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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. Written by
Ed Stephan <stephan@cc.wwu.edu>
Plot Summary
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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.
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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.
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Quotes
First Mate:
The British will fight.
Chief Engineer:
[
Sarcastically]
Yes, to the last drop of French blood.
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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
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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.