Underground (1941)

A World War II Hollywood propaganda film detailing the dark underside of Nazism and the Third Reich set between two brothers, Kurt and Erik Franken, whom are SS officers in the Nazi party. ... See full summary »

Director:

Vincent Sherman

Writers:

Charles Grayson (screenplay), Edwin Justus Mayer (story)

Stars:

Jeffrey Lynn, Philip Dorn, Kaaren Verne

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jeffrey Lynn	...	Kurt Franken
Philip Dorn	...	Eric Franken
Kaaren Verne	...	Sylvia Helmuth
Mona Maris	...	Fräulein Gessner
Peter Whitney	...	Alex
Martin Kosleck	...	Heller
Erwin Kalser	...	Dr. Franken
Ilka Grüning	...	Frau Franken (as Ilka Gruning)
Frank Reicher	...	Professor Baumer
Egon Brecher	...	Herr Director
Ludwig Stössel	...	Herr Müller (as Ludwig Stossel)
Hans Schumm	...	Heller's Aide
Wolfgang Zilzer	...	Hoffman
Roland Varno	...	Ernst Demmler
Henry Brandon	...	Rolf

Storyline

A World War II Hollywood propaganda film detailing the dark underside of Nazism and the Third Reich set between two brothers, Kurt and Erik Franken, whom are SS officers in the Nazi party. Kurt learns and exposes the evils of the system to Erik and tries to convince him of the immoral stance that marches under the symbol of the swastika.

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Plot Keywords:

nazi | brother | newspaper headline | montage | map on screen | 

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Taglines:

The World's Secret Battlefront!

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Genres:

Adventure | Drama | Romance | War

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Certificate:

Approved

Did You Know?

Trivia

The Franken family motto is from William Shakespeare's Henry VI, Part 2, Act 3, Scene 2.

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Goofs

When Kurt is watching the boat approaching the dock; he ducks into a crevice behind an outside wooden wall panel. But on the following cut after the boat docks; Kurt is now standing behind a barrel.

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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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Connections

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

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Soundtracks

Rosen aus dem Süden, Op. 388 (Roses from the South)
(uncredited)
Music by Johann Strauss
Played on the violin at Maxels Cafe

User Reviews

One of the better, neglected World War II melodramas...

Vincent Sherman was on his way up as a film director at Warner Bros. when he was assigned to 'Underground', a low-budget feature without stars to bolster its box-office appeal. Nevertheless, he managed to weave an interesting, fast-paced tale of intrigue and suspense with the Nazi menace hanging like a heavy shadow over the whole film. Basically, it's the story of two brothers torn apart by their beliefs--one (Philip Dorn) is involved in an underground movement, an announcer for a resistance radio program. The other (Jeffrey Lynn) is a loyal German soldier who eventually joins his brother's cause when he realizes what Hitler is doing. This did fairly well at the box-office despite not having big names and deserves to be seen as the forceful war melodrama that it is.

Martin Kosleck does his usual turn as a vicious Nazi officer and Mona Maris is convincing as a woman not exactly loyal to the German cause. May not be an "A" feature but it certainly is worth viewing.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English German

Release Date:

28 June 1941 (USA)

Also Known As:

A Voz da Liberdade

Filming Locations:

Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1