Watch On The Rhine - Production

Production

The Lillian Hellman play had enjoyed a respectable run of 378 performances on Broadway, and Jack L. Warner paid $150,000 for the screen rights because he felt with its focus on patriotism it would make an ideal and prestigious propaganda film at the height of World War II.

Because Bette Davis was involved with Now, Voyager, producer Hal B. Wallis began searching for another actress for the role of Sara Muller while Hellman's lover Dashiel Hammett began writing the screenplay at their farm in Pleasantville, New York. Irene Dunne liked the material but felt the role was too small, and Margaret Sullavan expressed no interest whatsoever. Edna Best, Rosemary DeCamp, and Helen Hayes also were considered.

For the role of Kurt Muller, Wallis wanted Charles Boyer. He, however, felt his French accent was wrong for the character, so the producer decided to cast Paul Lukas, who had originated the role on Broadway and had been honored by the Drama League of New York for his performance.

Meanwhile, Hammett was sidelined by an injured back, and by the time he was ready to resume work on the script Now, Voyager was close to completion. Wallis sent Davis, a staunch supporter of Franklin D. Roosevelt and a fierce opponent of the Nazi Party, the screenplay-in-progress and she immediately accepted the offer.

With Davis cast as Sara, Wallis encouraged Hammett to embellish what essentially was a secondary role to make it worthy of the leading lady's status as a star, and to open up the story by adding scenes outside the Farrelly living room, which had been the sole setting on stage. The Production Code Administration was concerned that Kurt Muller escaped prosecution for his murder of Teck de Brancovis, and the Hays Office suggested it be established Kurt was killed by the Nazis at the end of the film in order to show he paid for his crime. Lillian objected and the studio agreed Kurt had been justified in shooting Teck, and the scene remained.

Filming began on June 15, 1942, only a week after Now, Voyager had ended production, and without a substantial vacation between projects Davis was on edge. As a result, she immediately clashed with Herman Shumlin, who had directed the play but had no experience in film, from the beginning and tended to ignore his suggestions.

Her emotional overacting prompted Wallis to send Shumlin numerous memos urging the director to tone down her performance. Shumlin threatened to quit because he was unhappy with cinematographer Merritt B. Gerstad, who eventually was replaced by Hal Mohr in order to appease the director. Meanwhile, Davis also was at odds with Lucile Watson, who was reprising the role of the mother she had portrayed on stage, because she was a Republican whose political views sharply contrasted with those of the Democratic Davis.

Several exterior scenes shot on location in Washington had to be cut from the film prior to its release due to wartime restrictions on the filming of government buildings.

When Wallis announced he was giving Davis top billing, she argued it was ridiculous to do so given hers was a supporting role. The studio's publicity department argued it was her name that would attract an audience and, despite her resistance, the film's credits and all promotional materials listed her first.

Davis and Lukas reprised their roles for a radio adaptation that aired in the January 10, 1944 broadcast of The Screen Guild Theater.