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The Road Back (1937) More at IMDbPro »


Overview

User Rating:
7.9/10   43 votes
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Down 17% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
James Whale
Writers:
Charles Kenyon (writer)
Erich Maria Remarque (novel)
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Contact:
View company contact information for The Road Back on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
1 June 1937 (USA) more
Genre:
Drama more
Plot:
After World War I, a group of former German soldiers try to adjust to civilian life. | add synopsis
User Comments:
Homecoming 1918 more (2 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)
John 'Dusty' King ... Ernst
Richard Cromwell ... Ludwig
Slim Summerville ... Tjaden
Maurice Murphy ... Albert
Andy Devine ... Willy
Larry J. Blake ... Weil
John Emery ... Captain Von Hagen
Henry Hunter ... Bethke
Noah Beery Jr. ... Wessling
Eugene Gericke ... Giesicke (as Gene Garrick)
Barbara Read ... Lucy
Spring Byington ... Ernst's Mother
Frank Reicher ... Ernst's Father
Marilyn Harris ... Maria - Ernst's Sister
Jean Rouverol ... Elsa
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Additional Details

Runtime:
97 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono
Certification:
Finland:K-16

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Stuntman George Daly was killed in an accidental explosion while filming a stunt for this picture. more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in She's Alive! Creating the Bride of Frankenstein (1999) more
Soundtrack:
Mademoiselle from Armentieres more

FAQ

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2 out of 2 people found the following comment useful.
Homecoming 1918, 2 November 2008
7/10
Author: zolaaar from Berlin, GER

Remarque's novel (which I haven't read) Der Weg zurück/The Road Back is a sequel to his All Quiet on the Western Front. Whale's (or rather Universal's) The Road Back has Slim Summerville as Tjaden again and mentions the names of Kat, Detering and Paul Bäumer in order to directly tie on the preceding film's success. Without success. Surely, The Road Back has a great first half, but, alas, a second half which does not hold up very well. Whale's excellent talent in directing is apparent, but as soon as the German soldiers arrive at home after World War I, it drifts too much into sentiment and pathos, without holding back the one or the other really powerful scene, (especially the one in the mental hospital) and some truly wonderful performances by Slim Summerville and Andy Devine. The choreography of the mass scene towards the end is impressive as well (which resembles Eisenstein's famous Odessa shots a lot). So, it's not really forgettable, but slight disappointment nonetheless.

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Related Links

Full cast and crew Company credits IMDb Drama section
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