View source for All Quiet on the Western Front (partially lost original version of anti-war film; 1930)

{{InfoboxLost
|title=<center>All Quiet on the Western Front (original version)</center>
|image=Allquietonthewesternfront1.jpg
|imagecaption=Poster for the film
|status=<span style="color:orange;">'''Partially Lost'''</span>
}}
'''''All Quiet on the Western Front''''' is a 1930 film adaptation of the 1929 anti-war book authored by Erich Maria Remarque. It starred Lew Ayres as Paul Bäumer, who among other German soldiers of the 2nd Company become greatly disillusioned while experiencing the horrors of the First World War. With Lewis Milestone as director, the original silent 152-minute film received strong acclaim, especially in the United States, winning the Oscars for Outstanding Production (Best Picture) and Best Director. However, the work was also subject to censorship and other heavy edits, resulting in substantial footage being removed from later cuts. Following restoration projects carried out in the 1980s and 1990s, it was revealed that '''just under 15 minutes of the work has been lost to time'''.

==Background==
''All Quiet on the Western Front'' was composed by Erich Maria Remarque, who had served for Germany during the Great War.<ref name="remarque">[https://www.cliffsnotes.com/literature/a/all-quiet-on-the-western-front/erich-maria-remarque-biography ''CliffNotes'' biography on Remarque.] Retrieved 17th May '23</ref><ref name="lovehate">[https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/most-loved-and-hated-novel-about-world-war-I-180955540/ ''Smithsonian Magazine'' detailing the book and film adaptation's legacy.] Retrieved 17th May '23</ref><ref name="moviediva">[https://moviediva.com/reviewpages/mdallquietwesternfront/ ''Moviediva'' review of the film and the various alterations and restorations over the years.] Retrieved 17th May '23</ref><ref name="wfa">[https://www.westernfrontassociation.com/world-war-i-book-reviews/all-quiet-on-the-western-front-by-erich-maria-remarque/ ''Western Front Association'' review of the book.] Retrieved 17th May '23</ref> It is told through the narration of Paul Bäumer, who along with his classmates are goaded by their teacher, Kantorek, to enlist in the army and protect the Fatherland.<ref name="baumer">[https://www.cliffsnotes.com/literature/a/all-quiet-on-the-western-front/character-analysis/paul-bxe4umer ''CliffsNotes'' analysis of Paul Bäumer.] Retrieved 17th May '23</ref><ref name="kantorek">[https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/allquiet/character/kantorek/ ''SparkNotes'' analysis on Kantorek.] Retrieved 17th May '23</ref><ref name="characters">[https://www.cliffsnotes.com/literature/a/all-quiet-on-the-western-front/character-list ''CliffNotes'' summary of each character.] Retrieved 17th May '23</ref><ref name="book">[https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/All_Quiet_on_the_Western_Front/pgvqsaYvgacC?hl=en As depicted in the book]. Retrieved 17th May '23</ref><ref name="lovehate"/><ref name="wfa"/> Initially believing an optimistic, even romanticised viewpoint of the War, Bäumer and the 2nd Company quickly become disillusioned after realising its true form, especially the deadly and depressing nature of trench warfare.<ref name="wfa"/><ref name="book"/><ref name="baumer"/> Alongside Bäumer include the ruminative Albert Kropp;<ref name="kroop">[https://www.cliffsnotes.com/literature/a/all-quiet-on-the-western-front/character-analysis/albert-kropp ''CliffNotes'' analysis of Albert Kroop.] Retrieved 17th May '23</ref> the academic-focused Friedrich Müller;<ref name="characters"/> the former locksmith Tjaden, who bares a major grudge over the abusive training regime imposed by Sergeant der Reserve Himmelstoss;<ref name="himmelstoss">[https://www.cliffsnotes.com/literature/a/all-quiet-on-the-western-front/character-analysis/himmelstoss ''CliffNotes'' analysis of Himmelstoss.] Retrieved 17th May '23</ref><ref name="characters"/> and Stanislaus "Kat" Katczinsky, the oldest of the Company at 40, an expert scavenger who also becomes the Company's essential leader and mentor.<ref name="kat">[https://www.cliffsnotes.com/literature/a/all-quiet-on-the-western-front/character-analysis/kat ''CliffNotes'' analysis of Kat.] Retrieved 17th May '23</ref><ref name="characters"/><ref name="book"/> 

Overtime, Bäumer grows further cynicism upon witnessing several harrowing situations.<ref name="baumer"/><ref name="book"/><ref name="wfa"/> Among these include the early deaths of his best friend Franz Kemmerich and Joseph Behm; sympathetic encounters with Russian POWs; stabbing a French patrolman and having to watch his agonising demise; and how a brief return to civilian life reveals the sharp disconnect between his past and present lives.<ref name="book"/><ref name="baumer"/><ref name="wfa"/> Not even schadenfreude over Himmelstoss being called up to the front and Kantorek's enlistment into the Homeguard, is able to prevent the greatly lowering morale of the company.<ref name="book"/><ref name="himmelstoss"/><ref name="kantorek"/> As the years pass and Germany's grip on the War weakens, Kroop suffers a leg amputation and contemplates suicide, while Müller is killed and Tjaden's fate is left unknown.<ref name="kroop"/><ref name="characters"/><ref name="book"/><ref name="wfa"/> Despite Bäumer's attempts to save a wounded Kat, the latter dies from shrapnel striking the back of his head.<ref name="book"/> Following Kat's death, Bäumer becomes the only living member from the original 2nd Company, further destroying his psyche.<ref name="book"/><ref name="baumer"/><ref name="wfa"/> His body is found just a month before Armistice Day, his seemingly calm demeanour suggesting he was nearly thankful that his demise had commenced.<ref name="lovehate"/><ref name="book"/><ref name="wfa"/>
 
Completed in 1928, and initially published as a German novel titled ''Im Westen nichts Neues'' in January 1929, the book was swiftly translated into English by 	
Arthur Wheen with the title ''All Quiet on the Western Front''.<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/film/2022/oct/12/all-quiet-on-the-western-front-review-anti-war-nightmare-of-bloodshed-and-chaos ''The Guardian'' noting Arthur Wheen provided the first English translation of the novel.] Retrieved 17th May '23</ref><ref name="lovehate"/> It became a major commercial and critical success in and outside its home country for its genuine showcase of trench warfare, and soon caught the attention of Universal Pictures' founder Carl Laemmle.<ref name="filmsite1">[https://www.filmsite.org/allq.html ''Filmsite'' summarising the film and its first three parts.] Retrieved 17th May '23</ref><ref name="afi">[https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/2558 ''American Film Institute'' page on ''All Quiet on the Western Front''.] Retrieved 17th May '23</ref><ref name="hollywood">[https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/when-anti-war-all-quiet-on-the-western-front-provoked-nazi-backlash-shocking-hollywood-1235219454/ ''The Hollywood Reporter'' detailing the film's release and its ban in Germany.] Retrieved 17th May '23</ref><ref name="medium">[https://medium.com/@davidgerrold/all-quiet-on-the-western-front-1930-best-picture-oscar-6a340d1feeb2 ''Medium'' reflecting on the film and noting the full 152-minute version is missing.] Retrieved 17th May '23</ref><ref name="lovehate"/><ref name="wfa"/><ref name="moviediva"/> The distributor gained the rights to adapt the work to the big screen for $40,000, with Lewis Milestone becoming the film's director.<ref name="moviediva"/><ref name="filmsite1"/><ref name="lovehate"/><ref name="medium"/><ref name="afi"/> Starring Lew Ayres as Bäumer, the film's production occurred as the transition from the silent era of cinema to the talkies commenced.<ref name="ayres">[http://www.hollywoodsgoldenage.com/actors/lew-ayres.html ''Hollywood's Golden Age'' page on Ayres.] Retrieved 17th May '23</ref><ref name="moviediva"/><ref name="afi"/><ref name="hollywood"/><ref name="medium"/> To appeal to all theatres, not all of whom were yet able to play talkie films, two versions of the film were released.<ref name="leonard">[https://leonardmaltin.com/the-sounds-and-silence-of-all-quiet/ ''Leonard Maltin'' comparing the two versions of the film.] Retrieved 17th May '23</ref><ref name="volume">[http://silent-volume.blogspot.com/2013/10/all-quiet-on-western-front-1930-silent.html ''Silent Volume'' comparing the two versions of the film.] Retrieved 17th May '23</ref><ref name="medium"/><ref name="moviediva"/> One consisted of a sound film, while the other was edited as an International Sound Version, which was silent and contained music and inter-titles intended for non-English markets.<ref name="leonard"/><ref name="volume"/><ref name="moviediva"/> The production budget was cited at $1.25 million, and filming began on 18th November 1929.<ref name="filmsite1"/><ref name="afi"/><ref name="lovehate"/><ref name="moviediva"/><ref name="hollywood"/>

The film adaptation mostly reflected the scenes depicted in the book, but also expanded on Bäumer's death.<ref name="filmsite2">[https://www.filmsite.org/allq2.html ''Filmsite'' detailing the final parts of the film.] Retrieved 17th May '23</ref><ref name="filmsite1"/><ref name="hollywood"/> As he is holding out on a remarkably quiet day, he witnesses the rare appearance of a butterfly just outside the trench.<ref name="filmsite2"/><ref name="hollywood"/> Momentarily distracted by attempting to touch it, he is consequently shot dead by a sniper.<ref name="filmsite2"/><ref name="hollywood"/> The film ends with footage of the 2nd Company joining the front for the first time, before the picture transitions to a cemetery.<ref name="filmsite2"/><ref name="moviediva"/> Originally released in America in April 1930, the film received wide acclaim in the country for its gruelling and honest depiction of World War I, particularly from the opposing force.<ref name="moviediva"/><ref name="hollywood"/><ref name="lovehate"/><ref name="medium"/><ref name="afi"/> The work received four Academy Award nominations for Outstanding Production (Best Picture), Best Director, Best Writing, and Best Cinematography, winning the first two.<ref>[https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1931 ''Oscars'' noting the film won two Academy Awards and was nominated for another two.] Retrieved 17th May '23</ref><ref name="hollywood"/><ref name="filmsite1"/><ref name="moviediva"/><ref name="medium"/> It was also the first Universal film to win Best Picture.<ref name="medium"/> It is additionally cited as allowing Ayres' film career to take off.<ref name="ayres"/><ref name="medium"/>

==Cut Footage==
The film premiered in Los Angeles on 21st April 1930, and was showcased eight days later in New York City, with neither the sound or silent versions receiving any censorship.<ref name="censorship">[https://www.movie-censorship.com/report.php?ID=679266 ''Movie-Censorship'' detailing the edits done because of censorship and the numerous restorations, comparing footage from the German VHS to the modern Blu-Ray edition.] Retrieved 17th May '23</ref><ref name="restoration">[https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-may-31-ca-54967-story.html ''The Los Angeles Times'' reporting on the Library of Congress' restoration of the film.] Retrieved 17th May '23</ref><ref name="nypost">[https://nypost.com/2009/08/03/all-quiet-is-better-as-a-silent/ ''The New York Post'' summarising the cut content and noting Pitts' footage being cut completely from the film.] Retrieved 17th May '23</ref><ref name="hollywood"/><ref name="afi"/> Both consisted of 14 reels, with the silent version lasting 152 minutes.<ref name="censorship"/><ref name="medium"/><ref name="restoration"/><ref name="nypost"/><ref name="afi"/> Overseas, however, significant altering was mandatory for the film to potentially avoid bans.<ref name="censorship"/><ref name="restoration"/><ref name="moviediva"/><ref name="afi"/> Many cut scenes from international versions were likely deemed too graphic or politically controversial for censors.<ref name="restoration"/><ref name="censorship"/> For example, seven minutes were removed from the UK version before its first London showcase on 14th June 1930.<ref name="restoration"/><ref name="censorship"/> Similarly, the French version does not contain the scene featuring Bäumer witnessing a French soldier's slow and painful death in a bomb crater.<ref name="censorship"/><ref name="restoration"/><ref name="afi"/> 

The most infamous censorship occurred in Germany; while the Nazi Party was not in power in 1930, its influence was steadily growing.<ref name="censorship"/><ref name="hollywood"/> It opposed ''All Quiet on the Western Front'' for being anti-war and seemingly anti-German, and, under Joseph Goebbels' command, disrupted the film's German 124-minute premiere on 4th December 1930.<ref name="hollywood"/><ref name="lovehate"/> The film was banned a week later, but was accepted under a heavily censored 85-minute form in 1931.<ref name="hollywood"/><ref name="lovehate"/> However, when the Nazi Party was elected in 1933, the film and the book were both outlawed, even going as far as to burn book copies and revoke Remarque's German citizenship.<ref name="remarque"/><ref name="hollywood"/><ref name="lovehate"/> The work was likewise banned in Austria, Bulgaria, Hungary, Italy, New Zealand, and Yugoslavia, some lasting for decades.<ref name="moviediva"/><ref name="lovehate"/> 

Starting from 1933, Universal had also begun cutting the film for marketing reasons.<ref name="restoration"/><ref name="moviediva"/><ref name="nypost"/> Back then, re-screening an old film was not widely appealing, so these productions were cut down to their most memorable moments, allowing it to be screened as a double bill with a new work.<ref name="restoration"/> When the Second World War commenced, ''All Quiet on the Western Front'' suffered further alterations for a 1939 release intended for propagandic purposes.<ref name="restoration"/><ref name="moviediva"/><ref name="censorship"/><ref name="nypost"/> Not only was it reduced from 14 to ten reels, clocking in at fewer than two hours, but also contained a narration generally favourably comparing the First World War German soldiers to the Nazi counterparts.<ref name="moviediva"/><ref name="restoration"/><ref name="censorship"/> This cut ends with Nazis burning various books in 1933, including ''Im Westen nichts Neues''.<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/film/2000/nov/24/playboy-of-the-western-front ''The Guardian'' noting the 1939 cut contained footage of the Nazis engaging in book burning.] Retrieved 17th May '23</ref> Music also plays over Bäumer's death scene and the transition to the cemetery.<ref name="restoration"/><ref name="nypost"/> Similar propaganda versions were made during the Korean War and the Cold War.<ref name="moviediva"/><ref name="restoration"/> Further censorship and edits over the years for television broadcasts saw the film cut down to just 101 minutes.<ref name="censorship"/> The numerous changes infuriated Milestone, with a 1964 letter of his denouncing the editors responsible for cutting footage as "vandals".<ref name="censorship"/><ref name="nypost"/>

On 25th September 1980, Milestone would pass away.<ref name="lewis">[https://www.britannica.com/biography/Lewis-Milestone ''Britannica'' biography on Milestone.] Retrieved 17th May '23</ref><ref name="request">[https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/War_Films/ht8bAQAAIAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq=lewis+milestone+universal+death+restore&printsec=frontcover ''War Films'' noting Milestone's request to Universal to restore the film.] Retrieved 17th May '23</ref> Prior to his death, he had written to Universal requesting that the production be restored to its full, original form.<ref name="request"/> By that point, over 17 film cuts were circulating in Europe alone.<ref name="restoration"/> One restoration occurred in West Germany in 1984, amazingly harnessing a print found in Goebbels' collection.<ref name="moviediva"/><ref name="censorship"/> This version was later released on VHS.<ref name="censorship"/> Additionally, a 1990 German restoration was made, this time based on a 1950s cut lasting 120 minutes.<ref name="censorship"/> In America, the Library of Congress began its own restoration, with financial backing from Universal.<ref name="restoration"/> After discovering a pristine master copy from Universal's vaults, Library of Congress' Motion Picture Division produced a restored film more akin to Milestone's original version.<ref name="restoration"/><ref name="moviediva"/><ref name="nypost"/> 

By March 1998, the restoration was complete, with three minutes of previously lost footage reincorporated into the work.<ref name="restoration"/><ref name="request"/> Among rediscovered scenes included a grim depiction of the Last Supper, where Bäumer and company pass and consume food and drink splattered in blood.<ref name="restoration"/> This scene was originally removed because of time constraints.<ref name="restoration"/> After reaching cinemas, this restored version received home media release, with silent and sound versions present on Blu-Ray.<ref name="censorship"/><ref name="restoration"/><ref name="nypost"/>

==Availability==
Because of the indignities ''All Quiet on the Western Front'' received over the decades, not all footage was available or in sufficient quality for the Library of Congress restoration.<ref name="medium"/><ref name="censorship"/><ref name="restoration"/><ref name="nypost"/> In total, this cut lasts 133 minutes and 25 seconds, suggesting just under 19 minutes of footage was not recovered.<ref name="censorship"/><ref name="medium"/><ref name="nypost"/> However, it is known that a German VHS lasts 135:36 minutes.<ref name="censorship"/> Analysis from ''Movie-Censorship'' reveals whereas the German VHS is missing around 2:12 minutes of content contained in the Blu-Ray release, it also contains 7:52 minutes of 16 scenes not seen from the Library of Congress version.<ref name="censorship"/> When adding the missing 2:12 minutes to the German VHS, one will receive a work lasting 137:48 minutes.<ref name="censorship"/> Ultimately, the German VHS version is less common, as all subsequent DVD and Blu-Ray releases are based on the Library of Congress restoration.<ref name="censorship"/> When including the exclusive German VHS scenes, around 14:12 minutes of film footage is missing, having either been destroyed or ended up poorly preserved that they eventually ended up in a non-airable state.<ref name="censorship"/><ref name="nypost"/> It is the only Best Picture film to no longer exist in its original form.<ref name="nypost"/> 

Among the rarest clips includes scenes that never actually made it into the final version.<ref name="hub">[https://www.classicmoviehub.com/facts-and-trivia/film/all-quiet-on-the-western-front-1930/ ''Classic Movie Hub'' noting that Pitts did not feature in the silent version of the film, despite speculation she did.] Retrieved 17th May '23</ref><ref name="nypost"/> Originally, ZaSu Pitts portrayed Bäumer's mother, in emotional scenes where the young German reunites with his family on leave, Bäumer's mother having also been diagnosed with cancer.<ref name="pitts">[https://marypickford.org/caris-articles/discovering-zasu-pitts/ ''Mary Pickford'' biography on Pitts, noting her deleted scenes in the film.] Retrieved 17th May '23</ref><ref name="nypost"/><ref name="hub"/><ref name="book"/> Pitts was an actress most notable for her roles in silent and sound comedy films, being typecast within the genre.<ref name="pitts"/> This caused problems when ''All Quiet on the Western Front'' was presented to preview audiences, some of whom bursting into laughter during Pitts' scenes and drowning out her speech.<ref name="pitts"/><ref name="nypost"/> As the film was a serious production, it became clear Pitts' portrayal was simply not suited for the work.<ref name="pitts"/><ref name="nypost"/> Thus, she was hastily replaced by Beryl Mercer for those scenes, and was not featured in any version of film, despite speculation she featured in the silent edition.<ref name="hub"/><ref name="nypost"/><ref name="pitts"/><ref name="afi"/> The only available footage of Pitts is in a trailer, in a scene where Bäumer reassures his dying mother.<ref name="hub"/><ref name="pitts"/>

==Gallery==
===Videos===
{{Video|perrow  =2    
  |service1     =youtube
  |id1          =5A9whTlPi2I
  |description1 =Film trailer featuring footage of Pitt. Her voice originates from a 1938 radio adaptation of the book, where she recreated the bedroom scene.
  |service2     =youtube
  |id2          =HvojrXpY3f8
  |description2 =Wendigoon detailing the film.
}}

==External Links==
*[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0020629/ IMDB page for ''All Quiet on the Western Front''].
*[https://www.amazon.co.uk/All-Quiet-Western-Front-Ayres/dp/B07XZHJNL8 Amazon page for the Library of Congress version of ''All Quiet on the Western Front''].

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Lost films]]
[[Category:Partially lost media]]
[[Category:Historic]]