Behind the Door

1919

Action / Drama / Thriller / War

3
IMDb Rating 7.2/10 10 487 487

revenge silent film

Plot summary

Oscar Krug is looked upon with suspicion by his neighbors because of his German name. When the US is drawn into the war with Germany, he enlists and travels the seas with his wife, Alice Morse. During a submarine attack Alice is snatched from Krug's side by a German officer. Krug now lives to have his revenge, and when the opportunity presents itself, he will have it.

Director

Irvin Willat Photo
Irvin Willat

Top cast

Jane Novak Photo
Jane Novak as Alice Morse
Wallace Beery Photo
Wallace Beery as Submarine Commander
Fred Kohler Photo
Fred Kohler as Belligerent Townsman
Richard Wayne Photo
Richard Wayne as McQuestion
720p.BluRay 1080p.BluRay
649.1 MB
968*720
English 2.0
NR
Subtitles us  
19.98 fps
1 hr 10 min
Seeds ...
1.18 GB
1440*1072
English 2.0
NR
Subtitles us  
19.98 fps
1 hr 10 min
Seeds 3

Movie Reviews

Reviewed by gbill-74877 8 / 10

Seriously macabre

I'm so happy this film was (nearly) fully restored in 2016, because it's such a little gem. I thought my interest might be strongest in how it showed how wrong it was for a German-American man to be assailed by a mob when America entered WWI, but as it turned out, the absolutely macabre events towards the end topped that, bringing to mind Edgar Allen Poe, Tod Browning, or hell, maybe even Quentin Tarantino given his love for cinematic vengeance.To get there you'll have to swallow a ridiculous premise, that a woman could stow away aboard a naval vessel before it embarked for the war, and that she would be kidnapped by the Germans, but I didn't mind. The film meanders through themes of forbidden romance, what it means to be "American," and warfare, but it moves well (especially for a film from 1919) and has a strong cast. I was then floored by just how dark it got, and not once, but twice. Finishes strong too.
Reviewed by scsu1975 8 / 10

One of the best silents I've seen

Oscar Krug returns to his home in Maine after being at sea for a number of years. He reminisces back to just before the war broke out, when he was in love with Alice Morse, daughter of the local banker. Being German, Krug was falsely accused of being sympathetic to the enemy. He enlisted, secretly married Alice, and became Captain of a merchant marine ship. Alice came aboard the ship, which was eventually sunk by a German U-boat. Krug and Alice survived, but the German commander took Alice aboard his vessel, leaving Oscar adrift. Krug swore to the German that he would get revenge. A few months later, Krug's ship fired on a U-boat. Krug recognized the Captain and saved him, although the Captain did not recognize Krug. Krug plied him with liquor and pretended to be a German sympathizer, in order to discover what had happened to Alice. Krug then took his vengeance in a most horrible manner.This is a stunning piece of work. It begins with ordinary life in a Maine seaport, and lulls the viewer into believing this will just be another romance. The film takes a sharp turn into tragedy, and builds to a grotesque conclusion - strong stuff for any time period, let alone 1919. Bosworth, though perhaps a bit too old for the lead (he was over 50), nevertheless is a commanding presence on screen. The sequence where he elicits the truth from Beery is alone worth the price of admission. The title refers to what happened to Beery "behind the door."Although the movie has clearly deteriorated in spots, the restoration for the most part is crisp. The few inserted stills do not interfere or detract in any way. At seventy minutes, the film moves briskly without any slow spots. The photography is excellent.
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