First Comes Courage
I married you to destroy you!
1943 | 88m | English
Popularity: 2 (history)
| Director: | Dorothy Arzner |
|---|---|
| Writer: | Elliott Arnold, Melvin Levy, Lewis Meltzer |
| Staring: |
| Merle Oberon plays a Norwegian resistance figure in a small town, married to a Nazi commandant. When his superiors begin to suspect her, the Allies land an assassin to kill him -- an assassin who happens to be her former lover. | |
| Release Date: | Jul 29, 1943 |
|---|---|
| Director: | Dorothy Arzner |
| Writer: | Elliott Arnold, Melvin Levy, Lewis Meltzer |
| Genres: | Drama, War |
| Keywords | nazi, woman director |
| Production Companies | Columbia Pictures |
| Box Office |
Revenue: $0
Budget: $0 |
| Updates |
Updated: May 08, 2024 Entered: Apr 25, 2024 |
| Name | Character |
|---|---|
| Merle Oberon | Nicole Larsen |
| Brian Aherne | Capt. Allan Lowell |
| Carl Esmond | Maj. Paul Dichter |
| Isobel Elsom | Rose Lindstrom |
| Fritz Leiber | Dr. Aanrud |
| Erville Alderson | Soren |
| Erik Rolf | Ole |
| Reinhold Schünzel | Col. Kurt von Elser |
| Richard Ryen | Dr. Hoff |
| Lewis Wilson | Dr. Kleinich |
| Fern Emmett | Dress Designer (uncredited) |
| Byron Foulger | Norwegian Shopkeeper (uncredited) |
| Hans Heinrich von Twardowski | Nazi Captain (uncredited) |
| John Elliott | Norwegian patient |
| Greta Granstedt | Girl assistant |
| William Phillips | Edvard, Aanrud's assistant |
| Pietro Sosso | Janitor |
| Conrad Binyon | Boy |
| Arno Frey | Sergeant |
| Eric Feldary | Private |
| Henry Rowland | Private |
| Hans von Morhart | German guard |
| Ethel Griffies | Nurse |
| Walter Thiele | Orderly |
| John Royce | German orderly |
| Frederic Brunn | German guard |
| Lloyd Ingraham | Elderly Norwegian man |
| Louis Adlon | Nazi lieutenant |
| Niels Bagge | Thorsten |
| Rex Williams | Young Nazi officer |
| Otto Reichow | Young Nazi officer |
| Fern Emmett | Dress designer |
| Guy Kingsford | Submarine commander |
| Louis Jean Heydt | First Norwegian |
| Nelson Leigh | Blake |
| Name | Job |
|---|---|
| Dorothy Arzner | Director |
| Elliott Arnold | Novel |
| Melvin Levy | Screenplay |
| Joseph Walker | Director of Photography |
| Viola Lawrence | Editor |
| Rex Bailey | Assistant Director |
| William Mull | Assistant Director |
| Lewis Meltzer | Screenplay |
| Lionel Banks | Art Direction |
| Fay Babcock | Set Decoration |
| Ernst Toch | Music |
| Lambert E. Day | Sound Engineer |
| Name | Title |
|---|---|
| Harry Joe Brown | Producer |
| Organization | Category | Person |
|---|
Popularity History
| Year | Month | Avg | Max | Min |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 1 |
| 2024 | 5 | 3 | 6 | 1 |
| 2024 | 6 | 2 | 5 | 0 |
| 2024 | 7 | 2 | 6 | 1 |
| 2024 | 8 | 2 | 8 | 0 |
| 2024 | 9 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| 2024 | 10 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| 2024 | 11 | 2 | 4 | 1 |
| 2024 | 12 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 2025 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| 2025 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 2025 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2025 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2025 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2025 | 9 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| 2025 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
Trending Position
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 co ... mmandos 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.