The Diary of Anne Frank
by George Stevens
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Actor: Gusti Huber, Joseph Schildkraut, Millie Perkins, Richard Beymer, Shelley WintersDirector: George Stevens
Brand: Fox
Cinematographer: Jack Cardiff
Cinematographer: William C. Mellor
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); English (Original Language); English (Dubbed); Spanish (Dubbed)
Format: AC-3, Black & White, Dolby, DVD, NTSC, Widescreen
Picture Format: 2.35:1
Running Time: 180 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2009-06-16
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: 20th Century Fox
DVD Reviews of The Diary of Anne Frank
DVD Review: landmark Hollywood classic
Summary: 5 Stars
What more can I say about this beloved film? It's still the most literal, well-known adaptation of Anne Frank's story, directly based on the Broadway play by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett. Director George Stevens felt a great personal need to tell this story, as his film unit, as part of the US Army Signal Corps, was the first to go into the Dachau concentration camp after it's liberation in 1945, documenting the atrocities committed there by the Nazis (much of what Stevens shot was later used as evidence during the Nuremberg trials). It was an experience which stayed with him, shaped the dark themes in later films like "Shane" and "A Place in the Sun"; and THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK was, no doubt, the culmination of an obsession to reconcile himself with those traumatic wartime memories.
A lush production, THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK (1959) featured an amazing multi-storey set, closely modeled by art designers George W. Davis and Lyle Wheeler on the original Amsterdam hiding-place. For the terrifying bombing scenes, parts of the set were built on a platform of springs, causing the building to "lurch" and bounce as the bombs fell nearby. Three actors from the original Broadway cast of the play - Joseph Schildkraut as Otto Frank, Gusti Huber as Edith Frank, and Lou Jacobi as Mr Van Daan - were recruited to reprise their roles for the movie, and they each deliver a realism which heightens the drama immensely. Shelley Winters openly campaigned for the role of shrill Mrs Van Daan (a magnificent performance which netted the actress an Academy Award that she duly donated to the Anne Frank Museum); and Fox contract players Diane Baker and Richard Beymer played Margot and Peter. Beloved comedian Ed Wynn stunned audiences with his layered, Oscar-nominated performance as Mr Dussel. In fantastic supporting roles as the family's devoted helpers Miep and Mr Kraler are Dodie Heath and Douglas Spencer--two highly talented, versatile actors who very rarely receive their full dues when this movie is discussed--and I made certain to include them here because of that sad fact.
For the plum role of Anne Frank, director Stevens launched an exhaustive, worldwide talent search. Broadway's Susan Strasberg wasn't overly interested in reprising her performance; Audrey Hepburn was approached, being a close friend of Otto Frank and later a patron of the Anne Frank Trust, but having lived through the terrible occupation of Brussels during the war, she feared it would require opening very painful old wounds. For a while it looked like a young Dutch actress named Marianne Sarstadt would play Anne; and people became rather alarmed when Stevens began considering German actress Sabine Sinjen for the role. Millie Perkins, a nineteen-year-old model from New Jersey with absolutely no acting experience, finally landed the part and ended up giving a very tender and appropriate performance, thanks in no small part to George Stevens' intense direction and the support of her co-stars. It started the young girl on a very successful acting career in movies and television, but Perkins was quoted as saying recently: "I was a star only once, and that was when I did The Diary of Anne Frank."
This 50th Anniversary edition of THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK (ironically released close to the date of what would have been Anne's 80th birthday) boasts a wealth of all-new bonus material:
*"George Stevens in WWII" featurette (comprising many pieces of colour footage from George Stevens' Signal Corps coverage)
*"The Making of The Diary of Anne Frank: A Son's Memories" featurette with George Stevens Jr.
*"Memories from Millie Perkins and Diane Baker" featurette (recent interviews with Perkins and Baker sharing their stories from the set)
*"Shelley Winters and The Diary of Anne Frank" featurette (using 1983 interview portions from "George Stevens: A Filmmakers' Journey")
*"The Sound and Music of The Diary of Anne Frank" featurette (focusing on Alfred Newman's stirring, Oscar-nominated musical score)
*"The Diary of Anne Frank Correspondance" featurette (George Stevens Jr. narrates letters from his father and Otto Frank written during production of the film)
*Fox Legacy with Tom Rothman (from the Fox Movie Channel)
*extensive photo galleries
*interactive pressbook gallery
in addition to an audio commentary with Millie Perkins and George Stevens Jr. (ported over from the previous Studio Classics edition).
Sadly missing from this edition is the fascinating, 90-minute Fox special "Echoes from the Past: The Diary of Anne Frank", which was the main bonus feature for the film's 2004 Studio Classics release (in addition, the Fox Movietone newsreels, press conference footage, and an excerpt from "George Stevens: A Filmmakers' Journey" are dropped as well). I'd advise people to hold onto the old disc and also double-dip for the 50th Anniversary one, because both offer some essential extras for the fans.
Now, perhaps more than ever before, we need this wonderful, heartbreaking and life-affirming film. Recommended.
Description of The Diary of Anne Frank
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