Three Comrades, 1938, Is Playing on TCM on August 26 (USA)

Three Comrades (1938) is playing on Turner Classic Movies on Thursday, August 27, 2015 09:15 AM est. Closed captioned.

Margaret Sullavan, Robert Taylor, Franchot Tone and Robert Young.

New York Times Review (summary): Based on a novel by Erich Maria Remarque, Three Comrades represented one of the few successful screenwriting efforts of F. Scott Fitzgerald. Set in Germany in the years just following World War I, the film stars Robert Taylor, Franchot Tone and Robert Young as three battle-weary, thoroughly disillusioned returning soldiers. The three friends pool their savings and open an auto-repair shop, and it is this that brings them in contact with wealthy motorist Lionel Atwill–and with Atwill’s lovely travelling companion Margaret Sullavan. Taylor begins a romance with Sullavan, who soon joins the three comrades, making the group a jovial, fun-seeking foursome Though Sullavan suffers from tuberculosis (her shady past is only alluded to), she is encouraged by her male companions to fully enjoy what is left of her life. This becomes increasingly difficult when one of the comrades, Young, is killed during a political riot (it’s a Nazi riot, though not so-labelled by ever-careful MGM). In the end, the four comrades are only two in number, with nothing but memories to see them through the cataclysmic years to come. Despite its Hollywoodized bowdlerization of the Remarque original, Three Comrades remains a poignant, haunting experience. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Some promotional material:

About giraffe44

I became a Robert Taylor fan at the age of 15 when his TV show, "The Detectives" premiered. My mother wanted to watch it because she remembered Mr. Taylor from the thirties. I took one look and that was it. I spent the rest of my high school career watching Robert Taylor movies on late night TV, buying photos of him, making scrapbooks and being a typical teenager. College, marriage and career intervened. I remember being sad when Mr. Taylor died. I mailed two huge scrapbooks to Ursula Thiess. I hope she got them. Time passed, retirement, moving to Florida. Then in 2012 my husband Fred pointed that there were two Robert Taylor movies that evening on Turner Classic Movies--"Ivanhoe" and "Quentin Durward." I watched both and it happened all over again. I started this blog both for fans and for people who didn't know about Robert Taylor. As the blog passes 200,000 views I'm delighted that so many people have come by and hope it will help preserve the legacy of this fine actor and equally good man.

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2 Responses to Three Comrades, 1938, Is Playing on TCM on August 26 (USA)

lindadotyauthor says:

November 7, 2019 at 2:17 am

Hi Judith: Three Comrades is one of my favorite Robert Taylor movies. A great story, great supporting actors and the chemistry between him and Margaret Sullavan is so touching. When he was paired with a really good actress he just shined like the sun and made everyone else shine too. I loved all three of the actors, Robert Taylor, Robert Young and Franchot Tone. It came across throughout the story that they were true friends of the heart. He was so beautiful in this story as well. He played the innocent kind and trusting Eric and it felt so real. Regards, Linda Doty

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giraffe44 says:

November 7, 2019 at 9:44 pm

This is a great film. The ending was a bit much but the acting was superb by everyone. I love the bit where Mr. Taylor tears his watch off and throws it across the room. Judith

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