A Time to Love and a Time to Die (1958)

Director:

Douglas Sirk

Writers:

Orin Jannings (writer)
Erich Maria Remarque (novel)

Release Date:

15 September 1958 (Sweden)

Genre:

Drama | Romance | War

Tagline:

Born out of the blazing passions of war!

Plot:

In 1944, a company of German soldiers on the Russian front are numbed by the horrors and hardships of...

Plot Keywords:

Small Town | Soldier | Fascism | Melodrama | Nazi

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 2 nominations

Cast

John Gavin	...	Ernst Graeber
Liselotte Pulver	...	Elizabeth Kruse Graeber (as Lilo Pulver)
Jock Mahoney	...	Immerman
Don DeFore	...	Hermann Boettcher
Keenan Wynn	...	Reuter
Erich Maria Remarque	...	Professor Pohlmann
Dieter Borsche	...	Captain Rahe
Barbara Rütting	...	Woman Guerrilla
Thayer David	...	Oscar Binding
Charles Régnier	...	Joseph
Dorothea Wieck	...	Frau Lieser
Kurt Meisel	...	Heini
Agnes Windeck	...	Frau Witte
Clancy Cooper	...	Sauer
John Van Dreelen	...	Political Officer
Klaus Kinski	...	Gestapo Lieutenant
Alice Treff	...	Frau Langer
Alexander Engel	...	Mad Air Raid Warden
Jim Hutton	...	Hirschland (as Dana J. Hutton)
Bengt Lindström	...	Steinbrenner
Wolf Harnisch	...	Sergeant Muecke
Karl Ludwig Lindt	...	Dr. Karl Fresenburg
Lisa Helwig	...	Frau Kleinert
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Paul Frees	...	Several characters (voice) (uncredited)
Alexander Welbat	...	Otto Binding (uncredited)
Ralf Wolter	...	Feldmann, the taylor (uncredited)

Directed by
Douglas Sirk

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Orin Jannings		writer
Erich Maria Remarque		novel

Produced by
Robert Arthur	....	producer

Original Music by
Miklós Rózsa

Cinematography by
Russell Metty

Film Editing by
Ted J. Kent

Art Direction by
Alexander Golitzen
Alfred Sweeney

Set Decoration by
Russell A. Gausman

Costume Design by
Bill Thomas

Makeup Department
Bud Westmore	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Norman Deming	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Michael Braun	....	assistant director
Joseph E. Kenney	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Leslie I. Carey	....	sound
Vernon W. Kramer	....	sound

Special Effects by
Whitey McMahon	....	special effects
Clifford Stine	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Clifford Stine	....	special photography

Music Department
Eugene Zador	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Heinz Götze	....	assistant: Mr. Deming
Herman Ulbricht	....	technical advisor: military
Eva Ebner	....	script supervisor (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Universal International Pictures (UI)

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (1958) (USA) (theatrical)
• Kartes Video (19??) (USA) (VHS) (pan/scan)

Also Known As:

Will o' the Wisp

Runtime:

132 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | German | Russian

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo | Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

West Germany:12 (f) | Finland:K-16 | West Germany:12 | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

Berlin, Germany

Company:

Universal International Pictures (UI)

Trivia:

Jim Hutton's movie debut.

Quotes:

Professor Pohlmann: Without doubt, there would be no need for faith.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Assis dans le noir - Wesley Strick parle du secret de Douglas Sirk (2007) (V)

Soundtrack:

A TIME TO LOVE

An excellent film that is really not just a war film nor just a romance film.

I'm not one to watch really any film that seems to have romance in it set during war. However, the first time I watched this movie, I was really amazed at how well it was done as well as the most excellent cast for a movie and the realism that it showed. Also, I do not care for films with much romancing in it however, I liked this film and how the romance between a German Soldier and some Fraulein; was shown.

Young German soldier returns to a devastated hometown on leave from the Eastern Front. First he tries to locate his family after discovering their home was destroyed on some bombing raid. Whilst looking for family, he runs into an old professor of his as well as his daughter. During his time on leave, he falls in love with this girl and they eventually get married. Also, the professor had been arrested for some reason and was shucked away to some interrogation center - which really was a Concentration Camp. Sometime later in the movie, this soldier discovers the professors fate.

During his leave, this soldier befriends and teams up with another soldier--who is also looking for a loved one. Don DeFore excellently plays that soldier. Also in the film in memorable roles include: Keenan Wynn as a rich German Corporal, Jock Mahoney as Steinbrenner, a "crack" machine-gunner who is in Gavin's (Graebers) platoon, as well as a very young Dana "Jim" Hutton, as a young German soldier in Graebers platoon.

I do not want to spoil what happens at the end of this movie but will say that Graeber gets sent back to his platoon somewhere on the Eastern Front.

This movie is so good that it really deserves to be released on DVD. It is in color and the sound is excellent.