A Farewell to Arms (1932)
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88% of critics liked it
(8 reviews) -
47% of users liked it
(5,461 ratings)
This first film version of Ernest Hemingway's novel A Farewell to Arms stars Gary Cooper and Helen Hayes. Cooper plays Lt. Frederick Henry, a World War I officer who falls in love with English Red Cross nurse Catherine Barkley (Hayes)-after first mistaking her for a woman of ill repute.… More This first film version of Ernest Hemingway's novel A Farewell to Arms stars Gary Cooper and Helen Hayes. Cooper plays Lt. Frederick Henry, a World War I officer who falls in love with English Red Cross nurse Catherine Barkley (Hayes)-after first mistaking her for a woman of ill repute. Henry's friend, Major Rinaldi, is envious of the romance, and pulls strings to have Catherine transferred to Milan. When Henry is wounded in battle, he ends up in the very hospital where Catherine works. They resume the affair, which reaches an ecstatic peak just before Henry is returned to the front. The now-pregnant Catherine remains in Switzerland, sending letters by the bushelfull to Henry. But the jealous Rinaldi sees to it that Henry never receives those letters, leading Catherine to conclude sorrowfully that Henry has forgotten her. As the Armistice approaches, Henry makes his way to Switzerland, hoping to find Catherine. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Directed By
- Frank Borzage
- Written By
- Benjamin Glazer
- Genres
- Drama, Action & Adventure, Classics
- In Theaters
- Dec 8, 1932 Wide
- Studio
- Gravitas
Critic Reviews
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Jaime N. Christley, Slant Magazine
Tissue-thin as these things go, Kino's wafer of a Blu-ray production earns its keep with a fine transfer of a Borzage barnburner.
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Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
Noted by many as the best film version of a Hemingway novel.
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Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
The first Hemingway novel made into a Hollywood film is also one of the better ones due to Gary Cooper's star turn and Borzage's stylized helming, even if a happy ending was imposed against the author's wishes and protests.
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Dan Callahan, Slant Magazine
Cooper and Hays bring Borzage's liking for towering, vulnerable men and tiny, tough women to its visual apotheosis (her head barely reaches his armpit when they walk).
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Michael W. Phillips, Jr., Goatdog's Movies
It's not as good as the book, but it succeeds in its own right, which is really all I ask of adaptations.
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
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Cast
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Gary Cooper
as Lt. Frederick Henry
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Helen Hayes
as Catherine Barkley
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Adolphe Menjou
as Maj. Rinaldi
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Mary Philips
as Helen Ferguson
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Jack LaRue
as The Priest
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Henry Armetta
as Bonello
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George Humbert
as Piani
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Fred Malatesta
as Manera
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Mary Forbes
as Miss Van Campen
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Tom Ricketts
as Count Greffi
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Gilbert Emery
as British Major
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Alice Adair
as Cafe Girl
- Herman Bing
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Agostino Borgato
as Giulio
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Blanche Frederici
as Head Nurse
- Doris Lloyd
- Inez Palange
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Paul Porcasi
as Inn Keeper
- Peggy Cunningham
- Robert Cauterio
- Blanche Friderici
- Jack La Rue