watch on the rhine start a a broadway play by lillian hellman who write the film and saw it open on broadway at a time when the soviet union be still bind to nazi germany by that infamous non aggression pact sign in august of 1939. so much for the fact that hellman be merely echo the communist party line and the line do not change until a couple of month later . lillian be actually month ahead of her time with this work . the play watch on the rhine ran from april 1941 to february 1942 for 378 performance and five player come over from broadway to repeat their role frank wilson a the butler and eric robert a the young son and lucile watson a the family matriarch and most importantly villain george coulouris and paul lukas . lukas pull an award hat trick in 1943 win an oscar and a golden globe and and the new york film critic for best actor . probably if the tony award have be in existence then he would have win that as well . the oscar be even more remarkable when you consider who he be up against and humphrey bogart for casablanca and gary cooper in for whom the bell toll and mickey rooney in the human comedy and and walter pidgeon for madame curie . every one of his competitor be a big box office movie name than he be . lukas nomination be usually the kind the academy give to round out a field . jack warner know that which be why mady christian do not repeat her broadway part and the role of lukas wife be give to bette davis . davis take the part not because this be an especially showy role for her and but because she believe in the picture and just want to be associate with it . it the same reason she do the man who come to dinner and a much light play than this one . davis be the daughter of a late american supreme court justice who marry a german national back in the weimar day . after many year of be vagabond on the continent of europe and davis lukas and and their three child come to america which have not yet enter the european war . theyre make welcome by lucile watson who be thrill naturally at finally meet her grandchild . the fly in this ointment be some other house guest and a friend of davis from bygone day geraldine fitzgerald and her husband who be also from europe and a rumanian diplomat and aristocrat george coulouris . coulouris be a wastrel and a spendthrift and he smell an opportunity for double dealing when he suspect lukas anti fascist background . his suspicion be quite correct and it the reason that the family have be the vagabond they have become . lukas fought in spain on the republican side and be wound there . his health have not be the same since . his family loyally support him in whatever decision he make . those decision affect all the other member of the cast . add quite a bit more to the broadway play include some lovely fascist creature be dashiell hammett who be lillian hellman significant other . coulouris playing card at the german embassy be a hammett creation with such loathsome type a henry daniell and kurt katch and clyde fillmore and erwin kalser and rudolph anders . coulouris be truly one of the most despicable character ever bring to screen a the no account runmanian count . he be a metaphor for his own country who embrace the nazi with gusto and then equally repudiate them without lose a step after stalingrad . lucile watson be up for best support actress in 1943 and but lose to katina paxinou in for whom the bell toll . dashiell hammett be nominate for best adapt screenplay and the film itself lose for best picture to that other anti fascist classic and casablanca . though it an item firmly plant in those specific time and watch on the rhine still pack a stern anti fascist message that bear repeat infinitely .