FOUR SONS (1929) James Hall, Margaret Mann & Charles Morton | Drama, War | B&W | Retro Movie

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Four Sons is a 1928 American synchronized sound drama film directed and produced by John Ford and written for the screen by Philip Klein from a story by I. A. R. Wylie first published in the Saturday Evening Post as "Grandmother Bernle Learns Her Letters" (1926). While the film has no audible dialog, it was released with a synchronized musical score with sound effects using the sound-on-film movietone process.

It is one of only a handful of survivors out of the more than 50 films Ford directed between 1917 and 1928. It starred Margaret Mann, James Hall, and Charles Morton. The film is also notable for the presence of the young John Wayne in an uncredited role as an officer. The film's soundtrack was recorded using the Movietone sound-on-film system but was also released in the sound-on-disc format.

A family is torn apart by the advent of World War I. It was remade in 1940 with the same title, starring Don Ameche and Eugenie Leontovich, and directed by Archie Mayo, although the war was updated to World War II.

Synopsis

Mother Bernle is a widow in Bavaria with four sons: Franz, Johann, Andreas and Joseph.

Joseph receives a job offer from the United States, and he is given money to travel there by his mother.

The First World War is heating up. Franz, who is already serving in the German army, is joined by first Johann and then Andreas who is forced into the army.

In New York, Joseph is married with a newborn son. He is running a delicatessen and when America enters the war, Joseph enlists to fight for the American side. When Joseph's enlistment is discovered, it causes problems for Mother Bernle because she is shunned in her village.

Franz and Johann are killed on the Eastern Front. Andreas is wounded on the Western Front and dies in the arms of his brother Joseph.

Joseph returns to New York to discover that the delicatessen has prospered in his absence. He sends for his mother to join him, and she departs her village only to end up hopelessly lost wandering New York. A policeman brings her to Joseph's apartment, where she joyfully joins her son, daughter-in-law and grandson.

Cast & Crew

Margaret Mann as Mother Bernle
James Hall as Joseph "Dutch" Bernle
Charles Morton as Johann Bernle
Ralph Bushman as Franz Bernle
George Meeker as Andreas Bernle
June Collyer as Annabelle
Earle Foxe as Maj. von Stomm
Albert Gran as The postman
Frank Reicher as The schoolmaster
Archduke Leopold of Austria as a captain

Directed by: John Ford
Written by: Philip Klein
Based on: "Grandmother Bernle Learns Her Letters" by I. A. R. Wylie
Produced by:
John Ford
William Fox
Cinematography:
Charles G. Clarke
George Schneiderman
Edited by: Margaret Clancey
Distributed by: Fox Film Corporation
Release date: February 13, 1928 (United States)
Running time: 100 minutes
Country: United States
Languages: Sound (Synchronized)
English Intertitles
Box office: $1.5 million