Better Late Then Never

It’s an especially fun movie from a director and cast who are clearly having a good time allowing themselves to let loose.

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

It's a movie as timely as it is provocative and amazingly, for much of its running time, it is weirdly funny.

She's hated in her Norwegian town for being an alleged Nazi spy, but only a select few know the truth, that she's working for the underground to destroy them, not help them. Old friends curse at her in the streets, fellow dancers on the floor in a restaurant walk off the floor when she comes on with Nazi officer Carl Esmond. But for Merle Oberon, it's all in a days work, and she holds her head up high as she goes on with her mission. A British officer (Brian Aherne) falls in love with her while in a local hospital, and together, they fight the Nazi's with dignity and courage, willing to die for the cause of freedom. It's another "Edge of Darkness", the excellent Warner Brothers film of the same year that echoed with the words " Let them look to Norway" as the peace fighters of the world gathered together to fight against fascism. That Errol Flynn/Ann Sheridan movie was excellent in every detail, and while this is a good film, it can't hold a candle to "Edge of Darkness". Resistance films since "The Mortal Storm" have covered the same territory, and each one has its purpose, its high points, and a few its flaws. Oberon was so much more than a ravishing beauty; she was extremely talented as well, and is excellent here.Of the large supporting cast, I have to single out character actress Isobel Elsom as a nurse who risks her life to help Aherne. When she is confronted by the Nazi's, she momentarily gasps in horror, then regains her composure and smirks. As Aherne warns Oberon, a resistance worker has a length of six months before they are caught, but as Oberon reminds him, it's worth the risk. Oberon and Aherne have some very romantic moments, so while "Edge of Darkness" is stronger in detail, "First Comes Courage" is a reminder that freedoms of all kinds are at risk when mad men are allowed to control the world. The wedding scene between Oberon and Esmond is dramatically scored, giving the impression of the horror going through Oberon's mind.

Two of Hollywood's British colony are the leads in this Columbia Pictures war film about the Norwegian Resistance. Brian Aherne and Merle Oberon, a British barrister and a Norwegian woman who have some before the war history come together when British commandos raid Norway.Oberon has a dangerous assignment, she plays the mistress of a German Major Carl Esmond and as such is despised by her fellow Norwegians. But in fact she's a spy for the Allies. Still it's not easy to hang around knowing that you're vilified behind your back.Wouldn't you know it Aherne is landed by submarine and is to make contact with Oberon. He also knows the local Norwegian terrain. Can they get their mission done and keep their minds on the mission is the theme of First Comes Courage.Carl Esmond does a good job as the major who is a typical cruel Nazi, but whom you also feel a bit sorry for as Oberon is making a fool of him. As such he has a bit more dimension to him than Conrad Veidt as Major Stroesser in Casablanca. After a lot of hot and heavy action when the commandos do raid, the ending is a Casablanca like one and I'll not say more.First Comes Courage is distinguished by the good performances of its leads, Oberon, Aherne, and Esmond and the first rate action sequences. Kudos also to Isobel Elsom as a Norwegian nurse who sacrifices much herself. The film hardly has the staying power of Casablanca, the difference between the major leagues and Double A baseball.

Merle Oberon plays Nicole Larsen, a Norwegian who is playing a VERY high stakes spy game. She is working for the Resistance AND at the same time dating* the local Nazi commander. However, the plan has always been that the commander gets too close to discovering her true identity that the British would send in commandos to kill him. They don't want to use local talent because the murder would lead to serious retribution towards the local populace. So, the plan is to have an agent specifically target this Nazi during a raid to hide the true purpose of the attack. Now this is a pretty simple plan...perhaps too simple. So the writer throws in a monkey wrench. The commando who is sent in to kill the man is also Nicole's former lover, Captain Lowell (Brian Aherne). And then, to further muddle things, the Nazi wants to marry Nicole and Nicole wants to go through with it and NOT have the man killed. Why? Well, see the film.This is a very nice espionage film that strongly emphasizes self- sacrifice and patriotism. I am sure the message was being pounded hard in order to bolster the war effort at home, but it was done deftly enough that it did not come off as preachy of obvious like many propaganda films. Overall, well acted and worth seeing...so good I almost gave this one an 8.

If for no other reason, this incredible movie should be seen to enjoy the acting skill of Merle Oberon, especially in the scene where she finally reveals to her husband, the Nazi Major, that she loathes and despises him and that she has only been with him in order to spy on Nazi activities. Directed by Dorothy Arzner, a pioneer among women directors, the movie has an endearing ending in which Merle Oberon turns her back on her lover in order to carry on her underground activities. Made in the middle of World War II, this movie is evidence of the producers and writer's knowledge of the horror of the Nazi occupation in Norway, and it presented a powerful message to the moviegoers of the day that any sacrifice was necessary to defeat the German menace. The script for this movie was based on "The Commandos", a novel by Elliot Arnold.