Passage to Marseille (1944)

Five patriotic convicts are helped to escape imprisonment in Devil's Island so they can fight for occupied Free French forces against the Nazis.

Director:

Michael Curtiz

Writers:

Casey Robinson (screenplay), Jack Moffitt (screenplay),

Stars:

Humphrey Bogart, Claude Rains, Michèle Morgan

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Humphrey Bogart	...	Jean Matrac
Claude Rains	...	Capt. Freycinet
Michèle Morgan	...	Paula Matrac (as Michele Morgan)
Philip Dorn	...	Renault
Sydney Greenstreet	...	Maj. Duval
Peter Lorre	...	Marius
George Tobias	...	Petit
Helmut Dantine	...	Garou
John Loder	...	Manning
Victor Francen	...	Capt. Patain Malo
Vladimir Sokoloff	...	Grandpere
Eduardo Ciannelli	...	Chief Engineer (as Edward Ciannelli)
Corinna Mura	...	Singer

Storyline

As French bomber crews prepare an air raid from a base in England, we learn the story of Matrac, a French journalist who opposed the Munich Pact. Framed for murder and sent to Devil's Island, he and four others escape. They are on a ship bound for Marseilles when France surrenders and fascist sympathizer Major Duval tries to seize the ship for Vichy.

---

Plot Keywords:

ship | england | escape | devil's island | bomber | 

---

Genres:

Drama | Adventure | War

---

Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English French German Spanish

Release Date:

11 March 1944 (USA)

Also Known As:

Passagem Para Marselha

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden - 301 N. Baldwin Avenue, Arcadia, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros

Technical Specs

Runtime:

109 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

During filming, Lauren Bacall was brought to the set in order to gauge her chemistry with Humphrey Bogart with whom she would soon be co-starring in To Have and Have Not. This was the famous duo's first meeting, though it would be months before their romance began.

---

Goofs

The German aircraft attacking the freighter is correct for the period with one exception. The interior views of the air gunners, they are using the wrong weapons. A 20mm mg on a swivel mount is in the forward part of the gondola. In the rear part of the gondola, a 13mm mg is mounted. The weapons shown being used are U.S. 50 cal mg.

---

Quotes

First Mate: The British will fight.
Chief Engineer: [Sarcastically] Yes, to the last drop of French blood.

---

Connections

Featured in Becoming Attractions: The Trailers of Humphrey Bogart (1997)

---

Soundtracks

"La Marseillaise"
(1792) (uncredited)
Written by Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle
Variations played often in the score
Sung by a chorus at the end

User Reviews

Bogart in flashbacks - good film

Quite a good film. I didn't have any trouble following the flashback-in-a-flashback scheme. Bogart was Bogart. What can you say? Greenstreet and Lorre were good. Claude Rains was excellent. Apparently, some people are upset at this film because it isn't "Casablanca". I don't really think it tried to be. It was probably just that the actors and director liked working together, and if that sold more tickets, well, no one would complain. Clint Eastwood and Woody Allen frequently cast their films with the same actors, presumably friends (and lovers), and no one thinks twice about it.