I Was a Male War Bride
Date: 1949
Director: Howard Hawks
Production Company: Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation
Stars: Cary Grant, Ann Sheridan, Marion Marshall
Location(s): Baden-Württemberg, Hesse (Germany)
Region(s): Germany
Storyline:
Captain Henri Rochard is a French officer assigned to work with Lieut. Catherine Gates. Through a wacky series of misadventures, they fall in love and marry. When the war ends, Capt. Rochard tries to return to America with the other female war brides. Zany gender-confusing antics follow.
Additional Information:
Screen captures and uncredited now shots provided by Günter and uploaded by Richard Lovejoy.
Can you help:
If you have any information regarding this production, the locations or, even better, some comparison shots please contact us. Images submitted must be in Landscape orientation, as would be seen on the cinema screen, not Portrait.
We are aware that there are films on the site that were added when the criteria for the inclusion of locations was very different from today and, as a result, there may be scenes missing from some productions. Please do not forward additional screen captures to us but bring the detail to our attention, for we do, and are, 're-addressing' these older entries as time allows.
- Capture 1
- 18 Nov 2020
Frankfurt am Main/In the background the bridge "Iron Bridge" (Eisener Steg).

David Frewin provides us with a shot of the Eisener Steg (iron bridge) some 70 years on, in colour and without title credits. (RL)
- Capture 2
- 18 Nov 2020
Frankfurt am Main/The figure on the left is Justitia, a monument on the Römerberg (place in Frankfurt).

A of view of Römerberg with the Justitiabrunnen statue from David, who adds that this area has been significantly rebuilt since the 1940’s, due to bomb damage. (RL)
- Capture 3
- 18 Nov 2020
Frankfurt am Main/The building is the left side of Frankfurt Central Station.

David captures a view of the front of the Hauptbahnhof. (RL)
- Capture 4
- 18 Nov 2020
Frankfurt am Main/Here is the main entrance of the central station. Above the entrance is a statue "Atlas carrying the globe".

Once again David reveals a clearer view of the scene behind the credits some 70 years on. (RL)
- Capture 5
- 'Now' required
Mannheim/The building with the large windows on the right side is the Concert Hall "Rose Garden“ (Rosengarten).
- Capture 6
- 'Now' required
Stefan Pöschel tells us that this is Frankfurt am Main. A few frames further on the last tramway wagon has an advertisement for the Stadtsparkasse (savings bank) of Frankfurt, together with its (then) address Börsenplatz 5. (RL)
- Capture 7
- 12 Apr 2016
Heidelberg/Old Town, Town Hall Square. Heiliggeistkirche (built between 1398-1515)
Now! Nothing has changed. Only colour! And it rains!
- Capture 8
- 12 Apr 2016
Heidelberg/Old Town, Town Hall Square. Heiliggeistkirche
It's still raining! At Easter! 5 degree cold .....! Could easily be England!
- Capture 9
- 12 Apr 2016
Capt. Henri Rochard (Cary Grant) at the Hercules fountain, Heidelberg, built 1706-1709.
Now.
- Capture 10
- 12 Apr 2016
Market Place, Heidelberg (1948).
The same scene Easter 2016.
- Capture 11
- 12 Apr 2016
The Market Place, Heidelberg
The Market Place now and in the wet.
- Capture 12
- 12 Apr 2016
Capt. Rochard in the Market Place, Heidelberg
68 years on without the Captain.
- Capture 13
- 12 Apr 2016
Capt. Rochard in Market Place, Heidelberg with a bakery in the background.
The bakery has gone.
- Capture 14
- 12 Apr 2016
Hercules fountain and a taxi.
The fountain is still running.
- Capture 15
- 12 Apr 2016
The bakery with City Hall Heidelberg just to the right.
The military have long gone.
- Capture 16
- 12 Apr 2016
City Hall, Heidelberg
Heidelberg City Hall today
- Capture 17
- 12 Apr 2016
"On the right"...."Thank you"
No more military and no bakery.
- Capture 18
- 12 Apr 2016
A reverse point of view with Hercules fountain on the left.
Now.
- Capture 19
- 12 Apr 2016
A close up of the Town Hall entrance.
The entrance to the Town Hall today.
- Capture 20
- 12 Apr 2016
Filming moves to the Schwetzingen Castle with Lt. Catherine Gates (Ann Sheridan) in the centre.
The film crew has gone and the motor pool also.
- Capture 21
- 12 Apr 2016
In the background the Castle Park with water fountain.
The fountain still works. After 68 years! That's German efficiency for you! (RL)
- Capture 22
- 12 Apr 2016
Schwetzingen Castle once again.
Today very colourful!
- Capture 23
- 12 Apr 2016
The main entrance to the Castle Park.
Now.
- Capture 24
- 12 Apr 2016
In the Castle is a truck.
Looks better without truck.
- Capture 25
- 12 Apr 2016
Capt. Rochard and Lt. Gates with the Castle as background.
Castle and white statue but no personnel or vehicles.
- Capture 26
- 12 Apr 2016
Motorcycle with sidecar is an unusual sight these days.
As I said, just a Park and a fountain now.
- Capture 27
- 12 Apr 2016
Here is the other side of the Castle.
How it looks today.
- Capture 28
- 12 Apr 2016
The area to the left of the main entrance.
And now.
- Capture 29
- 12 Apr 2016
Panning further to the right.
A much more colourful backdrop now.
- Capture 30
- 'Now' required
Another short scene in Mannheim showing the resultant war damage in 1948.
- Capture 31
- 12 Apr 2016
The bike moves to Neckarsteinach.
The same wall today.
- Capture 32
- 12 Apr 2016
The bike moves further right....
...and today.
- Capture 33
- 12 Apr 2016
....and further right in 1948.
And now in 2016.
- Capture 34
- 12 Apr 2016
The banks of the Rhine.
Somewhat less activity in 2016.
- Capture 35
- 12 Apr 2016
The promenade of Neckarsteinach.
Now.
- Capture 36
- 12 Apr 2016
From the ferry to the shore of Neckarsteinach.
No change after all those years.
- Capture 37
- 12 Apr 2016
An old building in the background.
That old building remains to this day.
- Capture 38
- 12 Apr 2016
A closer view of that old building.
A very recent close up of that building.
- Capture 39
- 12 Apr 2016
Filming now moves to Zuzenhausen, 40 kilometers further on.
The road has changed and the building on the right is now a restaurant.
- Capture 40
- 12 Apr 2016
The road from the railway crossing.
Everything is a little more modern.
- Capture 41
- 12 Apr 2016
Clearly a train coming.
A piece of the wall is still there.
- Capture 42
- 12 Apr 2016
The embankment at the railroad crossing.
The wall on the right side is still there, but it is now single track and without steam trains.
- Capture 43
- 19 Apr 2016
Captain, that is not a safe thing to do.
Today there are no more barriers.
- Capture 44
- 12 Apr 2016
Do be careful!
The barrier is gone, the house is still standing.
- Capture 45
- 22 Nov 2021
Identified by Mike Ryan, this is the River Neckar at Neckargemünd in Baden-Württemberg with Kleingemünd as the background.

Mike provides this comparison view taken from the landing stage in 2018 .
- Capture 46
- 'Now' required
Looking across the River Neckar towards Kleingemünd identified by Mike Ryan.
- Capture 47
- 12 Apr 2016
A view to Neckargemuend.
Today with a new bridge.
- Capture 48
- 'Now' required
The Neckar lock of Neckarsteinach advises Günter.
- Capture 49
- 'Now' required
The Neckar lock of Neckarsteinach once more. Neckargemünd near Heidelberg or Rockenau, further upstream, are suggested as alternatives by Stefan Pöschel who advises that the many barrages of the Neckar look quite similar as they were been built together in the 1930s to the 1950s.
- Capture 50
- 'Now' required
Neckar lock of Neckarsteinach and an unenviable situation.
- Capture 51
- 'Now' required
Neckarsteinach from the other side.
- Capture 52
- 'Now' required
A further view of Neckarsteinach from the other side.
- Capture 53
- 'Now' required
An unknown location, maybe a set?
- Capture 54
- 'Now' required
Unknown location.
- Capture 55
- 'Now' required
Unknown location.
- Capture 56
- 'Now' required
Unknown location.
- Capture 57
- 'Now' required
Unknown location.
- Capture 58
- 'Now' required
Unknown location.
- Capture 59
- 'Now' required
Himbächel Bridge (Himbächel-Viadukt)
- Capture 60
- 12 Apr 2016
Back in Zuzenhausen. The church in the village.
Now.
- Capture 61
- 12 Apr 2016
The church in the background once again.
Today there is no longer a doorstep.
- Capture 62
- 12 Apr 2016
The other side of the same street.
Not much has changed since 1948, with the buildings anyway.
- Capture 63
- 12 Apr 2016
That corner and the other side, a little closer and with Lt. Gates and Capt. Rochard.
Almost as before.
- Capture 64
- 12 Apr 2016
Lt. Gates poses by the front door.
Where would she pose now?
- Capture 65
- 12 Apr 2016
A Zuzenhausen village street with the "action" attracting much interest from the children.
Much has not changed, only the lenses of cameras.
- Capture 66
- 12 Apr 2016
On the road next to the church.
Now.
- Capture 67
- 12 Apr 2016
The house next to the church as Lt. Gates sprints past.
Now.
- Capture 68
- 12 Apr 2016
The road to the meadow.
The road to the meadow is still there.
- Capture 69
- 12 Apr 2016
The entrance to the village.
The entrance to the village still looks the same as before.
- Capture 70
- 12 Apr 2016
The farm in the background 68 years ago.
The farm has been somewhat rebuilt.
- Capture 71
- 'Now' required
It all rather suggests a set.
- Capture 72
- 'Now' required
Unknown location, or is this a set as well?
- Capture 73
- 'Now' required
Unknown location.
- Capture 74
- 'Now' required
Unknown location.
- Capture 75
- 'Now' required
Unknown location.

