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Underground (1941)
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Overview
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Release Date:
28 June 1941 (USA)
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Tagline:
The World's Secret Battlefront! See more »
Plot:
A World War II Hollywood propaganda film detailing the dark underside of Nazism and the Third Reich set between two brothers...
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User Reviews:
One of the best "B"s
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Cast
(in credits order) (verified as complete) | Jeffrey Lynn | ... | Kurt Franken |
| Philip Dorn | ... | Eric Franken |
| Kaaren Verne | ... | Sylvia Helmuth |
| Mona Maris | ... | Fräulein Gessner - Heller's secretary |
| Peter Whitney | ... | Alex Schumann, Underground Member |
 | Martin Kosleck | ... | Col. Heller |
| Erwin Kalser | ... | Dr. Albert Franken |
| Ilka Grüning | ... | Frau Franken (as Ilka Gruning) |
 | Frank Reicher | ... | Prof. Hugo Baumer |
| Egon Brecher | ... | Herr Director of the Chemical Institute |
| Ludwig Stössel | ... | Herr Gustav Müller, a Neighbor (as Ludwig Stossel) |
| Hans Schumm | ... | Heller's Aide |
| Wolfgang Zilzer | ... | Walter Hoffman |
| Roland Varno | ... | Ernst Demmler, Underground Member |
 | Henry Brandon | ... | Josef Rolf, Underground Member Shot by Gestapo |
| Lotte Palfi Andor | ... | Greta Rolf, undergrounder (as Lotte Palfi) |
| Lisa Golm | ... | Ella aka Elsa, Franken's Housekeeper |
| Louis V. Arco | ... | Otto (as Louis Arco) |
| Roland Drew | ... | Gestapo Officer with Pencil Mustache |
| rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
| Louis Adlon | ... | Karl, Baggage Attendant (uncredited) |
| Lester Allen | ... | Herr Krantz (uncredited) |
| Rudolph Anders | ... | Official (uncredited) |
| Edit Angold | ... | Maxel's Cashier (uncredited) |
| Walter Bonn | ... | Lieutenant (uncredited) |
| Glen Cavender | ... | Man Giving Sylvia Baggage Claim Ticket (uncredited) |
 | Hans Conried | ... | Herman, Underground Member (uncredited) |
| Gretl Dupont | ... | Sylvia's Landlady (uncredited) |
| Arno Frey | ... | Guard (uncredited) |
| Frederick Giermann | ... | Radioman (uncredited) |
| Eddie Graham | ... | Man in Phone Booth (uncredited) |
| Ludwig Hardt | ... | Tobacco Clerk (uncredited) |
| Ernst Hausman | ... | Rudi (uncredited) |
| David Hoffman | ... | Willi, Underground Member (uncredited) |
| Willy Kaufman | ... | Tobacco Customer (uncredited) |
| Rolf Lindau | ... | Radioman (uncredited) |
| Carl Ottmar | ... | Official (uncredited) |
| Paul Panzer | ... | Janitor (uncredited) |
| John Piffle | ... | Herr Maxel, Cafe Proprietor (uncredited) |
| Otto Reichow | ... | Gestapo Agent (uncredited) |
| Henry Rowland | ... | Paul, Underground Member on Motorcycle (uncredited) |
| Lionel Royce | ... | Concentration Camp Captain (uncredited) |
| Norbert Schiller | ... | Blind News Vendor (uncredited) |
| Robert R. Stephenson | ... | Gestapo Agent (uncredited) |
| Arthur Tovey | ... | Railroad Station Extra (uncredited) |
| Ernö Verebes | ... | Maxel's Headwaiter (uncredited) |
| Henry Victor | ... | Gestapo Agent (uncredited) |
| Frederick Vogeding | ... | Announcer Reporting Demise of Illegal Broadcasts (uncredited) |
| Wilhelm von Brincken | ... | Capt. Bornsdorff (uncredited) |
| Hans von Morhart | ... | Gestapo Agent (uncredited) |
| Crane Whitley | ... | Gestapo Agent (uncredited) |
| Hans Wollenberger | ... | News Vendor (uncredited) |
Directed by | |||
| Vincent Sherman | |||
Writing credits | ||
| Edwin Justus Mayer | (story) and | |
| Oliver H.P. Garrett | (story) | |
| Charles Grayson | (screenplay) | |
Produced by | |||
| William Jacobs | .... | associate producer | |
| Bryan Foy | .... | producer (uncredited) | |
| Hal B. Wallis | .... | executive producer (uncredited) | |
| Jack L. Warner | .... | executive producer (uncredited) | |
Original Music by | |||
| Adolph Deutsch | |||
Cinematography by | |||
| Sidney Hickox | (as Sid Hickox) | ||
Film Editing by | |||
| Thomas Pratt | |||
Art Direction by | |||
| Charles Novi | |||
Costume Design by | |||
| Damon Giffard | (gowns) | ||
Makeup Department | |||
| Perc Westmore | .... | makeup artist | |
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director | |||
| William Kissell | .... | assistant director (uncredited) | |
Sound Department | |||
| Charles Lang | .... | sound | |
Music Department | |||
| Leo F. Forbstein | .... | musical director | |
| Heinz Roemheld | .... | composer: additional music (uncredited) | |
Production Companies
- Warner Bros (as Warner Bros. Pictures Inc.)
- Warner Bros (1941) (USA) (theatrical) (as Warner Bros. Pictures Inc.)
- Troma Team Video (2000) (worldwide) (DVD)
- Roan Group, The (2004) (USA) (DVD)
Additional Details
Also Known As:
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Parents Guide:
Runtime:
95 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 See more »
Sound Mix:
Mono (RCA Sound System)
Certification:
Company:
Did You Know?
Quotes:
Kurt Franken:I'm not going to let you go on working with those traitors.
Sylvia Helmuth:Take me back and I'll do anything you want me to do. You'll only take me back.
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Sylvia Helmuth:Take me back and I'll do anything you want me to do. You'll only take me back.
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Soundtrack:
Rosen aus dem Süden, Op. 388 (Roses from the South)See more »
FAQ
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Watching Underground makes me wish that TCM would do an anthology of great B-movies. Limited budgets imposed constraints on production values -- sound stages and back lots instead of locations, black & white instead of color, character actors in leading roles. What budgets didn't constrain was acting, directing and writing. And what's cool is that there were lots of them, especially from the studio system, where great talent was on staff.
I don't think I've seen a wartime propaganda flick that pulls out all the stops quite like this one. Vile Nazis in their spiffy Nazi uniforms, sadism, torture, whips, dungeons, betrayal, sabotage, righteous rants by old professors...all here! Tight production and right casting make this a delicious grand guignol. Despite the grim theme, there are some pretty funny Hogan's Heroes moments. Example: a thuggish Gestapo underling is bragging to his secretary about a ghastly new torture method he's invented and complaining about Himmler's taking the credit. The secretary, who's in the underground, replies, barely containing her sarcasm, "Don't worry, I'm sure you'll get a promotion."
And then, there's the ending, when one must face an excruciating dilemma -- to do something horrible and cruel for the greater good. It's something I don't know if I'd have the courage to do. Would you?