''The Fountain'' is a 1934 film starring

Ann Harding Ann Harding (born Dorothy Walton Gatley; August 7, 1902 – September 1, 1981) was an American theatre, motion picture, radio, and television actress. A regular player on Broadway and in regional theater in the 1920s, in the 1930s Harding was ...

. It was directed by John Cromwell and distributed by RKO Pictures. This film is preserved in the

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The libra ...

collection.

Plot

"A romantic drama concerning an exiled Englishwoman living in

Holland Holland is a geographical regionG. Geerts & H. Heestermans, 1981, ''Groot Woordenboek der Nederlandse Taal. Deel I'', Van Dale Lexicografie, Utrecht, p 1105 and former Provinces of the Netherlands, province on the western coast of the Netherland ...

during the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

, who has to tell her wounded German husband that she has fallen in love with an interned British flyer (and childhood friend)."Canham, 1976 p. 122: Filmography section. The entire plot summary is paraphrased here from Canham source.

Cast

as Julie von Marwitz *

Brian Aherne William Brian de Lacy Aherne (2 May 190210 February 1986) was an English actor of stage, screen, radio and television, who enjoyed a long and varied career in Britain and the United States. His first Broadway appearance in '' The Barretts of ...

as Lewis Alison * Paul Lukas as Rupert von Marwitz *

Jean Hersholt Jean Pierre Carl Buron (12 July 1886 – 2 June 1956), known professionally as Jean Hersholt, was a Danish-American actor. He is best known for starring on the radio series '' Dr. Christian'' (1937–1954) and in the film '' Heidi'' (1937).Obitu ...

as Baron Van Leyden *

Ralph Forbes Ralph Forbes (born Ralph Forbes Taylor; 30 September 1904 – 31 March 1951) was an English film and stage actor active in Britain and the United States. Early life Forbes was born in Wandsworth, London, the son of Ernest John "E.J." and Eth ...

as Ballaster * Violet Kemble Cooper as Baroness Van Leyden * Sara Haden as Susie * Richard Abbott as Allard Van Leyden *

Barbara Barondess Barbara Barondess (July 4, 1907 – May 31, 2000) was an American stage and film actress. Pitts p.234 She was married to the actor Douglas MacLean from 1938 to 1948. Selected filmography * '' The Reckless Lady'' (1926) * ''Summer Bachelors'' (1 ...

as Geof's wife *

Rudolph Anders Rudolph Anders (December 17, 1895 – March 27, 1987) was a German character actor who came to the United States after the rise of Hitler, and appeared in numerous American films in the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s. Biography He was born Rudol ...

as Geof Van Leyden *

Betty Alden Betty or Bettie is a name, a common diminutive for the names Bethany and Elizabeth. In Latin America, it is also a common diminutive for the given name Beatriz, the Spanish and Portuguese form of the Latin name Beatrix and the English name Bea ...

as Allard's wife *

Ian Wolfe Ian Marcus Wolfe (November 4, 1896 – January 23, 1992) was an American character actor with around 400 film and television credits. Until 1934, he worked in the theatre. That year, he appeared in his first film role and later television, as a ...

as Van Arkel *

Frank Reicher Frank Reicher (born Franz Reicher; December 2, 1875 – January 19, 1965) was a German-born American actor, director and producer. He is best known for playing Captain Englehorn in the 1933 film ''King Kong''. Early life Reicher was born in Mu ...

as Doctor * Douglas Wood as de Greve *

Ferike Boros Ferike Boros (3 August 1873 – 16 January 1951) was a Hungarian-born American stage and movie actress. Biography Ferike Weinstock was born in Nagyvárad, Austria-Hungary, in 1873, Boros was on stage starting in 1893. She moved to London in 19 ...

as Nurse

Footnotes

References

*Canham, Kingsley. 1976. ''The Hollywood Professionals, Volume 5: King Vidor, John Cromwell, Mervyn LeRoy.'' The Tantivy Press, London.

External links

* * 1934 films 1934 romantic drama films American romantic drama films American black-and-white films Films scored by Max Steiner Films based on British novels Films set in the Netherlands RKO Pictures films American World War I films Films with screenplays by Jane Murfin Films directed by John Cromwell 1930s English-language films 1930s American films {{1930s-romantic-drama-film-stub