description Four Sons Overview
Four Sons is a 1928 American silent drama directed by John Ford and produced by Fox Film Corporation. Set largely in Bavaria, it follows a widowed mother whose four sons take different paths before and during the First World War, including service on opposing sides of the conflict. The film was adapted from I. A.
R. Wylie's story "Grandmother Bernle" and was released with a synchronized musical score and sound effects using the Movietone process.
help Four Sons FAQ
Who are the four sons in John Ford's Four Sons?
The four sons of the Bavarian widow Mother Bernle are Joseph, Franz, Johann, and Andreas. Their lives begin in the village of Burgendorf before the First World War changes the family. [AFI reference](https://catalog.afi.com/Film/9220-FOUR-SONS)
Why does Joseph leave Bavaria in Four Sons?
Joseph leaves after clashing with Major von Stomm and chooses to seek a more equal life in the United States. In New York, he marries Annabelle and runs a German-American delicatessen. [Plot reference](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0018909/plotsummary/)
How does the First World War divide the family in Four Sons?
Franz, Johann, and Andreas remain connected to Bavaria and the German war effort, while Joseph is living in the United States. When America enters the war, Joseph joins the American army, placing the brothers on opposing sides. [Plot reference](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0018909/plotsummary/)
Was Four Sons really a silent film?
It is a 1928 silent-era film with English intertitles, synchronized music, and sound effects but no spoken dialogue. John Ford directed it for Fox Film Corporation, and Archie Mayo later directed a 1940 remake with the same title. [Film reference](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Sons)
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