HITLER: BEAST OF BERLIN
US, 1939, 72 minutes, Black-and-white.
Roland Drew, Alan Ladd, Stephanie Duna, Greta Granstedt, Frederick Giermann,
Directed by Sherman Scott (Sam Newfield).
This propaganda film was in production before the outbreak of World War II, released in October 1939. It focuses on members of the underground in Germany, their meetings and plans, their production and distribution of pamphlets, arrests, torture, sentenced to concentration camps.
The central character is Hans, an intelligent member of the group, a leader, married with a child on the way. He is played by Roland Drew. His friend, Karl, is well-educated, apprehensive. He is played by Alan Ladd. One of the members of the group is an SS guard, apprehensive, forced to participate in torture, unable to hold his drink when forced to socialise, revealing the names of the group.
Of interest, there is a parish priest, Father Popper, played by Frederick Newman. He is a member of the group, interesting in the picture of Catholic underground activity. He is also arrested, ridiculed by a guard in the concentration camp, dropping his rosary beads and the guard stamping on them as he walked away. And his making the sign of the cross, there is indication that other members of the group are Catholics.
Hans is a strong personality, has fought in World War I, along with the now commander of the concentration camp. His wife is pregnant. The film has a happy ending, although Alan Ladd’s character is killed, and Hans is reunited with his wife in Switzerland.
1. A brief American propaganda film? Filmed in 1939? Released after the outbreak of war?
2. The German settings, the town, the meetings, the beer hall, the streets? Interrogation, torture, cells? The concentration camp? The musical score?
3. The presentation of the German underground in the 1930s, their ideology against Hitler, accused of being communists, their being presented as Catholics, printing press and distribution of pamphlets, meetings, friendships, arrest, interrogation and torture, concentration camps?
4. Hans as the central figure, the leader, married to Elsa, her expecting the baby? The printing, the meeting in the beer house, the help of the proprietor, his friend, the guard, blurting out his name, the arrest, interrogation, torture, whipping, sent to the concentration camp, the interrogation by his former ally, his release refused? The money given to his wife by the lawyer, the bribe to the authorities, his escaping, passport, reunited with his wife and child?
5. Karl, young, intellectual, enthusiastic, learning the printing, distributing the pamphlets, on the chimney and the smoke blowing them around the town? Apprehensive? Arrest, to the concentration camp, nerves, the attempt to escape, his being shot?
6. The Catholic priest, with the group, friendship? Participation? Arrest? In the concentration camp? The rosary beads, the mockery of the guard, his treading on the beads?
7. The other members of the group, the meetings at the beer house, the barman and his help, arrested, tortured? The work together?
8. Karl, his girlfriend? Hans’ wife, pregnant, fears, the money for the bribe, the authority, visiting hounds in prison? Persuaded to escape, reunited at the end?
