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First Comes Courage Photos

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Movie Info

Beautiful Norwegian woman Nicole Larsen (Merle Oberon) is dedicated to the local resistance movement, and seduces Nazi officer Paul Dichter (Carl Esmond) in order to gain information that will help to defeat the Germans. Complicating matters for Nicole are both the difficulty of her loathsome undercover work and the appearance of an old flame, handsome English soldier Allan Lowell (Brian Aherne), who would like nothing more than to reunite with her.

Genre:

war
Original Language:

English
Director:

Dorothy Arzner
Runtime:

1h 28m

Cast & Crew

Merle Oberon
Nicole Larsen

Brian Aherne
Capt. Allan Lowell

Carl Esmond
Maj. Paul Dichter

Dorothy Arzner
Director

Critic Reviews for First Comes Courage

All Critics (5) | Top Critics (3) | Fresh (4) | Rotten (1)

While the ending of First Comes Courage is a little far-fetched... You won't mind because the events leading up to that are presented convincingly, thanks to Dorothy Arzner, who directed this film with a great deal of skill.

December 22, 2020 | Rating: 3/4 | Full Review…

Wanda Hale
New York Daily News
[The stars] play with a nice sincerity and Dorothy Arzner has given them and the slightly frayed material the benefit of her sound directional talent.

December 22, 2020 | Full Review…

Mildred Martin
Philadelphia Inquirer
Aherne and Miss Oberon are convincing actors and make the old stuff look up-to-date and even worthwhile. The shoddiness is of story rather than acting or direction.

December 22, 2020 | Full Review…

Marjory Adams
Boston Globe
Merle Oberon plays with the verve of a wooden doll, Brian Aherne's commando is a bore, and Carl Esmond's Nazi a stodge. The action is fumbled by bad direction.

April 2, 2019 | Full Review…

Josephine O'Neill
Daily Telegraph (Australia)
This WWII propganda film, starring Merle Oberon as a spy, is the last festure to be directed by Dorothy Arzner, the only female director during the studio system.

January 7, 2011 | Rating: B- | Full Review…

Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com