All Quiet on the Western Front (1930)

My Review

The Best Picture of 1929-1930 is…..”All Quiet on the Western Front.” This is a pre-Code war film which tells the story of idealistic German schoolboys who enlist in World War I. Their patriotic ideals are quickly shattered by the brutal realities of trench warfare and chemical warfare. Director Lewis Milestone (“Two Arabian Knights” 1927) created quite an epic war film which dealt with everything from effect of war on the individual soldiers to large and complex battle scenes. The screenplay was written by George Abbott, Maxwell Anderson, Del Andrews, and C. Garner Sullivan. It was adapted from the 1928 autobiographical novel of the same name by German veteran Erich Maria Remarque.

Lew Ayres is the star of the show, playing Paul Baumer, leader of the group of boys enlisting into the military. This was his first big movie role, and Ayres rose to immediate fame and stardom. His career in film and television would abound for decades. Lew’s final film appearance was in the made-for-television movie “Hart to Hart: Crimes of the Heart” in 1994. Co-stars in this film include Louis Wolheim, John Ray, Arnold Lucy, Ben Alexander, Scott Kolk, Owen Davis Jr., and Beryl Mercer as Frau Baumer, Paul’s mother.

Producer Carl Laemmle Jr. spared no expense in recreating World War I. Most of the battle scenes were filmed at the Irvine Ranch in Orange County, California. A large military camp was built there, twenty acres used as a perfect replica of the western front. The watchable “All Quiet on the Western Front” was popular at the box office for producer Laemmle and Universal Pictures. It was nominated for four Oscars, winning two – Best Picture and Best Director. The two non-winners were Best Writing and Best Cinematography (Arthur Edeson).