IMDb RATING
6.4/10
6.9K
YOUR RATING
An American ambulance driver and an English nurse fall in love in Italy during World War I.An American ambulance driver and an English nurse fall in love in Italy during World War I.An American ambulance driver and an English nurse fall in love in Italy during World War I.
- Won 2 Oscars
- 4 wins & 2 nominations total
Alice Adair
- Cafe Girl
- (uncredited)
Henry Armetta
- Bonello
- (uncredited)
Herman Bing
- Swiss Postal Clerk
- (uncredited)
Agostino Borgato
- Giulio
- (uncredited)
Robert Cauterio
- Gordini
- (uncredited)
Marcelle Corday
- Swiss Nurse
- (uncredited)
Gino Corrado
- Italian Soldier
- (uncredited)
Peggy Cunningham
- Molly
- (uncredited)
George Humbert
- Piani
- (uncredited)
William Irving
- Frustrated Opera Singer
- (uncredited)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaErnest Hemingway hated this interpretation of his novel, as he felt it was overly romantic. That didn't stop him, however, from becoming lifelong friends with Gary Cooper, whom he met several years later. In fact, it was Hemingway who would insist that Cooper be cast in the lead of the adaptation of his novel For Whom the Bell Tolls (1943) 11 years later. However, the two made a point of never discussing this film.
- GoofsA night attack is shown. During World War I there was very little flying at night and the night attacks that did occur were limited to big cities. It was almost impossible for a plane to attack specific targets in a large city, so effectively attacking people on a road in the dark was not possible, and did not happen.
- Quotes
Frederic: We've never been apart, really. Not since we met.
Catherine: Not since we met.
Frederic: And never can be.
Catherine: Never apart.
Frederic: In life and in death. Say it Cat.
Catherine: In life and in death, we'll never be parted.
Frederic: You do believe that, don't you, Cat?
Catherine: I believe it, and I'm not afraid.
- Crazy creditsIn the original 1932 credits, the credits are punctuated by aerial bomb blasts, and every time there is a blast, a credit disappears to be replaced by the next one.
- Alternate versionsSPOILER: Paramount decided, after much disagreement, to keep Hemingway's original ending and fade out after the death of Catherine Barkley. This ending was kept for the European release, but a new ending in which Barkley lives was later added to the U.S. release.
- ConnectionsEdited into Your Afternoon Movie: Farewell to Arms (2023)
Featured review
What Did Papa Expect?
When this version of A Farewell to Arms came out, Ernest Hemingway hated this film. They turned his novel and put too much emphasis on the romance angle. When Papa Hemingway said that he obviously did not know Hollywood well at all. If he did just knowing Frank Borzage directed this film should have told him something. Borzage did a whole slew of tender romantic stories in the Thirties like Three Comrades, The Mortal Storm, stuff like that. A Farewell to Arms is definitely in keeping with that tradition.
The one thing that Hemingway did like was the casting of Gary Cooper as the hero Fredric Henry. He and Coop became fast friends right up to when they both died in 1961. He saw in Cooper the ideal Hemingway hero and when Paramount acquired the rights to For Whom the Bells Toll, Hemingway insisted it be done with Cooper or nobody.
Cooper and Helen Hayes made a tender romantic couple in the Borzage tradition, probably more Borzage than Hemingway. But Adolph Zukor and Paramount also knew what sold movie tickets and Paramount was having a lot of financial troubles at this time. The studio nearly went under during the Depression. But Paramount's saviors turned out to be Bing Crosby, Mae West, and Cecil B. DeMille who returned to the studio he helped found.
Helen Hayes made several good films in the early thirties, this one and the one she won an Oscar for, The Sins of Madelon Claudet. But she never became a movie box office draw so she returned to the Broadway stage where she reigned as a Queen.
Adolphe Menjou replete with Italian accent plays Cooper's friend and romantic rival, Major Rinaldi. Menjou was great at playing both American and continental types. Soon he would sign a long term contract with MGM and gain his greatest roles during the sound era.
Hemingway purists might shun A Farewell to Arms, but those who love their screen romances, soggier the better will rave about this film.
The one thing that Hemingway did like was the casting of Gary Cooper as the hero Fredric Henry. He and Coop became fast friends right up to when they both died in 1961. He saw in Cooper the ideal Hemingway hero and when Paramount acquired the rights to For Whom the Bells Toll, Hemingway insisted it be done with Cooper or nobody.
Cooper and Helen Hayes made a tender romantic couple in the Borzage tradition, probably more Borzage than Hemingway. But Adolph Zukor and Paramount also knew what sold movie tickets and Paramount was having a lot of financial troubles at this time. The studio nearly went under during the Depression. But Paramount's saviors turned out to be Bing Crosby, Mae West, and Cecil B. DeMille who returned to the studio he helped found.
Helen Hayes made several good films in the early thirties, this one and the one she won an Oscar for, The Sins of Madelon Claudet. But she never became a movie box office draw so she returned to the Broadway stage where she reigned as a Queen.
Adolphe Menjou replete with Italian accent plays Cooper's friend and romantic rival, Major Rinaldi. Menjou was great at playing both American and continental types. Soon he would sign a long term contract with MGM and gain his greatest roles during the sound era.
Hemingway purists might shun A Farewell to Arms, but those who love their screen romances, soggier the better will rave about this film.
helpful•607
- bkoganbing
- Aug 28, 2006
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Official site
- Languages
- Also known as
- Adiós a las armas
- Filming locations
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $799,520 (estimated)
- Runtime1 hour 20 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
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