Commissioned by the U.S. Office of War Information, this short film features conductor Arturo Toscanini leading the NBC Symphony Orchestra, tenor Jan Peerce, and the Westminster Choir in Verdi’s Inno delle nazioni. Originally composed in the 1860s as a musical tribute to Europe, Toscanini expanded the score to include The Star-Spangled Banner and The Internationale in honor of the Allied struggle and Italian partisans. Filmed in NBC’s Studio 8H, the documentary interweaves performance with scenes of Toscanini at home, emphasizing his anti-fascist stance and celebrating the liberation of Italy. Preserved by the Academy Film Archive in 2010.
Hymn of the Nations (1944) is a music and documentary film directed by Alexander Hammid, released on February 1, 1944 with a runtime of 31m. It stars Arturo Toscanini, Jan Peerce, Burgess Meredith and Walfredo Toscanini. Viewers rate it 5.3 out of 10 across 9 ratings.
Arturo Toscanini
as Himself
Jan Peerce
as Himself/Host
Burgess Meredith
as Narrator (voice)
Walfredo Toscanini
as Himself
Knox Manning
as Himself
The Westminister Choir
as Themselves
Directed by Alexander Hammid, written by Arrigo Boito and May Sarton, produced by Irving Lerner.
Average viewer score of 5.3/10 from 9 ratings.
With the assistance of the NBC Symphony Orchestra, we watch accomplished maestro Arturo Toscanini present us with an adapted version of Verdi’s overture to “La Forza del Destino” so it incorporates elements of the national anthems of the UK, France and the USA. It is all to celebrate the collapse of the Italian part of the Axis triumvirate during the Second World War and to also celebrate the contributions of…
Reviewed on March 27, 2026
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Hymn of the Nations (1944) is currently available to rent or buy from Amazon Video. No subscription streaming option is listed right now, so availability may change.
The main cast of Hymn of the Nations (1944) includes Arturo Toscanini, Jan Peerce, Burgess Meredith, Walfredo Toscanini and Knox Manning. The film was directed by Alexander Hammid. You can see the full cast and crew list, with character names, further up this page.
Hymn of the Nations was released on February 1, 1944 and runs for 31m.
Hymn of the Nations (1944) holds an average rating of 5.3 out of 10 from 9 viewer votes, and is a good pick if you enjoy music and documentary films. Read the viewer reviews on this page to decide for yourself.