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FBI agent Ed Renard investigates the pre-war espionage activities of the German-American Bund.FBI agent Ed Renard investigates the pre-war espionage activities of the German-American Bund.FBI agent Ed Renard investigates the pre-war espionage activities of the German-American Bund.
- Awards
- 4 wins
Hedwiga Reicher
- Mrs. Liza Kassell
- (as Celia Sibelius)
Sig Ruman
- Dr. Julius Gustav Krogman
- (as Sig Rumann)
Hans Heinrich von Twardowski
- Max Helldorf
- (as Hans von Twardowski)
Wolfgang Zilzer
- Johann Westphal
- (as John Voigt)
Frederik Vogeding
- Captain Richter
- (as Frederick Vogeding)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaAccording to the article "Hollywood Goes to War" by Colin Shindler in the film history tome "The Movie": "Warner Brothers, who had made the one explicitly anti-Nazi film of the [US] pre-war period (i.e., this film) were unofficially told by the [US] government not to make any more such pictures. In April 1940, the news filtered back to Hollywood that several Polish exhibitors who had shown the film had been hanged in the foyers of their own cinemas."
- GoofsThere is a large sign on a fence reading, "Fort Wentworth Base Hospital". The Army does not refer to its installations as "bases". A correct sign would have read "Post Hospital".
- Quotes
Edward 'Ed' Renard: I told you I thought this man is an amateur. If he is, why did he become a spy? Well, because he's been listening to speeches, and reading pamphlets about Nazi Germany and believing them. Unfortunately, there are thousands like him in America. Half-witted, hysterical crackpots who go "Hitler-happy" from overindulgence in propaganda that makes them believe that they're supermen.
- Alternate versionsFor the 1940 re-release, Warner Bros. added footage showing the devastation inflicted on Norway, Holland and Belgium, those countries then occupied by Germany. That footage is included in the print shown on Turner Classic Movies.
- ConnectionsFeatured in War Comes to America (1945)
Featured review
good period piece
Based on a series of articles, then a book, "Nazi Spies in America," by ex-F.B.I agent Leo Turrou, who lost his job for writing, this is an interesting period piece. The dialogue has its clunky moments, especially when characters pause to speechify. But that was probably necessary as part of the propaganda of the time, when it was important to wake up America to the dangers of Nazism before Pearl Harbor. It was a time when too many voices were saying Hitler's was a European war and that America should keep out of it, and pro-Nazis like Charles Lindberg and the radio priest, Father Charles Coughlin, drew large audiences.
Although there certainly were Nazi spies in the U.S., resulting in numerous convictions, at the same time it's worth noting that the direct threat to America was exaggerated in the film. In 1939-1940 Hitler was focused on continental Europe first, then Britain, and had spent little time thinking about America. But the existence of Nazi spies certainly justified setting off alarm bells across the country and an effort to determine just how serious the threat was. Again, the film's value is largely as a period piece.
I do fault the script for portraying the spies as confessing and switching sides much too easily. Those moments struck me as highly unrealistic.
The website of the FBI describes the spy cases on which the articles, book and film were based. The case of Guenther Rumrich, who attempted to obtain 50 blank passports by posing as the Secretary of State is described at http://1.usa.gov/SbtCWj, although the FBI describe him as "crafty" while in the film he appears as a fool. The FBI also admits its failure in the case, reporting that "four times as many spies had escaped, including the biggest fishes." Leon Turrou, the ex-agent who wrote the book on which "Confessions of a Nazi Spy" was based, fares very badly in the FBI account. Another case related to the movies was the Duquesne Spy Ring, involving 33 spies, described by the FBI at http://1.usa.gov/TcR74V.
Although there certainly were Nazi spies in the U.S., resulting in numerous convictions, at the same time it's worth noting that the direct threat to America was exaggerated in the film. In 1939-1940 Hitler was focused on continental Europe first, then Britain, and had spent little time thinking about America. But the existence of Nazi spies certainly justified setting off alarm bells across the country and an effort to determine just how serious the threat was. Again, the film's value is largely as a period piece.
I do fault the script for portraying the spies as confessing and switching sides much too easily. Those moments struck me as highly unrealistic.
The website of the FBI describes the spy cases on which the articles, book and film were based. The case of Guenther Rumrich, who attempted to obtain 50 blank passports by posing as the Secretary of State is described at http://1.usa.gov/SbtCWj, although the FBI describe him as "crafty" while in the film he appears as a fool. The FBI also admits its failure in the case, reporting that "four times as many spies had escaped, including the biggest fishes." Leon Turrou, the ex-agent who wrote the book on which "Confessions of a Nazi Spy" was based, fares very badly in the FBI account. Another case related to the movies was the Duquesne Spy Ring, involving 33 spies, described by the FBI at http://1.usa.gov/TcR74V.
helpful•130
- deschreiber
- Jan 30, 2013
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Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Languages
- Also known as
- Storm over America
- Filming locations
- San Pedro, Los Angeles, California, USA(Coast Guard flying boat scene)
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $1,500,000 (estimated)
- Runtime1 hour 44 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
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By what name was Confessions of a Nazi Spy (1939) officially released in India in English?
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