DramaWar

Edge of Darkness

- Resistance fighters battle the Nazis in occupied Norway

The film pivots around the local Norwegian doctor and his family. The doctor's wife (Ruth Gordon) wants to hold on to the pretence of gracious living and ignore their German occupiers. The doctor, Martin Stensgard (Walter Huston), would also prefer to stay neutral, but is torn. His brother-in-law, the wealthy owner of the local fish cannery, collaborates with the Nazis. The doctor's daughter, Karen (Ann Sheridan), is involved with the resistance and with its leader Gunnar Brogge (Errol Flynn). The doctor's son has just returned to town, having been sent down from the university, and is soon influenced by his Nazi-sympathizer uncle. Captain Koenig (Helmut Dantine), the young German commandant of the occupying garrison, whose fanatic determination to do everything by the book and spoutings about the invincibility of the Reich hides a growing fear of a local uprising.

Release Date : 1943-04-09

Language :English

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Warner Bros. Pictures

Production Country : United States of America

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Character Name : Gunnar Brogge

Original Name : Errol Flynn

Gender : Male

Character Name : Karen Stensgard

Original Name : Ann Sheridan

Gender : Female

Character Name : Dr. Martin Stensgard

Original Name : Walter Huston

Gender : Male

Character Name : Captain Koenig

Original Name : Helmut Dantine

Gender : Male

Character Name : Anna Stensgard

Original Name : Ruth Gordon

Gender : Female

Character Name : Gerd Bjarnesen

Original Name : Judith Anderson

Gender : Female

Character Name : Lars Malken

Original Name : Roman Bohnen

Gender : Male

Character Name : Jens Petersen

Original Name : Monte Blue

Gender : Male

Character Name : Hulda (Stensgard maid)

Original Name : Virginia Christine

Gender : Female

Character Name : Sixtus Andresen

Original Name : Morris Carnovsky

Gender : Male

Character Name : Kaspar Torgerson

Original Name : Charles Dingle

Gender : Male

Character Name : Pastor Aalesen

Original Name : Richard Fraser

Gender : Male

Character Name : Knut Osterholm

Original Name : Art Smith

Gender : Male

Character Name : Katja, Koenig's woman

Original Name : Nancy Coleman

Gender : Female

Character Name : Johann Stensgard

Original Name : John Beal

Gender : Male

Character Name : Jensen, the shoemaker

Original Name : Frank Wilcox

Gender : Male

Character Name : Major Ruck

Original Name : Henry Brandon

Gender : Male

Character Name : Hammer

Original Name : Tom Fadden

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mortensen, the tailor

Original Name : Francis Pierlot

Gender : Male

Character Name : German Landing Party Captain

Original Name : Kurt Katch

Gender : Male

Character Name : German Corporal Paul

Original Name : Tonio Selwart

Gender : Male

Character Name : German Lieutenant (uncredited)

Original Name : Louis V. Arco

Gender : Male

Character Name : Townswoman (uncredited)

Original Name : Nora Bush

Gender : Female

Character Name : Cannery Worker (uncredited)

Original Name : Glen Cavender

Gender : Male

Character Name : Soldier (uncredited)

Original Name : Albert Cavens

Gender : Male

Character Name : Townsman (uncredited)

Original Name : Noble 'Kid' Chissell

Gender : Male

Character Name : Townsman (uncredited)

Original Name : Tom Coleman

Gender : Male

Character Name : Townsman (uncredited)

Original Name : Victor Cox

Gender : Male

Character Name : Elderly Sailor (uncredited)

Original Name : William Edmunds

Gender : Male

Character Name : German Pilot (uncredited)

Original Name : Frederick Giermann

Gender : Male

Character Name : Townsman in Church (uncredited)

Original Name : Kit Guard

Gender : Male

Character Name : Townsman (uncredited)

Original Name : Al Haskell

Gender : Male

Character Name : Soldier (uncredited)

Original Name : Kenner G. Kemp

Gender : Male

Character Name : German Co-Pilot (uncredited)

Original Name : Kurt Kreuger

Gender : Male

Character Name : Townswoman (uncredited)

Original Name : Ann Kunde

Gender : Female

Character Name : Village Patriot (uncredited)

Original Name : Walt La Rue

Gender : Male

Character Name : German Lieutenant (uncredited)

Original Name : Rolf Lindau

Gender : Male

Character Name : Winston Churchcill (voice) (uncredited)

Original Name : Dudley Field Malone

Gender : Male

Character Name : Cannery Clerk (uncredited)

Original Name : Torben Meyer

Gender : Male

Character Name : German Soldier (uncredited)

Original Name : Peter Michael

Gender : Male

Character Name : Townsman (uncredited)

Original Name : Robert Milasch

Gender : Male

Character Name : Soldier (uncredited)

Original Name : Ernesto Molinari

Gender : Male

Character Name : Townsman in Church (uncredited)

Original Name : Harry 'Snub' Pollard

Gender : Male

Character Name : Townsman (uncredited)

Original Name : John Rice

Gender : Male

Character Name : Helmut (uncredited)

Original Name : Henry Rowland

Gender : Male

Character Name : Soldier (uncredited)

Original Name : John Roy

Gender : Male

Character Name : Townsman (uncredited)

Original Name : Allen D. Sewall

Gender : Male

Character Name : Soldier (uncredited)

Original Name : Carl Sklover

Gender : Male

Character Name : Soldier (uncredited)

Original Name : Cap Somers

Gender : Male

Character Name : Townsman (uncredited)

Original Name : Ray Spiker

Gender : Male

Character Name : Townsman (uncredited)

Original Name : William Sundholm

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mrs. Frida Malken (uncredited)

Original Name : Helene Thimig

Gender : Female

Character Name : Solveig Brategaard (uncredited)

Original Name : Dorothy Tree

Gender : Female

Character Name : German Soldier (uncredited)

Original Name : Peter van Eyck

Gender : Male

Character Name : German Lieutenant (uncredited)

Original Name : Roland Varno

Gender : Male

Character Name : German Co-Pilot (uncredited)

Original Name : Hans Heinrich von Twardowski

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mrs. Mortensen (uncredited)

Original Name : Lottie Williams

Gender : Female

Character Name : German Officer (uncredited)

Original Name : William Yetter Sr.

Gender : Male

Character Name : Franklin D. Roosevelt (voice) (uncredited)

Original Name : Jack Young

Gender : Male

Character Name :

Original Name : Paul Kruger

Gender : Male

Character Name :

Original Name : George Magrill

Gender : Male

Character Name :

Original Name : Robert R. Stephenson

Gender : Male

Reviews

talisencrw

@talisencrw

2021-06-23

I have always wondered how it must have felt to make a 'wartime' movie about a war you're currently living in, and lately I stumbled upon a quintet of films made during the Second World War with Errol Flynn, of all people, battling the Nazis. Because of it both being by Turner Classic Movies AND had one film directed by Lewis Milestone (with one of the finest anti-war statements ever made, 'All Quiet on the Western Front', under his belt) and the others by none other than Raoul Walsh, I was, pardon the pun, 'in like Flynn'. But as Flynn had been one of my favourite actors of the period simply on the basis of 'The Adventures of Robin Hood', I honestly would have gone for it anyway. Yeah, you could say I love older movies! =) My best friend Earl remarked, 'By the end of WWII, they used up all of the good film titles,' and he probably has a point there, at least with this one, still getting quality usage THREE generations later, and with Mel Gibson to boot. But this was weird for a war film (looking at the resistance put up by a village of 800 Norwegians) bizarrely cast (with Ann Sheridan, Walter Huston, Judith Anderson and Ruth Gordon--all as the GOOD guys!), and had taped speeches by BOTH Churchill and Roosevelt. I read notorious British film critic Leslie Halliwell's review that everything was decent about the film except that it starred Flynn. He couldn't have been more wrong. I'm greatly looking forward to examining the other four films of the set, all directed by one of the most underrated American directors of all time--Raoul Walsh.

CinemaSerf

@Geronimo1967

2022-10-25

This has to be one of my favourite wartime dramas. Certainly it's a bit of a propaganda piece, but this depiction of a peaceful Norwegian fishing village suddenly put under the jackboot of their Nazi oppressors is remarkably potent - even now. Errol Flynn ("Gunnar") takes top billing, but that's really only nominal - it's all about an effective ensemble cast with the likes of Ann Sheridan ("Karen"), Walter Huston ("Stensgard") and the poignant scenes from Morris Carnovsky's educated - and therefore immensely threatening "Andresen" whose treatment by Helmut Dantine's suitably menacing and ruthless "Koenig" are easily the most potent amongst the scenarios in this otherwise rather savage indictment of the bullying and torment suffered by the townsfolk - some even asked to dig their own mass grave. It doesn't shy away from the "Quisling" issue - every town had one, and shows us something of the difficulties faced by his friends and family as it appears that he is playing both sides. There is plenty of stoic resistance - both in the pulpit from pastor "Aalesen" (Richard Fraser) and from this community at large - acts ranging from petty defiance to more effective and lethal responses. These all culminates in a conclusion that is suitably fitting with violence being deservedly visited on them so familiar with it. It's about faith, trust, loyalty and determination and as films of this genre go, I think it takes quite some beating.