First Comes Courage

First Comes Courage is a 1943 American war film, the final film directed by Dorothy Arzner, one of the few female directors in Hollywood at the time. The film was based on the 1943 novel Commandos by Elliott Arnold, adapted by George Sklar, with a screenplay by Melvin Levy and Lewis Meltzer. It stars Merle Oberon and Brian Aherne.

First Comes Courage
theatrical poster
Directed by	Dorothy Arzner
Written by	George Sklar Melvin Levy Lewis Meltzer
Based on	Commandos, novel by Elliott Arnold
Produced by	Harry Joe Brown
Starring	Merle Oberon Brian Aherne
Cinematography	Joseph Walker
Edited by	Viola Lawrence
Music by	Ernst Toch
Production company	Columbia Pictures
Distributed by	Columbia Pictures
Release date	July 29, 1943 (1943-07-29)
Running time	88 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

Plot

In 1942, the beautiful Nicole Larsen is a secret member of the Norwegian resistance in a small town. She becomes engaged to marry the Nazi commandant, Maj. Paul Dichter. Nicole's contact, optometrist Dr. Aanrud, considers this a real coup in Norway's favor. Nicole would have closer access to privileged information concerning decisions by Germany's Occupation Forces. However, Aanrud warns her that if she feels the pressure on her intensifying, she is to let him know immediately. As if on cue, Dichter's superior, Col. Kurt von Elser, complains to the major that there have been an unusual number of raids in his sector. When Dichter's superiors begin to suspect Nicole, she consults with Aanrud. In turn, he radios the Allies in England to send an assassin to kill Dichter. They do, in the person of Capt. Allan Lowe, Nicole's former lover.

Cast

• Merle Oberon as Nicole Larsen
• Brian Aherne as Capt. Allan Lowell
• Carl Esmond as Maj. Paul Dichter
• Isobel Elsom as Rose Lindstrom
• Fritz Leiber as Dr. Aanrud
• Erville Alderson as Soren
• Erik Rolf as Ole
• Reinhold Schünzel as Col. Kurt von Elser
• Byron Foulger as Shopkeeper (uncredited)
• Miles Mander as Col. Wallace (uncredited)

Production

First Comes Courage had the working title of "Attack by Night".^[1] The film was originally to have been set in France, but was changed to Norway because of the public's interest at the time in the occupation of that country.^[1]

When director Dorothy Arzner had an attack of pleurisy, she was replaced by Charles Vidor.^[1] The film would turn out to be Arzner's final film.^[2]

Some scenes were filmed on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, with military units providing extras for the scenes of the commando attack.^[1]

Oberon and Aherne had played the leads in Beloved Enemy in 1936, with David Niven in a large supporting role. By 1943, when this early film about commandos was produced, Niven (according to his memoir The Moon’s a Balloon) was an actual commando fighting in World War II.