''But Not in Vain'' (Dutch name ''Niet Tevergeefs'') is a 1948 Anglo-Dutch World War II drama, directed by

Edmond T. Gréville Edmond T. Gréville (born Edmond Gréville Thonger; 20 June 1906 – 26 May 1966) was a French film director and screenwriter. He was married to the actress Vanda Gréville. Career Gréville began his career as a film journalist and critic. ...

and starring

Raymond Lovell Raymond Lovell (13 April 1900 – 1 October 1953) was a Canadian actor who performed in British films. He mainly played supporting roles, often somewhat pompous characters. Lovell initially trained as a physician at Cambridge University, but g ...

. The film is set in 1944 in the occupied

Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...

, and was shot at the Cinetone Studios in

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , ; ; ) is the capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, largest city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It has a population of 933,680 in June 2024 within the city proper, 1,457,018 in the City Re ...

, with exterior filming taking place at locations in and around the city. The film also incorporates authentic wartime footage filmed by members of the

Dutch Resistance The Dutch resistance () to the History of the Netherlands (1939–1945), German occupation of the Netherlands during World War II can be mainly characterized as non-violent. The primary organizers were the Communist Party of the Netherlands, C ...

. The Dutch version of the film was the first Dutch production of a feature film after World War II.

Plot

In late 1944, the '' Hongerwinter'' famine is starting to bite in the occupied northern and western Netherlands and Nazi persecution is rife. The farm of Jan Alting, a Dutch patriot who has disowned his son for his collaboration with the occupying German forces, is known by the Dutch Resistance as a place of refuge for those who are in danger from the Germans. With the help of his daughter Elly, Alting is currently providing shelter for Jewish couple Mark and Mary Meyer; van Nespen, an aristocrat with active links to the underground movement, and Bakker, a

Communist Communism () is a sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology within the socialist movement, whose goal is the creation of a communist society, a socioeconomic order centered on common ownership of the means of production, di ...

wanted by the Germans for sabotage. All are aware of the constant risk of betrayal and exposure. Jan's son Anton returns unexpectedly to his former home, and discovers that his father and sister are harbouring subversives. He orders his father to turn them out immediately, threatening to shoot them all if this is not done. Jan is faced with the seemingly irreconcilable demands of patriotism and responsibility for the safety of his shelterers, set against the feelings he still has for Anton, despite the latter's betrayal of all Jan stands for. He faces the stark moral choice of failing those to whom he has given refuge, or conspiring with them to kill his own son.

Origin of the name

The film's name is derived from a wartime radio speech by the exiled Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands, exhorting her people to resist the Nazi occupation and promising that their struggle and sacrifice would not be in vain.

Cast

as Jan Alting * Carol van Derman as Elly Alting *

Bruce Lester Bruce Lester (6 June 1912 – 13 June 2008) was a South African-born English film actor with over 60 screen appearances to his credit between 1934 and his retirement from acting in 1958. Lester's career divided into two distinct periods. Betwe ...

as Fred van Nespen * Martin Benson as Mark Meyer *

Agnes Bernelle Agnes Bernelle (born Agnes Elisabeth Bernauer; 7 March 1923 – 15 February 1999) was a Berlin-born actress and singer, who lived in England for many years, then Ireland. She appeared in over 20 films and also made stage and television appearanc ...

as Mary Meyer * Julian Dallas as Willem Bakker * Jordan Lawrence as Anton * Ben van Esselstyn as Sgt. Eeslyn * Harry Croizet as Skipper

Later history

''But Not in Vain'' was first screened in December 1948; however surviving contemporary reviews all date from early 1950, leading to the assumption that a general release was delayed until then for unknown reasons. The film received some generally favourable reviews, with ''Today's Cinema'' describing it as "intelligently directed, always with artistry and sometimes with real dramatic power", and the ''Daily Film Renter'' praising "well-drawn characters, gripping story and happy climax". The ''

Monthly Film Bulletin The ''Monthly Film Bulletin'' was a periodical of the British Film Institute published monthly from February 1934 until April 1991, when it merged with '' Sight & Sound''. It reviewed all films on release in the United Kingdom, including those wi ...

'' in contrast dismissed it as "uniquely incompetent". The

British Film Institute The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves filmmaking and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...

has been unable to locate a print of the film for inclusion in the

BFI National Archive The BFI National Archive is a department of the British Film Institute, and one of the largest film archives in the world. It was founded as the National Film Library in 1935; its first curator was Ernest Lindgren. In 1955, its name became th ...

, and classes it as "missing, believed lost". There is increasing interest by film historians in Gréville's directorial career, with the same year's ''

Noose A noose is a loop at the end of a rope in which the knot tightens under load and can be loosened without untying the knot. The knot can be used to secure a rope to a post, pole, or animal but only where the end is in a position that the loop can ...

'' being particularly highly regarded. The current absence of ''But Not in Vain'' represents a crucial gap in Gréville's filmography, and the BFI lists the film as one of its " 75 Most Wanted" missing British feature films.75 Most Wanted - ''But Not in Vain''
BFI National Archive. ''Retrieved 15-08-2010''

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:But Not in Vain 1948 films 1948 drama films 1940s multilingual films 1940s lost films Films set in 1944 Western Front of World War II films Lost British films Lost British drama films 1940s English-language films British black-and-white films Dutch black-and-white films Films set in the Netherlands British drama films British multilingual films Films directed by Edmond T. Gréville 1940s British films