Posts
| None Shall Escape | |
|---|---|
Original US 1944 poster
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| Directed by | André de TothPartial filmography[edit]
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| Produced by | Samuel Bischoff |
| Screenplay by | Lester Cole |
| Story by | Alfred Neumann Joseph Than |
| Starring | Marsha Hunt Alexander Knox Henry Travers |
| Music by | Ernst Toch |
| Cinematography | Lee Garmes |
| Edited by | Charles Nelson |
Production
company | |
| Distributed by | Columbia Pictures |
Release dates
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Running time
| 85 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
The film centres on the trial of Wilhelm Grimm as a war criminal. Each character witness provides a flashback scene to a previous part of Grimm's life.
In the trial, it is revealed that Grimm (Alexander Knox), who fought for Germany in the First World War and lost a leg in battle, returns after the war to the small German village of Litzbark (now in newly independent Poland) where he had been a teacher. Despite the recent hostilities, he is welcomed back into the community and resumes his teaching. He also resumes his relationship with Marja Pacierkowski, a local Polish girl to whom he had become engaged before the war.
He is bitter about Germany losing the war and it is obvious he has been changed by the experience. He treats the villagers with disdain, and his upcoming marriage is cancelled. He calls his fiancée a "peasant" only interested in her wedding dowry.
Taunted by the school's pupils, who say he is not fit to marry any Polish woman, he molests one of them, Anna, a young girl. The rape is blamed on her young male friend, Jan Stys, but Wilhelm's fiancée accidentally stumbles on the truth from Anna. The girl subsequently drowns herself in the lake. A mob gathers seeking vengeance, but a trial is required. Nevertheless, Jan throws a stone, putting out Wilhelm's left eye. After the trial fails to convict him, he returns to Germany, after borrowing money from the priest and the rabbi.
In Germany he goes to Munich to the house of his brother Karl, who is married with a young family. Karl clearly despises the Nazis, referring scornfully to "that Hitler creature". Karl cannot dissuade Wilhelm, though, and Wilhelm joins the Nazi Partyand rises through its ranks. In 1929 he is sought by the police after the Nazi Party is made illegal. His nephew keeps the police at bay and Wilhelm rewards him with a swastika badge. As the Nazis grow in strength Karl decides he has no option but to leave Germany and go to Vienna. He threatens to reveal Wilhelm's part in the Reichstag fire unless he joins them, but instead of doing so, Wilhelm turns them over to the authorities, sending his own brother to a concentration camp. He then arranges that Karl's son enters the Hitler Youth.
When the Second World War starts, Grimm becomes the commander of the occupying force of the same village where he had previously lived. He treats the villagers brutally. He forces Marja, now a schoolteacher, to burn the children's books, saying they will be replaced by German books. He cruelly says that time has not treated her well and taunts her for rejecting him due to his leg injury. His nephew Willi, whom Wilhelm asserts that he treats as his own son, is now serving under him and pursuing Marja's daughter, Janina.
Grimm, who is now a Reichs Commissioner, next becomes involved in the large-scale deportation of the Jews and other minority groups. He commands the rabbi to quell dissent among the crowd as they are placed on the trains. The rabbi, knowing that they are going to die, instructs the crowd to rebel instead, upon which the Nazis turn machine guns onto the crowd. Wilhelm kills the rabbi with his pistol. Father Warecki exchanges final words with him as he dies.
Willi finds Marja and Janina hiding Jan Stys, who is injured, but he leaves without Jan when Marja rebukes him, and seems to soften in his attitude. Wilhelm sends Janina to work at the "officers' club", the Nazi name for enforced prostitution. Willi begs that she be released, to no avail. When Janina also dies, Grimm's nephew renounces his Nazi allegiance, having realised what an evil path Wilhelm has led him on. While Willi is praying by the side of Janina's body in the church, Wilhelm shoots him in the back.
We return to the courtroom. Wilhelm refuses to accept the authority of the court and continues to spout Nazi Propaganda.. The judge leaves it to the people to decide Grimm's fate.
Main cast[edit]
- Alexander Knox as Wilhelm Grimm
Partial filmography[edit]
- The Ringer (1931) as Bit Role (uncredited, unconfirmed)
- Rembrandt (1936) as Ludwick's Assistant (uncredited)
- The Gaunt Stranger (1938) as Dr. Lomond
- The Four Feathers (1939) as Bit Part (uncredited)
- Cheer Boys Cheer (1939) as Saunders
- The Sea Wolf (1941) as Humphrey Van Weyden
- This Above All (1942) as Rector
- Commandos Strike at Dawn (1942) as German Captain
- None Shall Escape (1944) as Wilhelm Grimm
- Wilson (1944) as Woodrow Wilson
- Over 21 (1945) as Max W. Wharton
- Sister Kenny (1946) as Dr. McDonnell
- The Judge Steps Out (1947) as Judge Thomas Bailey
- The Sign of the Ram (1949) as Mallory St. Aubyn
- Tokyo Joe (1949) as Mark Landis
- I'd Climb the Highest Mountain (1951) as Tom Salter
- Two of a Kind (1951) as Vincent Mailer
- Saturday's Hero (1951) as Professor Megroth
- The Son of Dr. Jekyll (1951) as Dr. Curtis Lanyon
- Man in the Saddle (1951) as Will Isham
- Paula (1952) as Dr. Clifford Frazer
- Europa '51 (1952) as George Girard
- The Sleeping Tiger (1954) as Dr. Cilve Esmond
- One Just Man (1954) as Judge Craig
- The Divided Heart (1954) as The Chief Justice
- The Night My Number Came Up (1955) as Owen Robertson
- Alias John Preston (1955) as Dr. Peter Walton
- Reach for the Sky (1956) as Mr. Joyce
- High Tide at Noon (1957) as Stephen MacKenzie
- Hidden Fear (1957) as Hartman
- Davy (1958) as Sir Giles
- Chase a Crooked Shadow (1958) as Chandler Brisson
- The Vikings (1958) as Father Godwin
- Intent to Kill (1958) as Dr. McNeil
- Passionate Summer (1958) as Leonard Pawley
- The Two-Headed Spy (1958) as Gestapo Leader Müller
- Operation Amsterdam (1959) as Walter Keyser
- The Wreck of the Mary Deare (1959) as Petrie
- Oscar Wilde (1960) as Sir Edward Clarke
- Crack in the Mirror (1960) as President
- The Share Out (1960) as Col. Claderwood
- The Longest Day (1962) as Maj. Gen. Walter Bedell Smith
- In the Cool of the Day (1963) as Frederick Bonner
- The Damned (1963) as Bernard
- Man in the Middle (1964) as Col. Burton
- Woman of Straw (1964) as Detective Inspector
- Crack in the World (1965) as Sir Charles Eggerston
- Mister Moses (1965) as Rev. Anderson
- The Psychopath (1966) as Frank Saville
- Modesty Blaise (1966) as Minister
- Khartoum (1966) as Sir Evelyn Baring
- Accident (1967) as University Provost
- The 25th Hour (1967) as D.A.
- Bikini Paradise (1967) as Commissioner Lighton
- You Only Live Twice (1967) as American President (uncredited)
- How I Won the War (1967) as American General
- Villa Rides (1968) as President Madero
- Shalako (1968) as Henry Clarke
- Fräulein Doktor (1969) as Gen. Peronne
- Run a Crooked Mile (1969, TV) as Sir Howard Nettleton
- Skullduggery (1970) as Buffington
- Puppet on a Chain (1971) as Colonel De Graaf
- Nicholas and Alexandra (1971) as The American Ambassador
- Holocaust 2000 (1977) as Meyer
- Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (1979) as Control
- Gorky Park (1983) as General
- Joshua Then and Now (1985) as Senator Hornby
- Marsha Hunt as Marja Pacierkowski, Grimm's fiancée
Filmography[edit]
- Film
- Henry Travers as Father Warecki, the village priest in Litzbark
Filmography[edit]
- Reunion in Vienna (1933)
- Another Language (1933)
- My Weakness (1933)
- The Invisible Man (1933)
- Death Takes a Holiday (1934)
- Ready for Love (1934)
- Born to Be Bad (1934)
- The Party's Over (1934)
- Maybe It's Love (1935)
- After Office Hours (1935)
- Captain Hurricane (1935)
- Escapade (1935)
- Four Hours to Kill! (1935)
- Pursuit (1935)
- Seven Keys to Baldpate (1935)
- Too Many Parents (1936)
- The Sisters (1938)
- You Can't Get Away with Murder (1939)
- Dodge City (1939)
- Dark Victory (1939)
- On Borrowed Time (1939)
- Stanley and Livingstone (1939)
- The Rains Came (1939)
- Remember? (1939)
- Primrose Path (1940)
- Anne of Windy Poplars (1940)
- Edison, the Man (1940)
- Wyoming (1940)
- High Sierra (1941)
- A Girl, a Guy and a Gob (1941)
- I'll Wait for You (1941)
- The Bad Man (1941)
- Ball of Fire (1941)
- Mrs. Miniver (1942)
- Mrs. Miniver is a 1942 American romantic war drama film directed by William Wyler, and starring Greer Garson and Walter Pidgeon. Based on the 1940 novel Mrs. Miniver by Jan Struther,[3] the film shows how the life of an unassuming British housewife in rural England is touched by World War II. She sees her eldest son go to war, finds herself confronting a German pilot who has parachuted into her idyllic village while her husband is participating in theDunkirk evacuation, and loses her daughter-in-law as a casualty.Produced and distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, the film features a strong supporting cast that includes Teresa Wright, Dame May Whitty, Reginald Owen, Henry Travers, Richard Ney and Henry Wilcoxon.[4]Mrs. Miniver won six Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director(William Wyler), Best Actress (Greer Garson), and Best Supporting Actress(Teresa Wright).[5][6] In 1950, a film sequel The Miniver Story was made with Greer Garson and Walter Pidgeon reprising their roles.[4]
- Pierre of the Plains (1942)
- Random Harvest (1942)
- Shadow of a Doubt (1943)
- The Moon Is Down (1943)
- Madame Curie (1943)
- Dragon Seed (1944)
- The Very Thought of You (1944)
- None Shall Escape (1944)
- Thrill of a Romance (1945)
- The Naughty Nineties (1945)
- The Bells of St. Mary's (1945)
- The Yearling (1946)
- It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
- Gallant Journey (1946)
- The Flame (1947)
- Beyond Glory (1948)
- The Girl From Jones Beach (1949)
- Erik Rolf as Karl Grimm
- Elvin Field as the young Jan Stys (uncredited)
- Kurt Kreuger as Lt. Gersdorf
- Richard Hale as Rabbi David Levin
Partial filmography[edit]
- None Shall Escape (1944)
- A Thousand and One Nights (1945)
- Badman's Territory (1946)
- The Devil's Mask (1946)
- The Man with a Cloak (1951)
- Scaramouche (1952)
- The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima (1952)
- Julius Caesar (1953) - Soothsayer
- Red Garters (1954)
- Friendly Persuasion (1956)
- Ben-Hur (1959) - Gaspar (uncredited)
- Sergeants 3 (1962)
- Tower of London (1962)
- To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
- Good Neighbor Sam (1964)
- Rafferty and the Gold Dust Twins (1975)
- Family Plot (1976)
- Shirley Mills as Anna Oremska, the raped girl (uncredited)
- Ray Teal as Oremski, Anna's father (uncredited)
- Billy Dawson as Willi, Wilhelm's young nephew
- Richard Crane as Willi as a young man
- Frank Jaquet as Dr Matek, mayor of Lizbark (uncredited)
- Dorothy Morris as Janina
- Trevor Bardette as Jan Stys as a man (uncredited)
Partial filmography[edit]
- Borderland (1937)
- They Won't Forget (1937)
- The Great Garrick (1937)
- Mystery House (1938)
- In Old Mexico (1938)
- Let Freedom Ring (1939)
- The Oklahoma Kid (1939) - Indian Jack Pasco
- Overland with Kit Carson (1939)
- Charlie Chan at Treasure Island (1939)
- Abe Lincoln in Illinois (1940)
- Dark Command (1940)
- Young Buffalo Bill (1940)
- Wagons Westward (1940)
- Winners of the West (1940)
- Three Faces West (1940)
- Girl from Havana (1940)
- The Westerner (1940)
- Doomed Caravan (1941) - Ed Martin
- Romance of the Rio Grande (1941)
- Topper Returns (1941)
- Jungle Girl (1941)
- Buy Me That Town (1941)
- Glamour Boy (1941)
- Wild Bill Hickok Rides (1942)
- Henry and Dizzy (1942)
- Apache Trail (1942)
- The Secret Code (1942)
- None Shall Escape (1944)
- Dick Tracy (1945)
- God's Country (1946)
- The Hoodlum Saint (1946)
- The Big Sleep (1946)
- Dick Tracy vs. Cueball (1946)
- 13 Rue Madeleine (1947)
- Slave Girl (1947)
- Wyoming (1947)
- Marshal of Cripple Creek (1947)
- Secret Service Investigator (1948)
- Marshal of Amarillo (1948)
- Sundown in Santa Fe (1948)
- Sheriff of Wichita (1949)
- The Wyoming Bandit (1949)
- San Antone Ambush (1949)
- Omoo-Omoo, the Shark God (1949)
- Gun Crazy (1950)
- Hills of Oklahoma (1950)
- The Sword of Monte Cristo (1951)
- Fort Dodge Stampede (1951)
- Flight to Mars (1951)
- The Sun Shines Bright (1953)
- Ambush at Tomahawk Gap (1953)
- The Desert Song (1953)
- Bandits of the West (1953)
- Red River Shore (1953)
- Run for Cover (1955)
- The Man from Bitter Ridge (1955)
- The Rack (1956)
- Dragoon Wells Massacre (1957)
- Shoot-Out at Medicine Bend (1957)
- The Hard Man (1957)
- The Monolith Monsters (1957)
- Thunder Road (1958)
- The Mating Game (1959)
- Papa's Delicate Condition (1963)
- The Raiders (1963)
- Mackenna's Gold (1969)
- Art Smith as Jan's father (uncredited)
- Ruth Nelson as Alice Grimm
