Rotten Tomatoes
Cancel Movies Tv shows FanStore News Showtimes

Three Comrades

Play trailer Poster for Three Comrades Released Jun 3, 1938 1h 38m Romance Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
100% Tomatometer 7 Reviews 67% Popcornmeter 250+ Ratings
Returning home from World War I, three German soldiers start an auto repair service. A car they assemble from a scrap heap wins the admiration of wealthy Breuer (Lionel Atwill) after they beat him in an informal highway race. Breuer introduces them to his mistress, Patricia (Margaret Sullavan). Erich (Robert Taylor) wins her heart, but all three men bond over their affection for her as Patricia's health falls apart, and Germany falls into economic and political chaos.
Watch on Fandango at Home Buy Now

Where to Watch

Three Comrades

Critics Reviews

View All (7) Critics Reviews
Dan Callahan Slant Magazine Sullavan won the New York Film Critic's prize for her role here, and it was deserved: if Ernst Lubitsch's The Shop Around the Corner stands as her best movie, then this is certainly her best performance. Rated: 3/4 Jul 26, 2006 Full Review Ann Ross Maclean's Magazine Three Comrades is finely written, produced and acted, but is so filled with desolation and the shadow of impoverishment and death, that movie-goers may find it rather bitter fare as entertainment. Jul 22, 2019 Full Review Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews A crowd-pleasing tearjerker. Rated: B Aug 2, 2014 Full Review Fernando F. Croce CinePassion A vision of romance forever on the verge of disintegration Oct 6, 2013 Full Review Michael E. Grost Classic Film and Television Uneven but interesting look at four friends' problems over the years in Germany. Aug 5, 2013 Full Review Jeffrey M. Anderson Combustible Celluloid Borzage very often captures some potent emotions, almost despite the material. Apr 3, 2009 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (9) audience reviews
Audience Member "Three Comrades" is one of Frank Borzage's most poignant and memorable love stories. Based on the novel by Erich Maria Remarque on post-World War I Germany, it concerns three war veterans - Robert Taylor, Franchot Tone, and Robert Young - returning to Berlin on the brink of Nazism and poverty. They share the love of one woman played by Margaret Sullavan who provides them with hope and eternal transcendence. "Three Comrades" is less emotionally gripping than Borzage's other anti-Nazi films starring Sullavan - "Little Man What Now?"(1934) & "The Mortal Storm"(1940) - but it is imbued with a tender, soft-focus romantic aura and Borzage's characteristic signature, the redemptive powers of love. Like her role in Borzage's "Little Man", Sullavan is extraordinarily luminous and touching. Aside from Borzage's ethereal touch, I think she is the one that makes the film truly memorable and poignant. The final moment is particularly priceless. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/08/23 Full Review Steve D Nothing special despite its writer. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 06/04/23 Full Review Audience Member The best romance movie ever made! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/26/23 Full Review Audience Member Unusual movie , well done, give it a try. Excellent performances... Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/10/23 Full Review Audience Member An uneven effort to show soldiers recovering from war in Germany. More interesting than the actual film is the timing of the film just before the start of the Second World War. There are hidden critiques of the Nazis but the motivation behind releasing it when it was released are baffling. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/07/23 Full Review Audience Member Love story centering as much on friendships as romance - or perhaps it's better to say an exploration of the commitments of playing wing-man to your buddy's love interest. Well written, well filmed, well edited - the trimming of the script (political connotations) is the only weak point of the film. It's also interesting that Hollywood was allowed to make such a human film about the German people while Naziism was consolidating it's grip on that nation. Kudos. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 01/25/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Three Comrades

My Rating

Read More Read Less POST RATING WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW

Cast & Crew

View All Cast and Crew

More Like This

View All Best Movies to Stream at Home
Waterloo Bridge 83% 88% Waterloo Bridge Watchlist The Barretts of Wimpole Street 70% 71% The Barretts of Wimpole Street Watchlist Camille 89% 83% Camille Watchlist Romeo and Juliet 75% 47% Romeo and Juliet Watchlist The Clock 100% 83% The Clock Watchlist Discover more movies and TV shows. View More
View All Three Comrades photos

Three Comrades

Three Comrades (1938) Three Comrades (1938) Three Comrades (1938) Three Comrades (1938) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Returning home from World War I, three German soldiers start an auto repair service. A car they assemble from a scrap heap wins the admiration of wealthy Breuer (Lionel Atwill) after they beat him in an informal highway race. Breuer introduces them to his mistress, Patricia (Margaret Sullavan). Erich (Robert Taylor) wins her heart, but all three men bond over their affection for her as Patricia's health falls apart, and Germany falls into economic and political chaos.
Director
Frank Borzage
Producer
Joseph L. Mankiewicz
Screenwriter
F. Scott Fitzgerald, Edward E. Paramore Jr.
Distributor
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Production Co
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Genre
Romance
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jun 3, 1938, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Jun 22, 2009
Runtime
1h 38m
Most Popular at Home Now