Skip to content
What's After the Movie?
War drama

The Cross of Lorraine (1943): Cast & Plot

The Cross of Lorraine (1943) movie poster

The Cross of Lorraine is a 1943 war drama directed by Tay Garnett, starring Gene Kelly as Victor, Wallace Ford and Jean-Pierre Aumont. It runs 1 hour 30 minutes.

Loading streaming availability…
The Cross of Lorraine (1943) movie poster
Released
Runtime
1h 30m (90 min)
Director
Tay Garnett
Genres
Drama , War
Original language
English
After the credits
No No extra scene
The story

What Is The Cross of Lorraine About?

The premise of The Cross of Lorraine without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.

MGM’s drama of the fighting French! French soldiers (Jean-Pierre Aumont, Gene Kelly) surrender to lying Nazis and are herded into a barbaric prison camp.

The Cross of Lorraine Themes & Keywords

· 50 tags
  • foreigner playing french character
  • territory name in title
  • loss of faith
  • cross of lorraine
  • vigilante justice
  • loaf of bread
  • historical drama
  • political drama
  • social drama
  • pow escape
  • prison guard
  • prison infirmary
+38 more
  • prisoner interrogation
  • world war ii history
  • nazi collaborator
  • courage
  • french army
  • alsace lorraine
  • boundaries
  • barber
  • train freight car
  • chilean immigrant
  • farmer
  • france
  • german army
  • gunshot wound
  • lawyer
  • physician
  • murder of a priest
  • starvation
  • tortured prisoner
  • wine merchant
  • surgeon
  • army corporal
  • army lieutenant
  • burial
  • prison camp commander
  • alarm
  • infected wound
  • ambulance
  • chloroform
  • countryside
  • resistance fighter
  • german occupied france
  • forced labor camp
  • small village
  • fighting back
  • underground french resistance
  • inhumane living conditions
  • sadistic prison guard
Loading streaming availability…
Cast & crew

The Cross of Lorraine Cast & Characters

Gene Kelly leads the cast as Victor, with Wallace Ford as Pierre and Jean-Pierre Aumont as Paul. Directed by Tay Garnett; 12 actors are credited in all.

Also Starring in The Cross of Lorraine

· 8 more
From the director

More from Tay Garnett

More films directed by Tay Garnett, best-rated first: The Postman Always Rings Twice, The Delta Factor, Cattle King and The Black Knight.

Full filmography
Plot

The Cross of Lorraine Plot Summary

What happens in The Cross of Lorraine from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 15 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 4-minute read.

Spoilers ahead

As World War II unfolds, French servicemen from diverse backgrounds are drafted or enlisted, facing a harsh new reality as the conflict widens. After France falls in 1940, Marshal Philippe Pétain signs an armistice, and many soldiers are not repatriated home but instead transported to a brutal prison camp that tests every line of their resolve. In the bleak routine of confinement, the men find a measure of solace in Father Sebastian, a former army chaplain who offers quiet wisdom and moral steadiness, even as the violence around them grows more relentless and personal. Yet his faith and counsel are not enough to shield the camp from brutality, and he is ultimately killed, leaving a void that weighs on the prisoners.

Full summary

The whole story of The Cross of Lorraine, scene by scene

Read the full summary
Videos

The Cross of Lorraine Trailers & Videos

The trailer of The Cross of Lorraine.

Cross of Lorraine (Original Theatrical Trailer)
Quiz

How Well Do You Know The Cross of Lorraine?

10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.

Question 1 of 10

  1. Question 1: not answered
  2. Question 2: not answered
  3. Question 3: not answered
  4. Question 4: not answered
  5. Question 5: not answered
  6. Question 6: not answered
  7. Question 7: not answered
  8. Question 8: not answered
  9. Question 9: not answered
  10. Question 10: not answered

Which former army chaplain provides moral guidance to the prisoners before being killed?

Seen The Cross of Lorraine?

FAQ

The Cross of Lorraine FAQ: Cast, Runtime & Release Date

Runtime, release date, director, cast and post-credit scenes of The Cross of Lorraine, each answered in a sentence.

How long is The Cross of Lorraine?

The Cross of Lorraine runs 1 hour 30 minutes (90 minutes).

When was The Cross of Lorraine released?

The Cross of Lorraine was released on November 12, 1943.

Who directed The Cross of Lorraine?

The Cross of Lorraine was directed by Tay Garnett.

More films by Tay Garnett

Who is in the cast of The Cross of Lorraine?

The Cross of Lorraine stars Gene Kelly as Victor, Wallace Ford as Pierre and Jean-Pierre Aumont as Paul, among 12 credited actors.

Does The Cross of Lorraine have a post-credit scene?

No. The Cross of Lorraine has no extra scene during or after the credits.

Coming soon to your phone

The Plot Explained Movie Summary App

From blockbusters to hidden gems: plot summaries, endings explained and timelines on your phone. Save your favorites and never miss a twist again.

Be the first to know when it launches. Your email stays private, always. Learn more about the app