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They Came to Blow Up America (1943)
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Overview
User Rating:
Release Date:
7 May 1943 (USA) morePlot:
Because of his German parentage, government agent Carl Steelman is assigned to by his chief, Craig, to join the Nazi Bund... more | add synopsisUser Comments:
George Sanders undercover moreCast
(Cast overview, first billed only)| George Sanders | ... | Carl Steelman / Ernst Reiter | |
| Anna Sten | ... | Frau Reiter | |
| Ward Bond | ... | FBI Chief Craig | |
| Dennis Hoey | ... | Col. Taeger of Nazi police | |
| Sig Ruman | ... | Dr. Herman Holger | |
| Ludwig Stössel | ... | Papa Julius Steelman | |
| Robert Barrat | ... | Capt. Kranz - sabotage school chief | |
| Poldi Dur | ... | Helga Lorenz (as Poldy Dur) | |
| Ralph Byrd | ... | Burkhardt - 2d saboteur with Steelman | |
| Elsa Janssen | ... | Mama Henrietta Steelman (as Else Janssen) | |
| Rex Williams | ... | Eichner | |
| Charles McGraw | ... | Zellerbach | |
| Sven Hugo Borg | ... | Cmdr. Ullrich Hauser | |
| Kurt Katch | ... | Schonzeit - sabotage lecturer | |
| Otto Reichow | ... | Adam, S.S. Trooper |
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
Add content advisory for parentsRuntime:
73 minCountry:
USALanguage:
EnglishColor:
Black and WhiteAspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 moreSound Mix:
Mono (Western Electric Recording)Fun Stuff
Trivia:
Based on a true incident that occurred in 1942 when nine Nazi saboteurs were put ashore on the coast of Long Island, New York, by submarine, with orders to blow up various defense installations. They were caught, tried, and several were executed. moreGoofs:
Factual errors: Early in the film, a building in Berlin is shown with a sign that says "Abteilung Geheimdienst", which means "Secret Service". However, it was translated in the film as "Naval Intelligence". A more appropriate sign would have read "Marine Nachrichten Geheimdienst". moreFAQ
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"They Came to Blow up America" looks to be a B movie. It stars the suave, always reliable George Sanders as Steelman, an American of German heritage who is recruited by the FBI to infiltrate the Nazis as a spy. Even his parents believe that he has joined the Nazi movement. He is given the identity of someone else and sent to Germany, eventually ending up on a saboteur mission.
The film is told in flashback, with the FBI man who recruited Steelman (Ward Bond) explaining to an underling what really went on.
Sanders is good. He played villains well, so during the war, he was often cast as a Nazi! The supporting cast includes Anna Sten and Ludwig Stossel, who plays Steelman's father.
Ward Bond was a best friend of Clark Gable, and I couldn't help but notice the similarity of their voices in this film. Even their speaking rhythm was similar. Close your eyes, and you'd swear it was Gable.