The Four Companions (1938)

Ingrid Bergman is "Marianne", the headstrong artist who leaves college determined to make a go of things... It's a struggle - but when she bumps into one of her old college friends after securing some work, they and two others decide to become a sort of four musketeers - and success soon follows. However, poor old "Marianne" has some difficulty keeping her trio of colleagues focussed as they soon find other distractions that could well compromise their business. Their contract with a big cigarette company - to design their posters and packaging - is on the line... but it also gives her a chance to rekindle her relationship with their college professor "Kohlund" (Hans Söhnker) who was keen on her then, and who has since lost none of that enthusiasm. Bergman is good in this, she actually exudes some character, personality - which was not always the case in her later films. There are some humorous moments, and though there is romance a-plenty, there isn't any sentiment - it's very matter-of-fact! Technically, the photography is great - offering us glimpses of pre-WWII Berlin at it's most bustling, and the direction from Carl Froelich is quickly paced. The story has a certain inevitability to it, and the other characters (especially the men!) have little add beyond a more general contribution to the business of the piece - but I still quite enjoyed it.