None Shall Escape (1944)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

André De Toth

Writers:

Lester Cole (writer)
Alfred Neumann (story)

Release Date:

3 February 1944 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

The most prophetic picture of our time!

Plot:

The career of a Nazi officer shown as flashbacks from his trial as a war criminal. |

Plot Keywords:

Nazi

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar.

Cast

Marsha Hunt	...	Marja Pacierkowski
Alexander Knox	...	Wilhelm Grimm
Henry Travers	...	Father Warecki
Erik Rolf	...	Karl Grimm
Richard Crane	...	Willie Grimm as a man
Dorothy Morris	...	Janina Paeierkowski
Richard Hale	...	Rabbi David Levin
Ruth Nelson	...	Alice Grimm
Kurt Kreuger	...	Lt. Gersdorf
Shirley Mills	...	Anna Oremska
Elvin Field	...	Jan Stys as a boy
Trevor Bardette	...	Jan Stys as a man
Frank Jaquet	...	Dr. Matek
Ray Teal	...	Oremski
Art Smith	...	Stys

Also Known As:

Lebensraum (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

85 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Goofs:

Factual errors: Wilhelm Grim initially appears in the uniform of the SS and then later appears in a Wehrmacht uniform. This is unlikely. It was more likely to be the other way around towards the end of the war when SS soldiers tried to hide their SS involvement by disguising themselves as ordinary solders.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Imaginary Witness: Hollywood and the Holocaust (2004)

An amazing film that was ahead of its time

This was a wonderful little American propaganda film that is both highly creative AND openly discusses the Nazi atrocities before the entire extent of the death camps were revealed. While late 1944 and into 1945 would reveal just how evil and horrific they were, this film, unlike other Hollywood films to date, is the most brutally honest film of the era I have seen regarding Nazi atrocities.

The film begins in a courtroom in the future--after the war is over (the film was made in 1944--the war ended in May, 1945). In this fictitious world court, a Nazi leader is being tried for war crimes. Wilhelm Grimm is totally unrepentant and one by one witnesses are called who reveal Grimm's life since 1919 in a series of flashbacks. At first, it appears that the film is going to be sympathetic or explain how Grimm was pushed to join the Nazis. However, after a while, it becomes very apparent that Grimm is just a sadistic monster. These episodes are amazingly well done and definitely hold your interest and also make the film seem less like a piece of propaganda but a legitimate drama.

All in all, the film does a great job considering the film mostly stars second-tier actors. There are many compelling scenes and performances--especially the very prescient Jewish extermination scene towards the end that can't help but bring you close to tears. It was also interesting how around the same point in the film there were some super-creative scenes that use crosses in a way you might not notice at first. Overall, it's a must-see for history lovers and anyone who wants to see a good film.

FYI--This is not meant as a serious criticism of the film, but Hitler was referred to as "that paper hanger". This is a reference to the myth that Hitler had once made money putting up wallpaper. This is in fact NOT true--previously he'd been a "starving artist", homeless person and served well in the German army in WWI. A horrible person, yes, but never a paper hanger!