First Comes Courage
“I married you to destroy you!”
Synopsis
Merle Oberon plays a Norwegian resistance figure in a small town, married to a Nazi commandant. When his superiors begin to suspect her, the Allies land an assassin to kill him -- an assassin who happens to be her former lover.
Top Cast
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Merle Oberon
Nicole Larsen
Brian Aherne
Capt. Allan Lowell
Carl Esmond
Maj. Paul Dichter
Isobel Elsom
Rose Lindstrom
Fritz Leiber
Dr. Aanrud
Erville Alderson
Soren
Erik Rolf
Ole
Reinhold Schünzel
Col. Kurt von Elser
Richard Ryen
Dr. Hoff
Lewis Wilson
Dr. Kleinich
Fern Emmett
Dress Designer (uncredited)
Byron Foulger
Norwegian Shopkeeper (uncredited)
Hans Heinrich von Twardowski
Nazi Captain (uncredited)
John Elliott
Norwegian patient
Greta Granstedt
Girl assistant
William Phillips
Edvard, Aanrud's assistant
Pietro Sosso
Janitor
Conrad Binyon
Boy
Release History & Theatrical Window
July 29, 1943
Wide Cinema Exhibition
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Dorothy Arzner
- Screenplay & Story
- Melvin Levy, Lewis Meltzer
- Original Score
- Ernst Toch
- Original Title
- First Comes Courage
- Country of Origin
- United States of America
- Spoken Languages
- English
- Runtime
- 1h 28m
- Production Studios
- Columbia Pictures
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Dorothy Arzner
Melvin Levy, Lewis Meltzer, Elliott Arnold, George Sklar
Ernst Toch
Joseph Walker
Viola Lawrence
Harry Joe Brown
Department Leadership Roster
Dorothy Arzner
Director
Melvin Levy
Screenplay
Harry Joe Brown
Producer
Lewis Meltzer
Screenplay
Joseph Walker
Director of Photography
Viola Lawrence
Editor
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
NR: Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.
International Certification Matrix
Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for First Comes Courage.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring First Comes Courage.
War: World War II
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Frequently Asked Questions About First Comes Courage
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is First Comes Courage about?
Merle Oberon plays a Norwegian resistance figure in a small town, married to a Nazi commandant. When his superiors begin to suspect her, the Allies land an assassin to kill him -- an assassin who happens to be her former lover.
Who directed First Comes Courage?
First Comes Courage was directed by Dorothy Arzner.
Who stars in First Comes Courage?
The principal cast of First Comes Courage includes Merle Oberon, Brian Aherne, Carl Esmond, Isobel Elsom, Fritz Leiber.
When was First Comes Courage released and how long is it?
First Comes Courage was released in 1943 with a total runtime of 1h 28m.
Who composed the musical score for First Comes Courage?
The original motion picture soundtrack for First Comes Courage was composed by Ernst Toch.
Is First Comes Courage based on a book or true story?
First Comes Courage is adapted from the following source material: Novel: "Elliott Arnold".
What is the age rating and content advisory for First Comes Courage?
First Comes Courage holds official age classifications: US: NR (Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.).