Hymn of the Nations (1944)

Hymn of the Nations, originally titled Arturo Toscanini: Hymn of the Nations, is a 1944 film directed by Alexander Hammid, which features the "Inno delle nazioni," a patriotic work for tenor soloist, chorus, and orchestra, composed by Italian opera composer Giuseppe Verdi in the early 1860s. (For this musical work, Verdi utilized the national anthems of several European nations.) In December 1943, Arturo Toscanini filmed a performance of this music for inclusion in an Office of War Information documentary about the role of Italian-Americans in aiding the Allies during World War II. Toscanini added a bridge passage to include arrangements of "The Star-Spangled Banner" for the United States and "The Internationale" for the Soviet Union and the Italian partisans. Joining Toscanini in the filmed performance in NBC Studio 8-H, were tenor Jan Peerce, the Westminster Choir, and the NBC Symphony Orchestra. Preserved by the Academy Film Archive in 2010.

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Casting arrow_drop_down

Arturo Toscanini
as Himself

Jan Peerce
as Himself/Host

Burgess Meredith
as Narrator(voice)

Walfredo Toscanini
as Himself

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Crew arrow_drop_down

Irving Lerner
Editor

Arrigo Boito
Other

May Sarton
Writer

Alexander Hammid
Director

Irving Lerner
Producer

Boris Kaufman
Director of Photography

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