evanston_dad "Hold Back the Dawn" is the kind of film that would have been labeled as a "women's picture" back in 1941, the year of release. I hate that term, though, because it condescendingly assumes that there's nothing in a movie like this for men to enjoy. On the contrary, there's plenty to enjoy for everyone, including a story that has taken on renewed urgency and relevancy considering the debate swirling around illegal immigration at this moment in our country.Charles Boyer plays a playboy fleeing war-torn Europe and stranded in Mexico awaiting an opportunity to get into America. Olivia de Havilland plays a plain Jane school teacher who falls for his false claims of love and accepts his proposal of marriage, not realizing that he's only using her to get into the country. But of course there wouldn't be a movie if he didn't eventually fall in love with her for real and have compunction about his actions. It's interesting to see how immigration was handled in 1941, and how lax border security was. The film is also sympathetic to the plights of those trying to gain entry, something many people now would benefit from being reminded of.Poor de Havilland was always getting cast as dowdy, naive spinsters, which is a shame given how luminous she can be as an actress. No matter. Let the Oscar nomination she received for this film be her consolation. The film was also nominated for Best Picture, Best Screenplay (penned by famous screenwriting team Charles Brackett and Billy Wilder), Best Art Direction (B&W), Best Cinematography (B&W), and Best Dramatic Score, a puzzling nomination since the film's only music is that heard during the opening and end credits.Grade: B+

MartinHafer The summary is NOT meant as a criticism. The Looney Tunes character, Pepe le Pew, was obviously based on Charles Boyer and in the film "Hold Back the Dawn" Boyer is at his le Pew best--pouring on the charm as he very aggressively courts a young lady!When the film begins, George (Boyer) insists on talking to an American film director (actually, the film's real director, Mitchell Leisen). He wants to tell him his story...as perhaps it will make a great film. The story then jumps to Mexico. George is a Hungarian refugee...and like so many refugees during WWII, he's trying desperately to get into the States. However, there was a quota system...with entry quotas for every nation decided by Congress. And, the Hungarian quota's already been met...meaning he will have to wait years in Mexico before he can legally immigrate! However, later he meets up with an old friend, Anita (Paulette Goddard) and she tells him that he could easily bypass the quota if he could just find some American sucker to marry! So, George goes in search of such a woman and after a day of searching, he hits upon a lonely American school teacher, Emmy (Olivia de Havilland) who has taken her young students to Mexico for a field trip. Their romance is whirlwind to save the least and the wicked George plans to dump her as soon as he can and connect up with Anita! But, fortunately, things don't quite work out this way. See the film to see what follows.The film presented a couple questions to me. Why cast a great French actor as a Hungarian? Why not have him play a Frenchman? Also, what sort of an insane school and school teacher would think of taking elementary school-age kids to Mexico for a field trip?! The logistics of it are a problem...plus it IS another country! Weird, huh?! Despite these minor problems, I did love this film. Boyer was simply at his best and the script is very compelling. In fact, it's a near perfect film and one that would make a great date night trip.

jotix100 It is curious how times change. More than 60 years ago, people fleeing Europe went to Mexico to try to gain access to the United States. Today, instead of going the legal route, they would probably hire a coyote to take them to the other side of the border! The more things change, the more they stay the same.This film is interesting because of the screen play by Billy Wilder and Charles Brackett, although the IMDB only lists the latter one as the writer. It is a mistake to bypass the great Billy Wilder, when we see his imprint everywhere in the movie. The movie begins with a disheveled Charles Boyer going to the Paramount lot to talk to the director, Mitchell Leisen. Boyer's character, George Iscovescu, has met the director in the Riviera and comes to beg for a loan of $500, a tidy sum in those days. From there the story unfolds.George quickly learns after arriving in the border town, that because being Rumanian he must wait about 8 years to enter the United States because of immigration quotas. He quickly learns the only way to make it across the border is if he would marry an American woman, and voila!, Emmy Brown, just happens to come to spend the 4th of July holiday with her students, thus his chance to make it in a legal way.The cast of the film is excellent. Charles Boyer, in spite of not being upfront with the naive Emmy, doesn't make us hate him. He redeems himself at the end. Olivia de Havilland was perfect for the immature Emmy. She falls in love with a man that is trying to use her as his ticket to the promised land. Paulette Goddard, as Anita was very good. Walter Abel is the despised Inspector Hammock, the immigration officer everyone in town hates.Don't miss it either on tape or DVD format.

Oriel One of the all-time great tearjerkers, this film satisfies on many levels: it offers a truly involving and emotionally moving story, an abundance of well-drawn and complex characters, an unusual setting, and three excellent stars (Charles Boyer, Olivia de Havilland, and Paulette Goddard). Boyer's character narrates much of the film, describing how he woos and weds sweet schoolteacher de Havilland in order to gain American citizenship, and this device allows us to listen in as his jaded, mercenary persona mellows and purifies under the influence of his innocent bride. Full of wry humor and a colorful supporting cast, this film deserves to be better known.