Hollywood (Jan - Mar 1943)

a fishing wharf scene on location at Monterey. For hours they had worked in the nose-wrinkling atmosphere of dead fish. Everything was in readiness for Errol Flynn and Ann Sheridan to go into their scene when Errol drew a gayly wrapped package from behind his back and presented it to Ann with a low bow. "A little something to inspire you, dear," he said. "Thanks, pal, I can stand a little inspiration about now," Ann answered and began to unwrap her present. It was a dead carp with a pink bow tied through its gills! Ann let fly. Errol ducked. The dead carp caught Director Lewis Milestone squarely amidships. The story of Edge of Darkness, adapted from the novel by William Woods, begins with a Nazi flight patrol over the fictional Norwegian fishing village of Trollness. No response can be raised from the town and the Norwegian flag, instead of the Swastika, is seen flying from the main building. German troops are rushed from Bergen and find the town a shambles; obviously it has been a fight to the death between the villagers and the Nazis. The only living soul to be found is a mad man who runs down the street babbling crazily. The headquarters office of Koenig, the German commandant, too is empty; a bullet hole has punctured one letter on his nameplate on the door. "Well, Koenig. I wish you were here to tell us what really happened," the investigating officer muses. A cutback then reveals the story, which begins with evidence of an incipient rebellion by the villagers against the German occupation forces. Ringleader of the movement is Gunner Brogge, strong and handsome young fisherman. Working in close alliance with him is fiery Karen Stensgard whose father, the town doctor, questions the wisdom of trying to fight, and whose brother, Johann, has turned quisling in faroff Oslo where he had been studying. The movement is without arms, however, and is beginning to lose all hope when word comes that weapons will be smuggled to them from a British submarine. Until then the watchword must be "Wait" and all indignities and abuses borne in bitter silence. Finally the arms are received as promised, but before the plans can be perfected, the villagers are betrayed by Johann. When the hidden weapons can not be found, the rage of the Nazis mounts and culminates in the killing of Andresen and a brutal assault upon Karen. Brogge makes no move to avenge her, knowing it would destroy any chance of the rebellion. Her father, however, goes berserk and kills the commandant, thus touching off the battle between the townspeople and the Nazis who, unbeknownst to the town have been heavily reinforced. Doomed though they are, the villagers fight on to the sweeping climax of the story. In addition to Flynn as Brogge. Ann Sheridan as Karen, John Beal as Johann, Walter Huston as Dr. Stensgard, and Nancy Coleman as Katja, a featherbrained Polish girl who has turned camp follower, the cast boasts a magnificent roster of Broadway's illustrious names. Judith Anderson is seen in the powerful role of Gerd, Ruth Gordon is Mrs. Stensgard, Morris Carnovsky is Andresen, Charles Dingle is Torgersen, Tonio Selwart is Paul, Tom Fadden is Hammer, Henry Brandon is Major Ruck, Roman Bohnen is Malken, Helmut Dantine (he was the German flyer in Mrs. Miniver) is Koenig, the commandant, and Helene Thimig, wife of Max Reinhardt, is Frida. All names to conjure with, those! "Actors' actors," they call them, which is a coveted accolade indeed! Three weeks filming of the picture was done on the Monterey peninsula in northern California, which necessitated transporting 200 members of the cast and crew to that spot. (And being quartered in the fashionable Del Monte resort hotel.) Only in that section of California do the pine trees and coastline resemble the pines and rugged coast of Norway, and Director Milestone is a stickler for fidelity of detail. Over 200 residents of the peninsula got in on the fun, too, for they were recruited to play Norwegian townspeople. At one point, in fact, the manager of the Del Monte Hotel grew almost apoplectic with rage. "We don't have trouble enough these days getting help and now you come along and pinch my bellhops, elevator boys, chambermaids, cooks and call boys!" he stormed. "How do you expect me to keep a hotel running?" The next day the manager was in makeup, doing a bit. There was a lot of good-natured kidding the day Ann received a semi-official notice from some of the longhairs of the village asking her to keep her "oomph" under wraps. More specifically, the notes called her attention to the city ordinance about bathing suits (three folds of cloth at the middle plus a skirt) and the scanty she had been wearing while swimming off Pacific Grove. The next day Ann had the laugh on the company. In her mailbox at the hotel was an invitation from the soldiers at nearby Ft. Ord to swim off their beach any time she liked, and the more oomph the better! War-time jitters and edgy nerves brought a distinctly uncomfortable situation to Tonio Selwart on another afternoon. Selwart was sitting in the cocktail lounge of the hotel one afternoon, dressed in the slate green uniform of a Nazi soldier and, as usual, wearing no make-up. He had come directly from the shooting location and was waiting for the others to join him. Being a newcomer to films, his face was not easily recognizable to the many soldiers and others gathered in the lounge, and soon he was acutely aware of unpleasant stares in his direction and a low whispering which was gathering in volume and intensity much too rapidly for his peace of mind. "I could almost hear the people thinking." he said. "It [Continued on page 39] Nancy Coleman has the role of a young Polish actress who becomes a camp follower of the German conquerors. Nancy had to fight for this part, as it's a radical departure from her usual roles A grim highlight of the film is shown. A Nazi officer pursues Ann Sheridan and Judith Anderson as the terrified women attempt to escape into the forest