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Hold Back the Dawn

“Three great stars in the story of love...coldly conceived from a man's need, and a woman's desire!”

1941 · 1 h 56 min
Directed by Mitchell Leisen · USA · Classical Hollywood
DramaRomance

Where to watch in the United States: Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home. Streaming data from JustWatch via TMDB; availability changes.

Cast

Charles Boyer Olivia de Havilland Paulette Goddard Victor Francen Walter Abel Curt Bois

Credits

Written by: Charles Brackett

Plot

Romanian-French gigolo Georges Iscovescu wishes to enter the USA. Stopped in Mexico by the quota system, he decides to marry an American, then desert her and join his old partner Anita, who's done likewise.

Sinekatalog’s take

A Romanian-French gigolo stuck at the Mexican border plans to marry an American and then abandon her, but feelings complicate the scheme. A classic wartime romance with a sharp script and genuine emotion, a fine choice for lovers of Hollywood melodrama.Sinekatalog’s own editorial review – not a user or critic quote.

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Ratings

IMDb: 7.3 / 10 (3,182 votes)
IMDb rating and vote count from the IMDb ratings dataset (October 2026). Scores change over time.

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