While it would be the subject of a number of films following its conclusion, not many films about the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) were made during the conflict. Only two movies were turned out by Hollywood and William Dieterle’s Blockade (1938) was the only one to pick a side of the conflict (the Republicans of Spain’s Popular Front government vs. General Francisco Franco’s Nationalists) to depict. The first to make it to theaters was a Grand Hotel styled drama under the helm of James P. Hogan – a veteran from the Silent Era – The Last Train from Madrid. Previously released on MOD DVD by Universal, Kino has licensed the film for its Blu-ray debut.
The Production: 3.5/5
With the horrors of the ongoing civil war surrounding Madrid, the decision is made by the defending forces – led by Col. Vigo (Lionel Atwill) and Captain Ricardo Alvarez (Anthony Quinn) – to have a select group of citizens evacuated on the train headed to Valencia at midnight. Among those either angling for a pass aboard that train or caught up in the ensuing drama are political prisoner Eduardo de Soto (Gilbert Roland), his former lover Carmelita Castillo (Dorothy Lamour), infamous baroness Helene Rafitto (Karen Morley), young soldier Juan Ramos (Robert Cummings), newspaperman Bill Dexter (Lew Ayres), prostitute Lola (Helen Mack) and woman soldier Maria Ronda (Olympe Bradna). As the midnight departure draws closer, love affairs and desperate hopes are what each of the prospective passengers have to cling to as the conflict draws closer to the Spanish capital.
As one of only two movies that Hollywood ever made during the height of the Spanish Civil War, The Last Train from Madrid melds the topicality of the day’s events with a Grand Hotel style flourish. Adopting America’s neutral stance on the war, the movie doesn’t argue in favor of one faction or the other, instead opting to depict the struggles of those trying to flee the combat by any means necessary. Director James P. Hogan does a decent job in wrestling the numerous subplots and stories into a cohesive whole and also has the talents of Paramount stalwarts Hans Dreier (the famed and longtime chief production designer for the studio) and Harry Fischbeck (cinematographer) at his disposal to lend some style to the proceedings; the latter would integrate actual newsreel footage of the conflict into the movie for solid effect. There’s not much to complain about here, except for the fact that this imitation of Grand Hotel is a little rougher around the edges compared the standard bearer that preceded it. However, The Last Train from Madrid is still a well made little film that dared to venture into a world arena – albeit neutrally – that most Hollywood studios and films feared to tread.
Top billed here – and fresh off of her breakthrough film The Jungle Princess (1936) – Dorothy Lamour brings both glamour and exoticism to her role as Carmelita, the woman torn between two lovers; following this movie, the former nightclub singer would continue to build her reputation as the studio’s “Sarong Queen” before achieving superstardom in the 1940’s alongside Bing Crosby and Bob Hope in the “Road to…” movie franchise. Lew Ayres is cast against type here as the smooth-talking American newspaper man Bill Dexter, who ends up in a romance with Maria Ronda, effectively played by Olympe Bradna; he would soon achieve sustained success in MGM’s Dr. Kildare film series before his pacifist stance during WWII effectively ended his career as a leading man. As the former brothers in arms now on opposite sides and fighting over Carmelita, Gilbert Roland and Anthony Quinn both give solid performances in their respective roles as political prisoner and captain tasked with evacuating the group of Madrid citizens; Roland would go on to be nominated for two Golden Globe Awards following this movie while Quinn would soon become one of Hollywood’s most versatile leading character actors with two Oscar wins to his name. Rounding out the ensemble cast here are Karen Morley as the notorious baroness, Lionel Atwill as Colonel Vigo, Helen Mack as the prostitute Lola, Robert Cummings as the soldier Juan Ramos, Louise Carter as Rosa Delgado and uncredited appearances by Henry Brandon, Nigel De Brulier, Bess Flowers, Francis Ford, Ralf Harolde, Francis McDonald, Robert Middleton, Robert Emmett O’Connor; look for a young Alan Ladd in one of his earliest film appearances as a soldier.
Video: 4/5
3D Rating: NA
The film is presented in its original 1:37:1 aspect ratio, taken from a brand new 2K master created for this release. Film grain, gray scale and fine details are all represented faithfully with only minor cases of scratches, nicks, tears and dirt present here. This release is likely the best the movie will ever look on home video and represents an improvement over the previous Universal MOD DVD release.
Audio: 5/5
The film’s original mono soundtrack is presented on a DTS-HD Master Audio track for this release. Dialogue, sound mix and music score (no credited composer, but Boris Morros is credited as the musical director) are all presented faithfully with minimal cases of distortion, crackling, popping and hissing present. This release is likely the best the movie will ever sound on home video and surpasses the previous Universal MOD DVD.
Special Features: 3/5
Commentary by author/entertainment journalist Bryan Reesman –Â Recorded for this release, Reesman talks about the production of the movie, the cast and crew as well as some of the background on the Spanish Civil War itself.
Theatrical Trailer (1:37)
Bonus KLSC Trailers –Â Road to Singapore, Donovan’s Brain, Thunder Bay, The Ride Back, The Song of Songs & The Accused (1949)
Overall: 4/5
While garnered divided notices from critics, The Last Train from Madrid combines the topicality of the day with a Grand Hotel style flourish to create an absorbing if not all together diverting entertainment. Kino continues its impressive run of uncovering hidden gems on home video here, with a decent HD transfer and an informative commentary track as a special feature. Highly recommended and worth upgrading from the previous MOD DVD.
Mychal has been on the Home Theater Forum’s reviewing staff since 2018, with reviews numbering close to 300. During this time, he has also been working as an assistant manager at The Cotton Patch – his family’s fabric and quilting supplies business in Keizer, Oregon. When not working at reviewing movies or working at the family business, he enjoys exploring the Oregon Coast, playing video games and watching baseball in addition to his expansive collection of movies on DVD, Blu-ray and UHD, totalling over 3,000 movies.
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