''Ever in My Heart'' is a 1933 American pre-Code

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super-g ...

directed by Archie Mayo and starring

Barbara Stanwyck Barbara Stanwyck (; born Ruby Catherine Stevens; July 16, 1907 – January 20, 1990) was an American actress, model and dancer. A stage, film, and television star, during her 60-year professional career she was known for her strong, realistic sc ...

Otto Kruger Otto Kruger (September 6, 1885 – September 6, 1974) was an American actor, originally a Broadway matinee idol, who established a niche as a charming villain in films, such as Hitchcock's ''Saboteur''. He also appeared in CBS's ''Perry Mason'' a ...

, and Ralph Bellamy. It portrays the tragic consequences of the virulent

propaganda Propaganda is communication that is primarily used to influence or persuade an audience to further an agenda, which may not be objective and may be selectively presenting facts to encourage a particular synthesis or perception, or using loaded ...

that spread false stories of atrocities and stigmatized anything German during the Great War.

Plot

In 1909 in the town of Archedale, Mary Archer, an American girl from the prominent Archer family, meets Hugo Wilbrandt, a German chemist who knows her cousin and childhood sweetheart Jeff. 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 World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. 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 Wilbrandts' young son Teddy 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 and Serena Honeywell, 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 U.S. 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.

Cast

as Mary Archer Wilbrandt *

as Hugo Wilbrandt * Ralph Bellamy as Jeff * Ruth Donnelly as Lizzie *

Laura Hope Crews Laura Hope Crews (December 12, 1879 – November 12, 1942) was an American actress who is best remembered today for her later work as a character actress in motion pictures of the 1930s. Her best-known film role was Aunt Pittypat in ''Gone ...

as Grandma Caroline Archer * Frank Albertson as Sam Archer * Ronnie Cosby as Teddy Wilbrandt * Clara Blandick as Anna * Elizabeth Patterson as Clara Tuttle, canteen worker * Willard Robertson as Kennel Caretaker * Nella Walker as Martha Sewell *

Harry Beresford Harry J. Beresford (4 November 1863 – 4 October 1944) was an English-born actor on the American stage and in motion pictures. He used the professional name Harry J. Morgan early in his career. Career Harry Beresford began his acting career i ...

as Eli * Virginia Howell as Serena Honeywell *

Ethel Wales Ethel Wales (April 4, 1878 – February 15, 1952) was an American actress who appeared in more than 130 films during her 30-year career. Biography Born in 1878 in Passaic, New Jersey, Wales graduated from "Wisconsin university". Wales had ...

as Miss Honeywell, canteen worker * Wallis Clark as Enoch Sewell (uncredited) * Frank Reicher as Dr. Hoffman (uncredited)

Production

Star Barbara Stanwyck did not look back with favor on the five films she made under contract to Warner Bros., which were generally referred to as "women's programmers" or "weepers", although it has been noted that " me of Stanwyck's finest performances come from

hose A hose is a flexible hollow tube designed to carry fluids from one location to another. Hoses are also sometimes called ''pipes'' (the word ''pipe'' usually refers to a rigid tube, whereas a hose is usually a flexible one), or more generally '' ...

early pictures."

Beulah Marie Dix Beulah Marie Dix (December 25, 1876 – September 25, 1970) was an American screenwriter of the silent and sound film eras, as well as a playwright and author of novels and children's books. She wrote for more than 55 films between 1917 an ...

, who co-wrote the story ''Ever in My Heart'' was based on, and whose career as a screenwriter bridged the silent and sound eras, founded the screenplay department of the

Famous Players-Lasky Famous Players-Lasky Corporation was an American motion picture and distribution company formed on June 28, 1916, from the merger of Adolph Zukor's Famous Players Film Company—originally formed by Zukor as Famous Players in Famous Plays—and t ...

studio with

Cecil B. DeMille Cecil Blount DeMille (; August 12, 1881January 21, 1959) was an American film director, producer and actor. Between 1914 and 1958, he made 70 features, both silent and sound films. He is acknowledged as a founding father of the American cinem ...

's brother William DeMille.

Reception

TCM writer Greg Ferrara observed that "''Ever in My Heart'' has fallen into obscurity but deserves a revival of interest. It covers difficult subject matter in a surprisingly straightforward and honest manner and though its story takes place during World War I, it has much to say about some of the very things that affect so many people today, all over the world. It remains relevant and most importantly, remains one of

's best early efforts."

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Ever In My Heart 1933 films 1933 romantic drama films American romantic drama films American black-and-white films American World War I films Films directed by Archie Mayo Films set in 1909 Films set in the 1910s Warner Bros. films Films set on the United States home front during World War I 1930s English-language films 1930s American films Films scored by Bernhard Kaun Anti-German sentiment in the United States Films about racism in the United States