The assination of Reinhard Haydrich is similar to Custer's last stand in that so many versions have been written and filmed. We probably haven't seen the last of them, or given the real story.
The plot at times reaches for credibility. For example, the character of Gestapo Inpector Gruber is played brilliantly by Alexander Granach. For once, WWII anti-nazi movies gave us a real Nazi who was smart and does solve the case, but not in time to save his life. In real life, I doubt whether a real Gestapo Inspector would ever go anywhere without the comfort of a few armed men.
The writers would have us believe that so many ordinary people could stick to the same concocted story without making an error, or taking a bribe to test the credibility of their plot to cast the informer as the assassin.
Gene Lockhart proves he can act as he plays the informer. He plays the role two ways- a devious and ambitious man willing to sell out his friends, and as a pathetic victim of his own doing.
Brian Dunnleavy plays the assassin who struggles with himself knowing that his act has caused the shooting of hostages. He wants to give himself up, but is convinced that it would be a futile gesture. Anna Lee plays the daughter of one of the Hostages, and she originally goes to the Gestapo to trade her knowledge of the assassin for her Father's life. On the way, the ordinary citizens try to stop her, and her conversion to helping the Czech cause begins to overide her attempt to save her father's life.
This film was one of many that were made during the War. Without major stars, it could never have won the acclaim that Casablanca won. Whereas Casablanca is filled with stereotypes, this film doesn't show every Nazi as a idiot. Inspector Gruber is a worthy opponent of the underground. As a cop, he was pretty good, at the same time he was playing the typical Nazi rotten human being.
Considering that that the Nazi's were in power from 1932 to 1945, and the Soviet Occupation of Czechoslavakia was three times longer, one has to wonder why there haven't been three times as many films portraying them as the unwanted dictators of their country.
The plot at times reaches for credibility. For example, the character of Gestapo Inpector Gruber is played brilliantly by Alexander Granach. For once, WWII anti-nazi movies gave us a real Nazi who was smart and does solve the case, but not in time to save his life. In real life, I doubt whether a real Gestapo Inspector would ever go anywhere without the comfort of a few armed men.
The writers would have us believe that so many ordinary people could stick to the same concocted story without making an error, or taking a bribe to test the credibility of their plot to cast the informer as the assassin.
Gene Lockhart proves he can act as he plays the informer. He plays the role two ways- a devious and ambitious man willing to sell out his friends, and as a pathetic victim of his own doing.
Brian Dunnleavy plays the assassin who struggles with himself knowing that his act has caused the shooting of hostages. He wants to give himself up, but is convinced that it would be a futile gesture. Anna Lee plays the daughter of one of the Hostages, and she originally goes to the Gestapo to trade her knowledge of the assassin for her Father's life. On the way, the ordinary citizens try to stop her, and her conversion to helping the Czech cause begins to overide her attempt to save her father's life.
This film was one of many that were made during the War. Without major stars, it could never have won the acclaim that Casablanca won. Whereas Casablanca is filled with stereotypes, this film doesn't show every Nazi as a idiot. Inspector Gruber is a worthy opponent of the underground. As a cop, he was pretty good, at the same time he was playing the typical Nazi rotten human being.
Considering that that the Nazi's were in power from 1932 to 1945, and the Soviet Occupation of Czechoslavakia was three times longer, one has to wonder why there haven't been three times as many films portraying them as the unwanted dictators of their country.