User Reviews

This is really quite a remarkable picture, reminiscent more of the Warners Brothers films of the era than something Republic Pictures might have put out. Nominally it's considered a Western (I saw it today on the Encore Western Channel), but the only connection to that genre it has would be it's setting, as itinerant farm workers battle Dust Bowl situations in their settled home land only to be forced to move once again when conditions conspire against them. Leading the charge as it were, is John Wayne in a role that has him confronting the elements, along with a hostile contingent that opposes his choice of destination (Oregon) for the sunny climes of California. The story is wrapped around a budding romance between Wayne's character, and that of Sigrid Gurie as Leni Braun, daughter of an Austrian refugee, both of whom escaped the rise of Naziism in 1940's Europe. The story is complicated even further when it's discovered that Leni's former fiancé (Roland Varno), presumed dead the past two years, resurfaces to place his claim on Leni's heart once again.

That last aspect of the picture just mentioned is somewhat troubling when one considers the initial premise of the story. Dr. Eric Von Scherer (Varno) presumably gave his life to help the Braun's escape from tyranny to the United States under a sanctuary program for refugee doctors. He turns up in the latter part of the picture attempting to convince the Braun's that life now under the Reich would be highly advantageous if they returned to Europe. The disconnect blows by pretty quickly, but if you know anything about history, the scene will have you going 'huh?' more than once before it's over. However it leads directly to Leni and John Phillips (Wayne) reconciling their feelings for each other, thereby allowing the movie to close on the Duke and his girl exchanging nuptials for the happy ending.

Followers of John Wayne's early films will note that this was one of the rare occasions that you got to catch the up and coming legend in a jacket and tie! I've only seen that once before in 1933's "His Private Secretary". Once in his element though, Wayne's character is pretty much as you would recall him from his early Lone Star and Republic Days, dressed in pioneer attire and ruggedly individualistic. The romance with Sigrid Gurie's character plays a lot more emotionally than virtually all of his prior pictures, and it's rather intriguing to see him remain stoic through the heart wrenching scenes. Gurie was quite convincing as the torn lover between a loyal past and a bright future; her decision was made somewhat easier by the developments described earlier.

One has to assume that the title of the movie represents Wayne's character along with the Braun's, otherwise it doesn't make much sense, though that didn't stop the naming of dozens of era pictures with no connection to their title. I managed to catch this one today on Encore Western's self proclaimed 'John Wayne 101' celebration in honor of his 101st birthday. I don't know if the film is commercially available, but it would be worth your while to scour the cable channels for this listing if you're a Wayne fan. It steps just outside of the early mainstream for The Duke, and offers a more introspective character than one is used to seeing in his earlier films.

Well, if this isn't one of the more unusual films for John Wayne, I don't know what is! The film begins with a radio program in America where the host is encouraging small American towns to sort of 'adopt' doctors displaced by the war in Europe. While the US would not enter the war officially until almost 1942, this film had a very anti-Nazi tone--something new to Hollywood films.

One of the doctors is Charles Coburn who plays an Austrian (!) and he has a daughter who is a nurse (Sigrid Gurie). They are offered a job in North Dakota and when they arrive they find that it is nothing but dust and misery. The two want to leave immediately, but the townspeople need them so much that they agree to stay. However, in the meantime two important things happen. First, the dust problem becomes so severe that the town decides to relocate to Oregon. Second, Sigrid falls in love with John Wayne. While her love for Wayne is no surprise, their impending marriage is scuttled when they learn that her long-dead fiancé is actually alive and coming to America. It seems that the Nazis didn't kill him after all. So we are facing two dilemmas. How to get everyone in town to move en masse to Oregon (especially when there are a couple hot-heads in the group) and how will Wayne and Gurie be able to marry? Tune in and see.

I liked this film a lot more than I expected--much of it because of the historical aspects of it. Other than THE GRAPES OF WRATH and IT'S A GIFT (to a lesser extent), I can't think of any films that talked about the dust bowl years. And it was nice, also, because THE GRAPES OF WRATH offer a view that is a bit biased--as Steinbeck was trying to make more of a political statement in his writings (so the true historical nature of the Joads are sensationalized quite a bit). Here, it's a more optimistic view of this upheaval. Additionally, it was a nice change of pace for Wayne--who before this had done mostly Westerns. Overall, a surprisingly good film.

PS--In a rather poorly done scene, a US Department of Agriculture representative is talking to Wayne and he points to the map where supposedly Wayne's town in North Dakota is located. The pointer actually appears to be about 1000 miles off!!

One of the best parts of the picture are some scarce clips of Dust Bowl sequences woven into the picture. The actual location of a mountainous location near Lone Pine, California look nothing like the Great Plains, but you can tell when you see gang plowing by mules, and some other shots shot during the Dust Bowl, that they are the real deal. There is also some confusion when you're told at one point they're in Oklahoma, and in another North Dakota, but it captures at least some of the tough issues faced by the farmers of the Great Plains during the Dust Bowl.

Frankly, it is simplistic to see any ONE treatment of these times as definitive. "Letters from the Dust Bowl," "The Worst Hard Times," GRapes of Wrath," etc. are ALL snapshot treatments. Same here. But watch it, take what you can from it, and keep reading and watching as much materials as you can.

Dust Bowl conditions in North Dakota causes John Phillips(John Wayne), head of a farmer's organization, to seek out a doctor. Viennese refugee Dr. Karl Brau(Charles Coburn)and his daughter, Leni(Sigrid Gurie), answer the call. The young woman finds the conditions deplorable and wants to leave immediately; but her father realizes the needs of a doctor in the region. Leni, is over-stressed with the fleeing from Hitler and the depression caused by the death of her fiancé. The drama continues with Dr. Brau encouraging the young nurse to stay and even travel further west with Phillips. Leni begins to have feelings for the dusty cowboy and then finds out that her fiancé is not dead after all.

Other players include: Spencer Charters, Sonny Bupp, Trevor Bardette, and Hellen Mackellar.

Taking part in a poll on ICM for the best movies of 1940,I started looking for movies which came out that year. Solely knowing John Ford's magnificent The Long Voyage Home as the only thing he starred in this year,I was intrigued to find out that John Wayne had done another movie in 1940 which sounded like it deals with the same themes Ford touched on in 1940's The Grapes of Wrath,which led to me facing west.

The plot:

Emigrating to the US as the horrors of WWII grip Europe, Dr. Karl Braun and his daughter Leni 'Lenchen' Braun settle in a Dust Bowl farm town in North Dakota. Welcomed by John Phillips,the Braun's learn that the locals are desperate for new farming machines,but are told by the Department of Agriculture that they must keep to the old ways. Believing that there is no hope left in the Dust Bowl,Phillips makes plans with his fellow townspeople to all travel to a new home,as Leni finds out that her fiancé has embraced Nazism.

View on the film:

Limiting any action to a dirt road chase to the end credits, director Bernard Vorhaus & cinematographer John Alton plant an atmospheric character study,that digs up the lingering effect of the 1929 crash,with dour brown and bronze colours lining the stomach of the town. Displaying a sharp ear for sound,Vorhaus listens in on the towns waiting for FDRs New Deal,via rustling howls and an eerie yowl from the wind signalling the wasteland state of the country.

Carving the Nazi fiancé to be the most film-like element,the screenplay by F. Hugh Herbert/Joseph Moncure March and Samuel Ornitz wonderfully keep the drama grounded,from the Braun's getting a mixed reaction to their arrival,to Phillips difficulties leading him to not reach his hopes of being the cowboy who rides during sundown and saves the town. Joined by a fittingly fragile Sigrid Gurie as Leni,The Duke shakes his (big C) conservative image with a striking performance as Phillips,that rings a warm sincerity for the New Deal facing the former Wild West.

Copyright 12 July 1940 by Republic Pictures Corp. New York opening at the Criterion: 18 August 1940. U.S. release: 12 July 1940. U.K. release through British Lion: 11 November 1940. No Australian theatrical release. 9 reels. 79 minutes.

SYNOPSIS: Dust Bowl farmers move themselves and their North Dakota township 1,500 miles to Oregon.

VIEWER'S GUIDE: Downbeat but inspiring. Suitable for all.

COMMENT: John Alton's atmospheric cinematography is the major asset of this odd Americana drama. Although he has close to a characteristic role (a stubborn leader, a man of action and strong principles, yet comradely and romantic), John Wayne is not exactly going to please most of his fans, who are sure to find the setting bizarre. At the time of the film's release, Republic capitalized on Fox's The Grapes of Wrath, but few present-day viewers will make this connection. Another problem is that in order not to be accused of a direct steal from Steinbeck, this film's writers have clouded the central story with a major sub-plot about a refugee doctor, his beautiful daughter and (virtually right at the finish) a former suitor who turns out to be a Nazi. One feels that the story would have come across with more impact had some of these plot strands been eliminated and the Wayne character filled in and backgrounded instead. In fact, the focus of the film is firmly on Coburn for the first half, with Wayne playing a subsidiary role.

The location scenes still impress. The dust-storm episodes are unforgettable - even when Alton's striking images are undermined by obvious studio cut-ins. Coburn handles the central role with his usual cunning authority, Sigrid Gurie is charming enough, while Spencer Charters makes the most of one of his biggest roles as Wayne's sidekick and town fixture. Bardette plays a minor villain with grumpy finesse, Russell Simpson over-acts the minister. The rest of the players, including thankfully Sonny Bupp (who I must admit is quite adequate here) have no more than cameos.

OTHER VIEWS: Strikingly photographed by John Alton in a tone that is appropriately bleak and gray, Three Faces West is a bit of an entertainment no-no. The script's two stories are imperfectly welded, with audience focus and character motivation changing abruptly. Director Vorhaus is not much help. He's a great fan of close-ups, but does precious little to help the story's pace and drama. What paltry action there is, he seems anxious to get over with as quickly as possible, so that he can get back to more humdrum scenes with foregone-conclusions and lots of beating-about-the-bush dialogue.

THREE FACES WEST is a John Wayne western with a difference: there are no explicit villains here, no bandits or ruthless criminals waiting to be gunned down by our hero. The enemy of the film is the environment itself, or rather the dust bowl that causes hero Wayne and his townsfolk allies to flee from their homes to re-settle in Oregon. There's some political subtext too about the plight of German refugees fleeing the Nazi regime to settle in America. It's not one of the Duke's most exciting pictures, but at least the novelty of the plot keeps it watchable.

Several reviewers have a made the point that this film ought to be compared to The Grapes of wrath. Perhaps it should be better viewed as a companion piece rather than a lesser effort. It happens to be a perfectly fine film that is less maudlin than the Grapes of Wrath and may be the far better exemplar. The John Wayne character's explanation of why Oregon should be the destination was exactly right. The message that resonates is that being free and independent is the point of it and choosing a destination that affords freedom is the better choice. Further, it is heroic to choose the more difficult path and that it is at least sometimes the smarter choice as well. Let the lemmings complain and whine. Let those willing to make the effort win. On the Duke's 101st birthday, I for one say thank you for this reminder and all the others of American exceptionalism.

Before America's entry into the war, Hollywood did not have a particularly distinguished record in the fight against fascism. Few films were made explicitly criticising the German or Italian regimes. There was one film, "Blockade", about the Spanish Civil War, but it nails its colours so firmly to the fence that it is impossible to tell whether it was made from a pro-Franco or anti-Franco viewpoint. After 1939 the British contingent in Hollywood- Chaplin in "The Great Dictator", Hitchcock in "Foreign Correspondent", Korda in "That Hamilton Woman"- took up the cause of their mother country, but their efforts were not appreciated by the influential isolationist movement. According to one story Korda was summoned to appear before an angry Senate Foreign Relations Committee and was only excused attendance when the attack on Pearl Harbour took place a few days before his scheduled appointment. (To be fair to America, in the years before 1939 the British film industry could be equally pusillanimous when it came to appeasing Hitler. Hitchcock wanted to set "The Lady Vanishes" from 1938 in Nazi Germany, but the on the insistence of the studio this became an unnamed Central European dictatorship).

Frank Borzage's "The Mortal Storm" is one of the few exceptions, and "Three Faces West" is another. Both films were made in 1940, after the outbreak of war but before America entered it. Karl Braun, a Viennese doctor, and his daughter Leni arrive in America as refugees after the Nazi takeover of Austria. They move to a small Western farming town to provide much-needed medical services. Exactly where the town is situated seems to be a matter of debate, with some reviewers on here stating that it is in North Dakota and others plumping for Oklahoma. It probably doesn't matter; Hollywood scriptwriters often had a rather hazy idea of the geography of anywhere east of the Sierra Nevada.

The town has been badly hit by drought, soil erosion and dust storms, phenomena which affected many areas in the Plains states during the 1930s. The Department of Agriculture persuade the townspeople to move en masse to make a new start in Oregon. The film then becomes essentially a modern-day Western, a 20th century version of all those old wagon train stories with cars taking the place of covered wagons, as it follows the townsfolk on their journey. (John Ford's "The Grapes of Wrath", another tale of climate refugees from the Dust Bowl making their way west, also came out in 1940).

Another strand in the plot deals with the romance that grows up between Leni and John Phillips, the leader of the townspeople on their great trek. At first it appears that their is an obstacle to their love. Leni is already engaged to Eric, a young man she knew in her days in Austria. Although she loves John, she believes that she owes Eric a debt of honour because he risked his life to help her and her father escape to America. Her dilemma, however, is quickly resolved; when she meets Eric again, he reveals that he has (rather improbably) renounced his former liberal ideals and enthusiastically embraced Nazism. It becomes clear that he and Leni are not for one another, and Eric is sent on his way with the Doctor's prophetic words foretelling the downfall of the Nazi Reich ringing in his ears.

I was rather surprised to discover that a film with a liberal political message starred that great Hollywood conservative, John Wayne, who appears here as Phillips. Of course, not all conservatives in 1940 were necessarily isolationists or pro-German- another famously right-wing actor, James Stewart, starred in "The Mortal Storm"- but I doubt if Wayne relished being directed by Bernard Vorhaus, who was known for his communist sympathies, for which he was later to be blacklisted. Perhaps in 1940 Wayne was not yet a big enough star to pick and choose who he would work with.

"Three Faces West" is not a film in the same class as either "The Mortal Storm"or "The Grapes of Wrath", both of which have more gripping plots and more detailed characterisation. It is mostly interesting today as an example of a film which it bucked the isolationist trend which was so widespread in Hollywood in the days before Pearl Harbour. 6/10/ (5/10 for the movie, with a bonus point for political courage).

A CBS radio program entitled "We the People" assists in finding an American home for Vienna refugee Charles Coburn (as Karl Braun), a skilled surgeon and pool hustler. He arrives with beautiful daughter Sigrid Gurie (as Leni), who is "studying" to become a nurse. Relocated to a small, dusty Midwestern village, they are welcomed at the station by burly John Wayne (as John Phillips) and his uncle Spencer Charters (as 'Nunk' Atterbury), a veterinarian. Ms. Gurie is unhappy in the dustbowl, and wants to leave. Immediately. But, the prospect of romance with Mr. Wayne might change her mind...

God answers the citizens' many prayers for rain, but it may not be enough to save the farming town. The entire town is advised to relocate to Oregon. Wayne wants to stay and tough it out. Coburn receives an invitation to work at a top clinic. And, Gurie learns her fiancé, presumed dead, will be arriving to claim her as his wife. She feels duty-bound to accept; but, he has a dark secret... This film does not flatter Wayne, who seems way out of his element. Being paired with Gurie, promoted as another Garbo, doesn't help. They do have a cute scene in Wayne's car ("Jalopy, an Italian car").

**** Three Faces West (7/3/40) Bernard Vorhaus ~ John Wayne, Sigrid Gurie, Charles Coburn, Spencer Charters

Mild spoilers below.

The prospect of war was clearly on the horizon when TFW was filmed. From the opening scene of European refugees to the final prediction that Naziism will be the death of millions of Germans, this movie is as much a propaganda film as the films made after Pearl Harbor. There isn't a lot of entertainment value here though the footage of the dust bowl is interesting to those of us who aren't old enough to remember it. The rest of the plot is pretty forgettable with the Herr Docktor Coburn - with a pretty bad accent - and daughter assimilating into America with Wayne's help. Other than the dust bowl scenes, the only memorable aspect of the movie is one best viewed with hindsight. Coburn's speech comparing Naziism to a malignancy worse than cancer and describing the (then current) successes as a momentary outburst of energy from a patient right before death were eerily accurate and Varno's Dr. Scherer played accurately to post war newsreel footage of unrepentant Nazis justifying their actions.

When viewed from a historical perspective, some aspects of TFW are interesting. If you look at it for entertainment outside of the WWII perspective, you'd have to say this is one of Wayne's less successful efforts.

Surprisingly better than when I first saw this film many years ago, I had to up my rating from a 3 to a 5. It's still not as good as my favorite John Wayne Republic movie from the same time ("Lady for a Night"), but it's not as dull as I remembered it to be. The one weak element is Sigrid Gurie who is supposed to be Austrian but sounds Scandinavian, and considering that's of Norwegian descent not surprising. It's really distractive, especially when she's with her father Charles Coburn who definitely sounds more Austrian.

The film deals with the two refugees from Nazi occupied Austria who escaped to the United States and are offered jobs in North Dakota. Gurie hates it at first sight because of the constant dust, and in fact, she's rather snobbish and uncaring towards the long-suffering residents who need a real doctor and not veterinarian Spencer Charters, a completely cantankerous but loveable old fool.

While Gurie wants to leave immediately, her father wants to wait and see, and becomes involved in the lives of those who need him. Eventually it becomes too much and they are forced to relocate to Oregon. There's lots of friction, but a romance between Wayne and Gurie follows, predictably. Coburn's been offered another position, more esteemed and clean, but it's obvious that his humanity is going to rule his heart. No way will he be as heartless as his ventful doctor was in "King's Row", especially when he learns that his new employers are Nazis.

Although this was made before America got into the second World War, it obviously uses propaganda because of the war going on in Europe. Wayne is better than usual, but Gurie seems a bit too cold and there's never any warming up to her. The Nazi subplot is brief so you wonder why they brought it in at all outside the desire to be timely. Coburn is excellent as expected, and Charters is a delightful scene stealer. The first part of the movie is better than the second part, showing the North Dakota town in complete disarray, and stopping at nothing in making it look unliveable.

This film mirrors what is happening in the United States at this time of August 2009. It is almost as if the filmmaker had seen this present-day situation and created a film prophesying the events.

Doctor Charles Coburn and daughter Sigrid Gurie are refugess from Nazi Germany and are asked by farmer John Wayne to come to a North Dakota dustbowl town as the community doctor.

Initially daughter Leni (Gurie) despises the dust and even their host John Phillips (Wayne) - But father Dr Braun (Coburn) sees that the community needs help, and as they stay, their attitudes change and they begin to love the community which has adopted them.

But they are forced to move as the dustbowl conditions get worse, and are promised land in Oregon by the Government. The only trouble, getting a community of over 200 men women and children safe to Oregon.

In the meantime, Leni had fallen in love with Wayne, but when she finds out that her former fiancé who was thought dead is in San Fransisco, out of loyalty she decides she must go see him, so Dr Braun and Leni go off to San Fransisco to see him: But when they get there they find out that the Nazi party had sent him there as a spy, so they return to the caravan going to Oregon.

During the trip, one loudmouthed Limbaugh type - A man whose son Dr Braun had saved an appendix burting- starts barking loudly about California instead, and influences a number of the men to go to California with him- Reneging on their agreement to go to Oregon -and his rabble rousing even gets Wayne to give up and drive off.

Finally it is a confrontation between Wayne and this man, and it is all about accomplishing what they had set off to originally do.

The whole film speaks of honor and trust in a leader, and as it turns out Wayne is that reluctant leader, and when the people finally get to Oregon they see that he was right all the time.

It is very rare to find a John Wayne film like this, but in the end, John Wayne stood for the principles that this film expounds on.

. . . exclaims Leni Braun at her first glimpse of John Wayne's bachelor pad in THREE FACES WEST. This flick has three screenwriters, since Republic Pictures decided to combine key elements of the scripts then circulating for GRAPES OF WRATH, CASABLANCA, and THE TEN COMMANDMENTS into one 79-minute low-budget show, giving each of the plot lines a happy ending. John Wayne takes on the future Henry Fonda, Humphrey Bogart, and Charlton Heston roles, with one are tied behind his back. This film made Sigrid Gurie's career, as she proves that she possesses all the talents of Ingrid Bergman. Paul Henreid's role as the courageous Resistance Fighter is greatly shortened, as he reveals himself to be a Nazi convert during his minute on screen. This, of course, allows Wayne's Rick-like character to marry Gurie's Ilsa stand-in for this feature's Grand Finale. Simultaneously, John's Moses gets to put down roots in the Promised Land, renamed "Oregon" here, which welcomes all the Dust Bowl Okies with open arms. There's no need for any women to wet-nurse grown men named "Joad," No Siree, Bob! Not so much as a turtle dies in THREE FACES WEST, as Wayne only punches out a few old-timers.