While a not too subtle approach to the problem of Hitler's menace in wartime Germany, this is an interesting glimpse of what was happening to young Germans before and during World War II.
It was very popular at the time although it now seems dated and the propaganda is a bit heavy handed. A nice B-movie cast is headed by Bonita Granville, Kent Smith and Tim Holt and the tense direction is by Edward Dmytrik. Bonita shows that her child star status was no fluke, evolving into an adult role with smooth proficiency. Equally up to the task is Tim Holt as a German Nazi who has known her since their early school days and is still smitten with the strong-willed lass. As a kindly sort of father figure to the two is Kent Smith, a teacher at the American school who tries to save both of them from the ultimate tragedy that claims them.
Roy Webb's background music makes the proceedings even more tense. One of the final scenes (where Granville is about to be whipped until Holt intervenes) seems a Hollywood touch that is more than a bit contrived--but evidently audiences in the '40s had no reservations about the overall urgency and dramatic effectiveness of the film. Well worth watching.
It was very popular at the time although it now seems dated and the propaganda is a bit heavy handed. A nice B-movie cast is headed by Bonita Granville, Kent Smith and Tim Holt and the tense direction is by Edward Dmytrik. Bonita shows that her child star status was no fluke, evolving into an adult role with smooth proficiency. Equally up to the task is Tim Holt as a German Nazi who has known her since their early school days and is still smitten with the strong-willed lass. As a kindly sort of father figure to the two is Kent Smith, a teacher at the American school who tries to save both of them from the ultimate tragedy that claims them.
Roy Webb's background music makes the proceedings even more tense. One of the final scenes (where Granville is about to be whipped until Holt intervenes) seems a Hollywood touch that is more than a bit contrived--but evidently audiences in the '40s had no reservations about the overall urgency and dramatic effectiveness of the film. Well worth watching.