Confessions of a Nazi Spy (1939)

Paul Lukas: Dr. Karl F. Kassell

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Quotes 

• Dr. Kassell : Germans in the United States must be brought back to the racial unity and common faith of all Germans! As racial comrades! As Germans! We cannot help but be revolted by this basically uncultured country! And we know that if America is to be free, we must destroy the chains that ties the whole misery of American politics together! And that chain is the United States Constitution! And we also know that there is a wall in which a bridge must be made before America's problems can be solved! And that wall is the Bill Of Rights!

  American Legionnaire : Wait a minute, Buddy! Just how do you fellas expect to get rid of the Constitution and the Bill Of Rights?

  Dr. Kassell : What are you? A member of the German-American Bund?

  American Legionnaire : No, I'm not a member. I belong to the American Legion. A lot of us Americans went overseas and fought you Germans because we thought the Constitution and the Bill Of Rights was worth fighting for!

  German-American at Bund Meeting : Why don't you answer his question? Why do you shout him down?

  Dr. Kassell : And who are you? What do you want?

  German-American at Bund Meeting : I am an American of German birth, and there are hundreds of thousands like me who stand absolutely against you Nazis! You can't make these ex-soldiers believe that all the Germans in America are traitors like you! We'll fight side by side for democracy!

  Dr. Kassell : You people made democracy a fanatical faith! There's no use arguing with you!

  Greutzwald : Doctor! Please!

  Dr. Kassell : Force is the only... force is the only language you will understand! And we'll speak to you in your own language soon enough!

  American Legionnaire : We don't want any "isms" in this country except Americanism! If you guys don't like it here why... Hey! Wait a minute! Wait a minute! I got a right to speak at an open meeting! This is a free country!

  American Legionnaire at Bund Meeting : Screams

  American at Bund Meeting : You guys are a bunch of gangsters!

• Dr. Kassell : [Renard is going through Dr. Kassell's research papers]  It's all done to preserve Americanism. It's a very thorough research, don't you think?

  Edward 'Ed' Renard : Oh, yes, your research is thorough enough, but your facts seem to be all wrong. Your story fits Nazi prejudices. Oh, uh, Doctor, you wouldn't exactly describe this type of research as the essence of Americanism, would you?

  Dr. Kassell : I would. Precisely. In fact, it is as a loyal American that I am collecting this information, since I am convinced that certain subversive elements must be removed from our American life, before they can totally corrupt and destroy our cherished democracy.

• Dr. Kassell : My congratulations, Kranz. It makes me feel like I'm really in Berlin.

  Hintze : We should begin to train them with rifles, revolvers, guns.

  Kranz : They are trained.

• Edward 'Ed' Renard : By the way, uh, when did your wife sail for Europe last year?

  Dr. Kassell : In December.

  Edward 'Ed' Renard : And while you were a bachelor, you lived constantly at your apartment?

  Dr. Kassell : Of course. My office is adjoining.

  Edward 'Ed' Renard : You never went to a hotel?

  Dr. Kassell : No!

  Edward 'Ed' Renard : Yet, on the register of the Hotel "Olympic," your name appears on 4 different occasions... while your wife was away in Europe.

  Dr. Kassell : [a bit dumbfounded]  How... how do you know that?

  Edward 'Ed' Renard : We make it our business to know everything there is to know about a man before we bring him in for questioning.

  Dr. Kassell : What do you want from me?

  Edward 'Ed' Renard : I want you to tell me all you know about the German spy organization in this country.