IMDb RATING
7.2/10
5.6K
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After Germany invades Czechoslovakia, the German and the British intelligence services try to capture Czech scientist Dr. Axel Bomasch (James Harcourt), inventor of a new type of armor-plati... Read allAfter Germany invades Czechoslovakia, the German and the British intelligence services try to capture Czech scientist Dr. Axel Bomasch (James Harcourt), inventor of a new type of armor-plating.After Germany invades Czechoslovakia, the German and the British intelligence services try to capture Czech scientist Dr. Axel Bomasch (James Harcourt), inventor of a new type of armor-plating.
- Nominated for 1 Oscar
- 3 nominations total
Paul Henreid
- Karl Marsen
- (as Paul von Hernried)
Austin Trevor
- Capt. Prada
- (as Austen Trevor)
Kenneth Kent
- Controller
- (as Keneth Kent)
Frederick Valk
- Gestapo Officer
- (as Fritz Valk)
Edward Baxter
- Minor Role
- (uncredited)
Jane Cobb
- Minor Role
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe first scene is a fairly accurate depiction of the Berghof, Adolf Hitler's mountainside residence near Berchtesgaden and Obersalzberg in Bavaria. The house was famous for its huge picture window which overlooked mountain scenery and was often used to impress visiting foreign VIPs.
- GoofsThe wording of the British passport read out by Charters is incorrect as it is different from the American wording in three major ways.. Firstly, the passport holder is not referred to as him or her but as "The Bearer". Secondly, British passports uniquely in the world, not only request that those concerned assist the bearer to be allowed proceed without let or hindrance, but request and require it. Thirdly, the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs at the time of issue is never scheduled by name.
- Crazy creditsPaul Henreid is listed as Paul von Hernried in the credits.
- Alternate versionsThere is an Italian edition of this film on DVD, distributed by DNA srl, "TRENO DI NOTTE PER MONACO (Night Train to Munich, 1940) + ODD MAN OUT (Fuggiasco, 1947)" (2 Films on a single DVD), re-edited with the contribution of film historian Riccardo Cusin. This version is also available for streaming on some platforms.
- ConnectionsEdited into All This and World War II (1976)
- SoundtracksDas Lied der Deutschen
(uncredited)
aka "Deutschland über Alles"
Music by Joseph Haydn
Variations played throughout
Featured review
Extremely witty, fast, dramatic, and politically charged
Night Train to Munich (1940)
This British movie was made in 1940 a year after German and Britain began WWII. It is set in the late summer of 1939, just as the declaration of war was on the horizon. And while the filming and post-production is going on, London is being bombed by the Nazi air force. (The film was released in December, several months after the first raids.)
The most memorable lead is Rex Harrison playing an agent and double agent, falling in love with and saving the scientist's daughter (Margaret Lockwood) as well as the scientist himself (while he's at it). And then as a competing suitor, the dubiously aligned German officer played by Paul Henreid, who a year later would play a kind of counterpoint in the American Nazi film, "Casablanca."
Director Carol Reed marshals all these forces and makes a surprisingly terrific movie. It's fast, smart, fanciful, and patriotic. It's also really really funny, and the more you catch the British humor the more you'll be glad--at times it's relentless even as its subtle. The little barbs against the Germans, both as German stereotypes and as Nazi buffoons, is highly calculated. The British come off as daring and dashing, even the bumbling travelers rise to the occasion. It's often been commented that Harrison makes a very fit precursor to James Bond, and there must be a backwards truth to that because Ian Fleming (who invented Bond) was a WWII British OSS worker. Art imitating life. Imitating art.
And yes, this is an homage and reference (if not sequel) to Hitchcock's "The Lady Vanishes," including use of the same writers, the same kind of comic suspense, the same leading actress, and even two comic side characters from one train to the other. Reed even acknowledged the connections, as if he could deny them, and wanted no doubt to coattail some of the movies huge success.
It taints a movie to call it propaganda, so I won't. It's not, really. What it does (just as "Casablanca" does) is strike one up for the good guys. You end the movie thinking the British might just win this thing. And at the time that wasn't a foregone conclusion--London was only sinking further into the terror of the Blitz. Of course, we know that British resolve and resourcefulness won the day, with a little outside help, and this is part of exactly that.
Great stuff.
This British movie was made in 1940 a year after German and Britain began WWII. It is set in the late summer of 1939, just as the declaration of war was on the horizon. And while the filming and post-production is going on, London is being bombed by the Nazi air force. (The film was released in December, several months after the first raids.)
The most memorable lead is Rex Harrison playing an agent and double agent, falling in love with and saving the scientist's daughter (Margaret Lockwood) as well as the scientist himself (while he's at it). And then as a competing suitor, the dubiously aligned German officer played by Paul Henreid, who a year later would play a kind of counterpoint in the American Nazi film, "Casablanca."
Director Carol Reed marshals all these forces and makes a surprisingly terrific movie. It's fast, smart, fanciful, and patriotic. It's also really really funny, and the more you catch the British humor the more you'll be glad--at times it's relentless even as its subtle. The little barbs against the Germans, both as German stereotypes and as Nazi buffoons, is highly calculated. The British come off as daring and dashing, even the bumbling travelers rise to the occasion. It's often been commented that Harrison makes a very fit precursor to James Bond, and there must be a backwards truth to that because Ian Fleming (who invented Bond) was a WWII British OSS worker. Art imitating life. Imitating art.
And yes, this is an homage and reference (if not sequel) to Hitchcock's "The Lady Vanishes," including use of the same writers, the same kind of comic suspense, the same leading actress, and even two comic side characters from one train to the other. Reed even acknowledged the connections, as if he could deny them, and wanted no doubt to coattail some of the movies huge success.
It taints a movie to call it propaganda, so I won't. It's not, really. What it does (just as "Casablanca" does) is strike one up for the good guys. You end the movie thinking the British might just win this thing. And at the time that wasn't a foregone conclusion--London was only sinking further into the terror of the Blitz. Of course, we know that British resolve and resourcefulness won the day, with a little outside help, and this is part of exactly that.
Great stuff.
helpful•100
- secondtake
- Oct 7, 2012
- How long is Night Train to Munich?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Runtime1 hour 30 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
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