Hold Back the Dawn (1941)

Romanian seducer, Georges Iscovescu, with dreams of American citizenship and a life of boundless opportunity, finds himself entangled in the web of stringent visa requirements. His pursuit of the American dream leads him to the bustling border town of Tijuana, Mexico, a makeshift refuge for those stranded in anticipation of their American future. Unprepared for the eight-year wait due to the country quota system, he checks into Hotel Esperanza, a melting pot of stories from hopeful immigrants like him. A chance encounter with Anita Dixon, a Polish-Australian divorcee now known as Mrs. Shaughnessy, provides him with an unscrupulous plan. She, a mirror image of Georges, has successfully navigated her way to American citizenship through a short-lived marriage. Inspired, Georges sets his sights on the innocent Emmy Brown, an American schoolteacher on a Mexican field trip with her students. However, the road to citizenship is fraught with unexpected twists. Lurking in the shadows is Mr. Hammock, a relentless US immigration inspector, hunting down fraudulent marriages designed for the sole purpose of obtaining citizenship. Meanwhile, the ever-present Mrs. Shaughnessy, seeing a perfect match in Georges, has her own designs on him. As Georges starts to navigate this complex game of love, deception, and ambition, he finds himself ensnared in a dilemma. The unsuspecting Emmy Brown proves to be more than just a ticket to his American dream. Her sweetness begins to tug at his heartstrings, and love and jealousy start to threaten his carefully laid plans. Told in the form of a tantalizing flashback as Georges visits Paramount to sell his story, "Hold Back the Dawn" is a captivating tale of a man's pursuit of a better life, the unpredictable journey of love, and the lengths to which people will go for the shimmering promise of the American dream.

Hold Back the Dawn is a drama movie featuring Charles Boyer.

Hold Back the Dawn is currently streaming on Criterion Channel.