''Intermezzo'' (also called ''Intermezzo: A Love Story'') is a 1939 American

romantic film Romance films or movies involve romantic love stories recorded in visual media for broadcast in theatres or on television that focus on passion, emotion, and the affectionate romantic involvement of the main characters. Typically their journey ...

remake of a 1936 Swedish film of the same title. It stars

Leslie Howard Leslie Howard Steiner (3 April 18931 June 1943) was an English actor, director and producer.Obituary ''Variety'', 9 June 1943. He wrote many stories and articles for ''The New York Times'', ''The New Yorker'', and '' Vanity Fair'' and was one ...

as a married virtuoso violinist who falls in love with his accompanist, played by

Ingrid Bergman Ingrid Bergman (29 August 191529 August 1982) was a Swedish actress who starred in a variety of European and American films, television movies, and plays.Obituary ''Variety'', 1 September 1982. With a career spanning five decades, she is often ...

in her Hollywood debut. The film was directed by

Gregory Ratoff Gregory Ratoff (born Grigory Vasilyevich Ratner; russian: Григорий Васильевич Ратнер, tr. ; April 20, c. 1893 – December 14, 1960) was a Russian-born American film director, actor and producer. As an actor, he was bes ...

and produced by David O. Selznick. It features multiple orchestrations of Heinz Provost's title piece, which won a contest associated with the original film's production. The screenplay by George O'Neil was based on that of the original film by

Gösta Stevens Gösta Stevens (1 February 1897 – 24 September 1964) was a Swedish screenwriter and film director. Biography Gösta Stevens began his career as a journalist, but soon began writing couplets for local revues. Stevens offered Karl-Ewert Chri ...

and

Gustaf Molander Gustaf Harald August Molander (18 November 1888 – 19 June 1973) was a Sweden, Swedish actor and film director. His parents were director Harald Molander, Sr. (1858–1900) and singer and actress Lydia Molander, ''née'' Wessler, and his brother ...

. It was produced by

Selznick International Pictures Selznick International Pictures was a Hollywood motion picture studio created by David O. Selznick in 1935, and dissolved in 1943. In its short existence the independent studio produced two films that received the Academy Award for Best Picture� ...

. The score by Lou Forbes was nominated for an

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

,12th Annual Academy Award Nominations
/ref> and music credit was given to

Robert Russell Bennett Robert Russell Bennett (June 15, 1894 – August 18, 1981) was an American composer and arranger, best known for his orchestration of many well-known Broadway and Hollywood musicals by other composers such as Irving Berlin, George Gershwin, ...

Max Steiner Maximilian Raoul Steiner (May 10, 1888 – December 28, 1971) was an Austrian composer and conductor who emigrated to America and went on to become one of Hollywood's greatest musical composers. Steiner was a child prodigy who conducted ...

Heinz Provost The H. J. Heinz Company is an American food processing company headquartered at One PPG Place in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The company was founded by Henry J. Heinz in 1869. Heinz manufactures thousands of food products in plants on six conti ...

and

Christian Sinding Christian August Sinding (11 January 18563 December 1941) was a Norwegian composer. He is best known for his lyrical work for piano '' Frühlingsrauschen'' (Rustle of Spring, 1896). He was often compared to Edvard Grieg and regarded as his succ ...

. The cinematography by

Gregg Toland Gregg Wesley Toland, A.S.C. (May 29, 1904 – September 28, 1948) was an American cinematographer known for his innovative use of techniques such as deep focus, examples of which can be found in his work on Orson Welles' ''Citizen Kane'' (1 ...

, who replaced

Harry Stradling Henry A. Stradling, A.S.C. (September 1, 1901 – February 14, 1970) was an American cinematographer with more than 130 films to his credit. His uncle Walter Stradling, son Harry Stradling Jr. and godson Gerald Perry Finnerman were also cine ...

, was also nominated.

Plot

Holger Brandt, a celebrated virtuoso violinist, meets Anita Hoffman, his daughter's piano instructor, during a trip home. Impressed by Anita's talent, he invites her to accompany him on his next tour. They begin touring together and a passionate relationship ensues. Holger's wife Margit asks him for a divorce. Knowing how much Holger misses his daughter Ann Marie and son Eric, and torn with guilt for breaking up his family, Anita decides to pursue her own career and leaves Holger. Holger returns home to see his children again. He first travels to Ann Marie's school, but as she runs across the street to greet him, she is hit by a car in front of his eyes. He takes the injured Ann Marie back home and confronts his angry son in an attempt to explain his infidelity. To Holger's relief, the doctor informs him that Ann Marie will survive and eventually recover from her injuries. Margit then forgives Holger and welcomes him back into his family.

Cast

as Holger Brandt *

as Anita Hoffman *

Edna Best Edna Clara Best (3 March 1900 – 18 September 1974) was a British actress. Early life Born in Hove, Sussex, England, she was educated in Brighton and later studied dramatic acting under Miss Kate Rorke who was the first professor of Drama at ...

as Margit Brandt * John Halliday as Thomas Stenborg *

Cecil Kellaway Cecil Lauriston Kellaway (22 August 1890 – 28 February 1973) was a South African character actor. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor twice, for '' The Luck of the Irish'' (1948) and ''Guess Who's Coming to Dinne ...

as Charles Moler, The Impresario *

Enid Bennett Enid Eulalie Bennett (15 July 1893 – 14 May 1969) was an Australian silent film actress, mostly active in American film. Early life Bennett was born on 15 July 1893 in York, Western Australia, the daughter of Nellie Mary Louise (''née'' Wa ...

as Greta Stenborg *

Ann E. Todd Ann E. Todd (born Ann Todd Phillips, later Ann Basart or Ann Phillips Basart; August 26, 1931 – February 7, 2020) was an American child actress. As an adult, she became a music reference librarian at University of California, Berkeley. Earl ...

as Ann Marie Brandt (as Ann Todd) * Douglas Scott as Eric Brandt *

Eleanor Wesselhoeft Eleanor () is a feminine given name, originally from an Old French adaptation of the Old Provençal name ''Aliénor''. It is the name of a number of women of royalty and nobility in western Europe during the High Middle Ages. The name was introd ...

as Emma, The Maid *

Marie Flynn Marie may refer to: People Name * Marie (given name) * Marie (Japanese given name) * Marie (murder victim), girl who was killed in Florida after being pushed in front of a moving vehicle in 1973 * Marie (died 1759), an enslaved Cree person in T ...

as Marianne

Production

The musical duets with Howard and Bergman were dubbed for the soundtrack by professional musicians; however, the actors' hands show the actual music being played. Bergman plays the full piano parts (for

Edvard Grieg Edvard Hagerup Grieg ( , ; 15 June 18434 September 1907) was a Norwegian composer and pianist. He is widely considered one of the foremost Romantic era composers, and his music is part of the standard classical repertoire worldwide. His use of ...

's Concerto in A minor and

's " Rustle of Spring"), so her hand positions are correct for the music soundtrack. Howard could not play the violin, so a professional violinist named

Al Sack Al Sack (January 3, 1911 – December 6, 1947) was a Music conductor, conductor, composer, Music arranger, arranger, and violinist whose career spanned from the late 1920s up until his death in 1947. He is primarily associated with his work on rad ...

, who bore a striking resemblance to Howard, was brought in to teach him proper violin posture and bowing technique. During filming, Sack rested on his knees, out of view of the camera, and did the fingering on all of the closeups. In the film, Sack's left hand is shown along with Howard's bowing arm and profile. Sack also doubled for Howard during the long shots in front of the orchestra. ''Ingrid: Ingrid Bergman, a Personal Biography'' (book), Charlotte Chandler, New York: Simon & Schuster, 2007, 334 pages: page 69 quotes Bergman about filming hands and playing piano with her family.

Accolades

The film is recognized by

American Film Institute The American Film Institute (AFI) is an American nonprofit film organization that educates filmmakers and honors the heritage of the motion picture arts in the United States. AFI is supported by private funding and public membership fees. Leade ...

in these lists: * 2002: AFI's 100 Years...100 Passions – Nominated

Radio adaptations and remake

Bergman was heard in a radio adaptation of ''Intermezzo'' on

Lux Radio Theater ''Lux Radio Theatre'', sometimes spelled ''Lux Radio Theater'', a classic radio anthology series, was broadcast on the NBC Blue Network (1934–35) (owned by the National Broadcasting Company, later predecessor of American Broadcasting Company ...

on January 29, 1940, with

Herbert Marshall Herbert Brough Falcon Marshall (23 May 1890 – 22 January 1966) was an English stage, screen and radio actor who starred in many popular and well-regarded Hollywood films in the 1930s and 1940s. After a successful theatrical career in the Uni ...

, and again on June 4, 1945 with

Joseph Cotten Joseph Cheshire Cotten Jr. (May 15, 1905 – February 6, 1994) was an American film, stage, radio and television actor. Cotten achieved prominence on Broadway, starring in the original stage productions of '' The Philadelphia Story'' and ''Sabr ...

. On October 5, 1946, Marshall starred in an adaptation of ''Intermezzo'' on the '' Hollywood Star Time'' radio program. The film was remade as '' Honeysuckle Rose'' in 1980.Halliwell, Leslie ''The Filmgoer's Companion''l

Notes

External links

* * * * *
''Intermezzo''
on

: June 4, 1945 {{DEFAULTSORT:Intermezzo (1939 Film) 1939 films American black-and-white films American remakes of Swedish films Films directed by Gregory Ratoff Selznick International Pictures films United Artists films 1939 romantic drama films Films about classical music and musicians Films about violins and violinists American romantic drama films Films produced by David O. Selznick Films scored by Max Steiner 1930s English-language films 1930s American films