Watch on the Rhine
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Template:Alternateuses
{{Infobox Film
|name = Watch on the Rhine
|image = Watchonrhine-43.jpg
|caption = Film poster
|director = Herman Shumlin
Hal Mohr (uncredited)
|producer = Hal B. Wallis
|writer = Lillian Hellman (play)
Dashiell Hammett
Lillian Hellman
|starring = Bette Davis
Paul Lukas
Geraldine Fitzgerald
Lucile Watson
Beulah Bondi
George Coulouris
|music = Max Steiner
|cinematography = Merritt B. Gerstad
Hal Mohr
|editing = Rudi Fehr
|distributor = Warner Bros.
|released = August 27, 1943
|runtime = 114 min.
|language = English
|budget =
|imdb_id = 0036515
|}}
Spoilers in this summary
- Watch on the Rhine is a 1943 film which tells the story of Kurt Muller, an anti-Nazi fighter who, in attempting to return to the United States during World War II, is followed by a Nazi sympathiser who manages to infiltrate the childhood home of Muller's wife. When the family moves in, the Nazi plays cat-and-mouse with Muller, who eventually exposes him and kills him. Muller then flees to parts unknown, leaving his eldest son to carry on the struggle against the Nazis.
The movie was adapted by Dashiell Hammett and Lillian Hellman from Hellman's play. It was directed by Hal Mohr (uncredited) and Herman Shumlin.
Both the play and the film are considered overly preachy today, but the film won the Academy Award for Best Actor (Paul Lukas) and was nominated for Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Lucile Watson), Best Picture and Best Writing, Screenplay. Although Bette Davis receives first billing, hers is really a supporting role. Paul Lukas, who was not as great a film star as Davis, is the actual lead in the film, repeating his Broadway role.