The British Anglican nurse Edith Cavell deserve a lot more and then she has received in history. Two movies have been made about her life, a silent film and this British film made by RKO directed by Herbert Wilcox and starring his beautiful wife, Anna Neagle, probably the most popular British actress of the 1930's. Working in Brussels, Nurse Cavell dedicated her life to save in her patients, and when world war broke out, she devoted her time saving the injured prisoners-of-war who would seek her health, and then she would add them in escaping from German wrath. With the help of Countess Edna May Oliver, sweet May Robson and sardonic Zasu Pitts, Edith went out of her way to save as many lives as she could be regardless of their nationality. Because of that, she became an enemy of the German empire, and ended up on trial for treason.
Although this definitely has an American flavor about it, it is a British film, made with both British and American stars, and featuring solid performances and an excellent screenplay. George Sanders and H.B. Warner costar, with Sanders adding another imperious German to his stable of villains. Robson, who played characters both sweet and aggressive, is completely vulnerable in this part, a fart contrast to her usual array of feisty old ladies. Oliver, the premier grand dame of the late 1930's and early 1940's, shows once again that a seemingly sour disposition doesn't necessarily mean a sour heart. Pitts gets the most amusing lines, avoiding her figgity hand wringing and not once uttering "oh dear". There is also a very nice Christmas sequence at the very beginning where ailing children are visited by Santa.
As for the ending, it is quite disturbing, and even though there were other ways that the Germans could have dealt with nurse Edith, the punishment seems unnecessarily cruel and created an even more anti-German feeling during the first World War. Because of her constant casting as real life hero with women, I initially presume this and an eagle film should be another variation of a Florence Nightingale like heroine (whom she did play later on) but was impressed by the actual story. It deserves to be remade today to show the power of women doing the right thing during wartime, and obviously Dame Maggie Smith would be perfect in the Edna May Oliver role. The strength of nurse Edith as she faces her fate is quite profound, and needles performance is filled with subtleties that makes the film all the more touching.
Although this definitely has an American flavor about it, it is a British film, made with both British and American stars, and featuring solid performances and an excellent screenplay. George Sanders and H.B. Warner costar, with Sanders adding another imperious German to his stable of villains. Robson, who played characters both sweet and aggressive, is completely vulnerable in this part, a fart contrast to her usual array of feisty old ladies. Oliver, the premier grand dame of the late 1930's and early 1940's, shows once again that a seemingly sour disposition doesn't necessarily mean a sour heart. Pitts gets the most amusing lines, avoiding her figgity hand wringing and not once uttering "oh dear". There is also a very nice Christmas sequence at the very beginning where ailing children are visited by Santa.
As for the ending, it is quite disturbing, and even though there were other ways that the Germans could have dealt with nurse Edith, the punishment seems unnecessarily cruel and created an even more anti-German feeling during the first World War. Because of her constant casting as real life hero with women, I initially presume this and an eagle film should be another variation of a Florence Nightingale like heroine (whom she did play later on) but was impressed by the actual story. It deserves to be remade today to show the power of women doing the right thing during wartime, and obviously Dame Maggie Smith would be perfect in the Edna May Oliver role. The strength of nurse Edith as she faces her fate is quite profound, and needles performance is filled with subtleties that makes the film all the more touching.