Ever in My Heart

Plot synopsis:
In 1909 in the town of Archedale, Mary Archer (Barbara Stanwyck), an American girl from the prominent Archer family, meets Hugo Wilbrandt (Otto Kruger), a German chemist who knows her childhood friend Jeff (Ralph Bellamy). It had been assumed for years that Mary and Jeff would marry someday, but Mary falls in love with Hugo and he with her. They soon marry and start a family.
Hugo enthustically adopts his new country and becomes an American citizen on the eve of World War I. Allied propaganda soon promotes anti-German sentiment, which eventually costs Hugo his professorship at the local university. Hard times fall on the family, and the Wilbrandt's young son Teddy (Ronnie Cosby) dies. Hugo convinces Mary to return to her parents home with a promise that he will soon follow. Hugo later sends Mary a letter stating that although he is now a citizen, he is not being accepted as an American. He also informs her at the end of the letter that he is returning to Europe to fight for his people. Mary is devastated and divorces Hugo.
Mary volunteers her time in a USO-like organization supporting the American war effort. Mary goes to France where she meets two new arrivals, Martha Sewell (Nella Walker) and Serena Honeywell (Virginia Howell), who are petrified that they will be taken prisoner and ravished by the Germans. Martha even brings along a pistol for protection and poison pills to take if she is captured. Mary quickly confiscates them. The American Army is just about to kick off their Meuse-Argonne Offensive, but there are rumors that nearby there is a German spy who is collecting information. In a canteen, Mary recognizes Hugo dressed in a US Army uniform and urges him to escape because she realizes she still loves him. Hugo leaves just as Jeff arrives looking for the spy. Knowing that Jeff would immediately recognize Hugo, Mary diverts Jeff's attention long enough for Hugo to get away safely.
Upon returning to her room, Mary finds Hugo there and they share a night together. As Hugo prepares to leave, Mary is torn between her love for Hugo and her duty to protect the lives of hundreds of American soldiers. She asks Hugo to delay his departure until dawn and to have a glass of wine with her before he goes. Mary prepares two glasses of wine but secretly drops poison pills in each. They toast their love for each other while troops outside march off to battle.

Tags: murder

Review:
To get the American public in the proper fighting spirit for their inevitable entry into the war, the authorities deliberately and uncritically passed along British propaganda which wildly exaggerated or just plain fabricated German atrocities.
(Sadly for all concerned, real German acts of brutality, especially in the conquered Low Countries, gave this propaganda an air of plausibility.) It's unfortunate that, given its time and circumstances, this movie can only hint at the pervasive ugliness of these manufactured images of the gleefully nun-raping, baby-bayoneting "Bestial Hun", and the vicious persecution it inspired against German immigrants.Though the glimpses it does show are often harrowing, as the story tracks the collapse of the blissful marriage between a professor (Otto Kruger) from Germany who teaches at a small college, and his American wife (Barbara Stanwyck), under the pressure of the growing hatred and intolerance they face from almost everyone around them.
Even if the plot's predictable and the final twist is pretty contrived, and with few exceptions the acting and direction are about what you'd expect from a time when talking pictures were only four years old, I still have to give Warner Brothers some credit simply for having made a film -- even a low-budget "weeper" like this -- showing at least in some small way how war can corrode our humanity on the home front, too.The other major thing this picture has going for it from my point of view is, of course, Barbara Stanwyck: In the moments when she subtly transcends what could otherwise have been just another mawkish, pedestrian melodrama, you can clearly see a great actress who's just beginning to hit her stride.
This is odd, as through most of the war, Americans were roughly divided in half between those who supported the Central Powers (including the Germans) and the Allied Powers--and the average American just wanted us to stay out of the conflict.
German-language newspapers and churches ceased as well.This film was exceptionally well directed, sensitively written and acted and it's obvious Warner Brothers believed in this film.
This actually isn't surprising, as in the early 1930s, Hollywood was very pro-German--as Americans were now having second-thoughts the advisability of their involvement in this war as well as the persecutions of Germans in the country.
Simply stated, people in America were feeling sorry for the Germans---which, ironically, coincided with the rise of fascism (oops--talk about bad timing).In "Ever in My Heart", Mary (Barbara Stanwyck) falls in love with Hugo (Otto Kruger) and they marry.
As the war progresses, however, anti-German sentiments begin to affect Hugo as well as his family.
Suffice to say it's a heck of a good film--and might just bring a tear or two to your eyes.By the way, although Otto Kruger was a fine actor and was very good here, he actually was not a German (despite his excellent German language skills) but his heritage was Dutch..
In a beautifully restrained performance, Barbara Stanwyck plays a Daughter of the American Revolution who marries gentle German immigrant Otto Kruger.
Upon the outbreak of the First World War, they become victimized by anti-German sentiments.With tasteful understatement and an unusual attention to period detail, director Archie L.
Even so, the film's quiet sensitivity stays with you long after.With Ralph Bellamy (as the inevitable jilted boyfriend), Ruth Donnelly, Laura Hope Crews, and Clara Blandick..
Barbara Stanwyck and Otto Kruger star in "Ever in My Heart," a 1933 film directed by Archie Mayo and also starring Ralph Bellamy.Stanwyck plays Mary Archer, who, in 1909, falls in love with a young German, Hugo Wilbrandt (Otto Kruger), a friend of her cousin Jeff (Ralph Bellamy).
When World War I occurs, the anti-German sentiment forces Hugo out of his teaching job and unable to find any other work.
He doesn't; he turns his back on America and returns to Germany to fight the war with the Germans.Mary divorces Hugo and later goes overseas to work for the war effort.
Barbara Stanwyck is wonderful, going from a fresh, young, happy woman to one who has to endure horrible sadness.
Otto Kruger is very effective as well, but this is really Stanwyck's film.
No actress was ever more beautiful than Barbara Stanwyck in this film.
Barbara Stanwyck, World War I, Germans and throw in mystery...sounded like a good old war themed movie.
It was sandwiched just right between the two World Wars to deal with the issues in the film.
It showed the life of a German who married an American in the years before the Great War. Later in the film the War became a major focus and impact upon his life and his family.
Barbara Stanwyck, the gal who could play any role, is American Mary Archer, who is fawning over her cousin "Jeff" (Ralph Bellamy), until she meets the dashing German Hugo Wilbrant (Otto Kruger).
I had seen Stanwyck in Ten Cents a Dance in 1931, and in that one, she was still very much a young girl, in style and appearance; in this film "Ever in my Heart", even though only two years has gone by, she is much more grown up, in looks and in sophistication.
Technically, the acting and story here are just fine, and I guess the plot would soon be a current event again with the coming of WW II, much less still be an issue with world events going on today.
Her best friend/fiancé (Bellamy) returns from Europe with a German friend (Kruger), who sweeps Stanwyck off her feet.
Hardships ensue.Stanwyck is terrific, and Otto Kruger is surprisingly warm and effective in his role.
Ralph Bellamy, of course, played the good-natured slob who lost the girl.The film is a hyperbolic screed against small-town prejudice, and the first half seems forced and simplistic, but picks up in the second half with the onset of the war.
BARBARA STANWYCK gives a very sensitive performance as a perfectly normal young woman whose marriage falls apart after the hostility of townspeople towards her German husband during the period of WWI.
She does a commendable job as a woman who suffers the consequences when friends and colleagues destroy their relationship, showing a sweet and vulnerable side that she seldom exploited in later films.It's a subtle look at a German-American marriage at a time when Germany was launching into World War I.
OTTO KRUGER is cast as her German husband, and he too gives an understated, sympathetic performance that is compelling to watch.Poor RALPH BELLAMY has another one of his hapless roles as a man he describes as "an unromantic bachelor." Nevertheless, he brings energy and eagerness to his role of a man in love with Stanwyck.Stanwyck has a much softer look and is very attractive in the lead.
But, Barbara Stanwyck was absolutely beautiful in this film.
Ever in My Heart (1933) *** (out of 4) Surprising powerful and effective drama from Warner has Otto Kruger playing Hugo Wilbrandt, a German man who comes to live in New England where he's accepted into American society and eventually marries Mary Archer (Barbara Stanwyck), a woman from a proud American family.
There's no question that this was made on the budget of a "B" movie but at the same time you can tell that the studio, directors, actors and writers cared so much about the subject and every inch of the film bleeds a certain love that you can't help but get caught up in their story, feel the pain of the family and at times breathe a bit of hatred for those treating the family in such a bad way.
It's funny to think that at one time filmmakers were ripped apart for showing any type of sympathy towards the German people but I guess after ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT, filmmakers were allowed to show things differently.
It's funny that this movie tries to show the evils of what some Americans did while back in the days that this story actually took place Hollywood were turning out all sorts of propaganda, which probably helped fuel the fire of many Americans.
With that said, this is an extremely powerful movie at times and this is especially true in a couple scenes that once you see you'll unlikely to ever forget.
I always say being able to act with your eyes is a very difficult thing to do but I was constantly watching Kruger's eyes, which said so much during the various important parts of the film.
Stanwyck is also extremely good in her role of the wife who finds your life falling apart when just months before it was perfect.
EVER IN MY HEART lasts just under 70- minutes and one would think that wouldn't be enough time to really get deep into the serious subject matter but it actually works out perfectly because the mind frames of people in this country turned on a dime back when the war started and I think the film, running as fast as it does, did a terrific job showing this..
It doesn't fit Well into any Category and it isn't Exactly a Good Time at the Bijou.It is a Story about American Propaganda and Prejudice with the Persecution of People on the Homefront that Our Country is at War. Still goes on Today.
This is WWI and the German-Americans were the Victims in this Film.
Released in 1933 (a decade plus after the War ended), it is Interesting to Note that the Original NY Times Reviewer Chastised Hollywood saying that this is Old News (Germans being Ostracized in America during the War) so why did they even bother.Really.
To be Mindful of Propaganda and Bigotry, and Prejudice.Overall this Movie with Barbara Stanwyck and Otto Kruger is Quite Gripping and although the Final Act is Overdone for a Finality that is Contrived, the Remainder of the Film Manages to Draw the Audience into its Message that Love Outside the Family and Yes, Outside the Country can be Acceptable and Even Preferable than Marrying One's Cousin..
If you don't like tearjerkers, pick a different Barbara Stanwyck movie from the pre-Code era, like Illicit or Night Nurse.Set in the years before WWI, and made years before WWII, the film discusses anti-German prejudice in small-town America.
Barbara Stanwyck and Otto Kruger fall in love at first sight, and once her family gets over the fact that he's a foreigner, they get married.
Otto is a respected teacher and lecturer, and in an extremely touching scene, he celebrates getting his American citizenship with his family and friends.
The happy days for Barbara and Otto are about to dwindle.Once again, there are some pretty sad parts to this movie.
Barbara and Otto have a tender, loving relationship in the first half of the film, but when the prejudice affects their family, their lives get torn apart.
Even with the strong social message, there is a bit of German prejudice still present in the screenplay, as if Hollywood couldn't let Otto be a completely good guy.
Overall, it's nice to see Barbara Stanwyck in a role that utilizes her sweetness and toughness all at once; just be prepared for some drama.Kiddy Warning: Obviously, you have control over your own children.
Although the script is better than most of Miss Stanwyck's roles of the period, this story, like most of her early roles, creaks, this time with unhappy sincerity and an over-the-top ending.
unreasoning prejudice against German Americans during World War I.
and Albert shelved this particular item.At the turn of the last century Barbara Stanwyck meets and marries German
teaching chemistry at a college.All that changes when World War I starts and Stanwyck and Kruger suffer a series of setbacks and tragedies culminating with Kruger losing his citizenship
marry a German.Stanwyck delivers a good performance and Kruger underplays his tragic role
If you want to see a well crafted film you are in the right place, but if you are in the mood to be cheered up you are absolutely in the wrong place.The film concerns the trials and tribulations of a marriage between a German college professor and his New England socialite wife set in the years 1909-1918.
Mary Archer (Barbara Stanwyck) was born to one of those New England families that for some reason thinks it is a great personal accomplishment to exit the birth canal of someone whose ancestors landed on Plymouth Rock.
However, one day in 1909 he brings over a friend of his, German Hugo Wilbrandt (Otto Kruger).
It's love at first sight for Mary and Hugo and the whirlwind courtship and marriage is shocking to Mary's blue blood relatives who receive Hugo somewhat coolly.Hugo gets a job at a small college as a chemistry professor, Mary gives birth to their son, and they get a small dog - a dachshund - that actually becomes a rather important part of the plot.
Hugo even becomes an American citizen and the couple's friends give Hugo a loving cup in commemoration of his naturalization - all is good.
That's exactly what happens to the Wilbrandts after the sinking of the Lusitania when all of their friends and associates and even relatives turn against them because of Hugo's German heritage.
Jeff admits that Mary has always been the only girl for him and states that the tragic end of her marriage to Hugo was caused by her not "sticking with her own kind".
Good little Warners soap, up to a point--and at that point it veers off into ridiculous plot coincidence and a rushed, depressing ending.
Stanwyck contributes even more expressiveness than her considerable usual, and Kruger is an appealing leading man, until the wild contortions of the plot lead us to hate him, after the movie's spent three-quarters of its time cementing our allegiance to him.
Warners, always wanting to be The Socially Conscious Studio, registers some truths about American prejudice that must have rung true and discomfiting a decade after the war.
Yes, this is one of the most tragic stories I have ever seen put to film.
A young woman (Barbara Stanwyck) is in love with Ralph Bellamy, but then falls in love with Otto Kruger, a German national who is visiting Bellamy.
Stanwyck and Kruger get married, have a child...and a dog...and are living a happy life until World War I breaks out.
The community turns against them because of Kruger's former German citizenship, even though before the war he became an American citizen.
Barely subsisting, Stanwyck goes to live with family, and instead of following her "before Christmas", Kruger returns to Germany a bitter repatriate.
There he becomes a spy for the Germans, and by great coincidence Stanwyck (as a worker at a canteen), Kruger, and Bellamy (in the army) all end up at the same place near the front.
Kruger is there to spy on troop movements, which will endanger the lives of thousands of Americans including Bellamy and Stanwyck's brother.
One last night together, then Stanwyck poisons a last toast of wine between her and Kruger, and they both die before he can pass on his information to the Germans.The problem here is not the story.
Yes, you have to suspend belief a bit to imagine the 3 principals would all end up near the front at the same time, but then again, most films require us to suspend belief.
A couple of years later, I suspect a slightly longer film (this is only 68 minutes long) would have eliminated gaps and filled in the story nicely.Stanwyck is excellent here.
And, Laura Hope Crews is here as the grandmother (Crews was later Aunt Pittypat in "Gone With The Wind").As indicated, the film has its flaws, but is well worth watching as a reminder that Americans are not always uplifting, kind, and generous people.
This is a tragic war story, a paints a sad picture of how our society can behave at times..
I am aware that things like this happened at this time, in fact my own family, which is German in heritage and last name, had things like this happen to them in the UK.
If you are the kind of person that doesn't need this sort of thing presented as "entertainment" (even in a good cause) you might want to avoid this film, in spite of the wonderful Barbara Stanwyck..
The same year that Adolph Hitler became chancellor of Germany, Warner Brothers released this movie set during the days just before World War I where young Barbara Stanwyck, preparing to marry the handsome Ralph Bellamy, falls in love at first sight with his German born pal Otto Kruger.
Perhaps there's good reason, as the marriage seems to fail, and Kruger suddenly disappears, just as the Lusitania is sunk and war is declared.
Stanwyck ends up working in France along side Bellamy and suddenly recognizes a rather sullen soldier to be her estranged husband, with the revelation of where his loyalties lie and the decision she makes to change the destinies of both of them, as well as the war itself.This is perhaps the only film where Otto Kruger played the leading male part, and while he is a fine character actor, a romantic idol he is not.
Unlike other older actors she's been paired with in other films, there's supposed to be a heat between them to generate some sort of passion, but even the staid Bellamy has more passion than Kruger can generate.
Ironically, Blandick (like Bellamy in the Frank Capra film "Forbidden") had played a villainous role opposite Stanwyck the year before in "Shopworn", but here, she is much kinder and supportive.
This is unfortunately a weird film that doesn't quite express an anti-war sentiment but gives a paranoia about German immigrants that would grow increasingly stronger over the next few years as Hitler's agenda became obvious and the world headed into another war.
Stanwyck gives her typically sincere performance, but the stunning ending sort of came out of nowhere, leaving me completely disappointed over the rest of the film that didn't generate the needed heat to deserve such a surprising twist.