Beyond Victory

Beyond Victory is a 1931 American

The second doughboy, Lew Cavanaugh (Lew Cody), is a New York playboy who used enlistment as a way to have a final night of pleasure with one of his conquests, never realizing that he would die on a French battlefield. The third American, the unsoldierly Jim Mobley (James Gleason), is not as badly wounded as the other two soldiers and tells his story of his wife's displeasure after he announces his intention to enlist and his own consternation at his inability explain to her why. Thatcher then relates his own story, where he was engaged to a German immigrant back in the United States but did not wed her due to their differences over the "Great War".

Shortly after, the Germans attack again, during which Bill and Jim defend their position and blow up a bridge to cover the retreat of their battalion, but are badly wounded. A German soldier tries to bayonet the unconscious Bill but is stopped by another soldier. Both are captured and sent to a German hospital, where Bill is discovered by his erstwhile fiancé, Katherine (Lissi Arna). She saves his life by persuading the German doctor to allow Bill, slowly bleeding to death but not allowed a

Cast

• Bill Boyd as Sergeant Bill Thatcher
• James Gleason as Private Jim Mobley
• Lew Cody as Lew Cavanaugh
• ZaSu Pitts as Mademoiselle Fritzi
• Marion Shilling as Ina
• Russell Gleason as Russell ("Bud")
• Lissi Arna
  as Katherine
• Mary Carr as Mother
• Fred Scott
  as Fred
• Theodore Von Eltz
  as Major Sparks

(Cast list as per AFI database)^[3]

Production

The film was announced as part of

By July 11, 1930, production on the film was completed.[35] By the end of the month, the picture was in the editing room.^[36] However, on July 23 it was announced that the film was being shelved for the time being, with portions to be re-shot.^[37] By August 21, the film was being advertised in major industry journals.^[38] In the released version of the film, scenes with Helen Twelvetrees and June Collyer were completely cut.^[39] In October it was announced that the film was scheduled for release on November 30,^[40] with the film undergoing some large re-shoots under the direction of E.H. Griffith.^[41] However, the film went back into the editing room in early December.^[42] The film's release date was eventually pushed back to be included in the 1931 release schedule.^[43] Pathé cut its planned 20 films for the 1930–31 schedule to 9, with Beyond Victory scheduled as the last of the nine. The reason cited was Pathé's acquisition by RKO Pictures.^[44] Beyond Victory was one of three Pathé films which were purchased outright by RKO.^[45]

Reception

The reviews of the film were mixed. The Film Daily called it a "Fairly good war drama", highlighting the good performance of Marion Shilling.^[46] However, the magazine issued a retraction a short time later, noting that they meant to compliment the acting work of Lissi Arna, not Shilling.^[47] This sentiment was echoed by the Motion Picture Magazine, which called it a "War picture to talk about...."^[48] On the other hand, the Motion Picture Herald, described it as a "mixed-up affair, pacifist in theme, and in acting, story, direction and other departments woefully amateurish."^[49]

Notes

Despite her scenes being cut, Helen Twelvetrees was part of a tie-in marketing campaign of the film and Outdoor Girl Face Powder.