Esmond and the first rate action sequences. Kudos also to Isobel Elsom as a Norwegian nurse who sacrifices much herself. The film hardly has the staying power of Casablanca, the difference between the major leagues and Double A baseball.

Merle Oberon and Brian Aherne star in First Comes Courage," a 1943 film directed by Dorothy Arzner.

Oberon plays Nicole Larsen, a Norwegian who is seen by the other townspeople as a traitor because she's dating a Nazi (Carl Esmond). In truth, she's using him to get information to the underground. When a British beau is smuggled into the country, he is later captured, and she has to get him away from the Nazis.

Merle Oberon was underrated as an actress. She does a terrific job here (as she often did elsewhere), especially in a big, dramatic scene toward the end.

"First Comes Courage" is one of many propaganda films released during the war, and one of several that dealt with the presence of the Nazis in Norway, where politician Quisling helped the Nazis conquer his own country.

Not great, but okay.