''Florian'' is a 1940 American romantic drama film directed by Edwin L. Marin, and starring Robert Young and Helen Gilbert. It is loosely based on the novel '' Florian'' by

Felix Salten Felix Salten (; 6 September 1869 – 8 October 1945) was an Austro-Hungarian author and literary critic in Vienna. Life and death Salten was born Siegmund Salzmann on 6 September 1869 in Pest, Austria-Hungary. His father was Fülöp Salzmann, t ...

Plot

A young groom, Anton, has grown up in

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

a friend of the duchess, Diana, despite their differences in social class. Anton trains a gifted stallion, Florian, for her father, the emperor. Archduke Oliver is the intended husband for the emperor's daughter, but he is killed in battle. When war ravages the country, Anton is able to assist Diana in crossing the Switzerland border to safety. But he is arrested on returning home. The horse, Florian, is sold to Max Borelli, a carnival worker from

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

who takes him there, then treats him abusively and eventually sells the horse for a fraction of its worth. Anton is freed and, accompanied by Dr. Hofer, his veterinarian, travels to New York to begin a new life. While he is there, Anton manages to find Florian, return him to good health and make him the splendid horse he used to be. Diana becomes aware of their presence and all are happily reunited.

Cast

* Robert Young as Anton Erban * Helen Gilbert as Duchess Diana *

Charles Coburn Charles Douville Coburn (June 19, 1877 – August 30, 1961) was an American actor and theatrical producer. He was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Academy Award three times – in ''The Devil and Miss Jones'' (1941), '' The More the M ...

as Dr. Johannes Hofer *

Lee Bowman Lee Bowman (December 28, 1914 – December 25, 1979) was an American film and television actor. According to one obituary, "his roles ranged from romantic lead to worldly, wisecracking lout in his most famous years". Career Born in Cincinnati, ...

as Archduke Oliver *

Reginald Owen John Reginald Owen (5 August 1887 – 5 November 1972) was a British actor. He was known for his many roles in British and American films and television programs. Career The son of Joseph and Frances Owen, Reginald Owen studied at Sir Herbert ...

as Emperor Franz Josef * Lucile Watson as Countess *

Irina Baronova Irina Mikhailovna Baronova FRAD (; 13 March 1919 – 28 June 2008) was a Russian ballerina and actress who was one of the Baby Ballerinas of the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, discovered by George Balanchine in Paris in the 1930s. She created ...

as Trina *

Rand Brooks Arlington Rand Brooks Jr. (September 21, 1918 – September 1, 2003) was an American film and television actor. Early life Brooks was born in Wright City, Missouri. He was the son of Arlington Rand Brooks, a farmer. His mother and he moved ...

as Victor * S. Z. Sakall as Max * William B. Davidson as Archduke Franz Ferdinand * George Lloyd as Marco Borelli * George Irving as Bantry *

Charles Judels Charles Judels (August 17, 1882 - February 14, 1969) was a Dutch-born American actor. Early years Judels was born on August 17, 1882, in Amsterdam as a third generation in a family of actors. His grandfather owned several theatres throughout t ...

as Editor * Adrian Morris as Cpl. Ernst

External links

* * 1940 films American romantic drama films Films about horses Films directed by Edwin L. Marin Films set in Vienna Films set in the 1910s Films scored by Franz Waxman Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films Films based on works by Felix Salten 1940 romantic drama films American black-and-white films 1940s historical romance films American historical romance films Films with screenplays by Noel Langley 1940s English-language films 1940s American films {{romantic-drama-film-stub