The Warner Bros. trademarks--fast pacing, good photography, tight editing, a cast of veteran character actors--are in full bloom in this well-made thriller from Vincent Sherman, soon to be one of Warners' top directors. Philip Dorn (who was actually Dutch, not German) and Jeffrey Lynn are two brothers, Dorn the leader of an underground German anti-Nazi movement and Lynn a crippled German soldier unaware of his brother's activities. Martin Kosleck is fine as a reptilian Nazi officer eager to destroy the resistance, and Dorn and Lynn have seldom been better. Sherman even manages to throw in a little humor as he satirizes the paranoia of the regime--Mona Maris, an aide to Kosleck who is actually a member of the Resistance, starts a rumor at work about Himmler that builds to the point that when Kosleck eventually repeats it back to her a short time later it bears little resemblance to the one she started. Although it is a first-rate propaganda piece, it unfortunately bears little resemblance to the real conditions in Germany; there was actually very little resistance to Hitler and Naziism among the populace. What little resistance there was came mainly from Catholic priests and Protestant ministers, who were quickly arrested and thrown into concentration camps, where many of them died. There was a small student movement known as the White Rose that engaged in some anti-Nazi activities, but they were soon captured (many of them turned in by their parents!) and executed. In any event, this is a well made little piece and really deserves to be better known than it is. Check it out.
23 Reviews
Not-so-well known little movie is very good
ny1mwd2627 December 2004
Quite honestly, I never had heard of this film before. And, having just watched it, much to my regret. It was made before U. S. entry into World War II. Yet, Hollywood was quite aware of the evils being perpetrated by the Third Reich. Coincidentally, the case is dominated by actors born in Europe. The story is not that new. Two brothers are on different sides of the spectrum in Berlin: one is a leader of the resistance movement, the other is a wounded German who maintains strong loyalty to the Reich. The film centers on how their worlds and visions collide, with a backdrop of the Nazis' trying to find and silence the resistance's radio broadcasts. The acting is first-rate all around. I suspect this would have been a 'bigger' film if Warner Brothers had used the 'A' team. All in all, a very good little movie.
Early look at Nazi Germany
reve-212 November 2000
This movie was made before the US entry into WWII. But, the story line clearly indicates the concerns we had with the Nazi party in Germany and their blatant disregard for the well being of their citizenry. There are no war scenes and only a couple of short action sequences but, despite this, the story moves at a very comfortable pace. Very good acting all around with Philip Dorn excelling as the leader of an underground group striving to keep the citizens informed as to the real aims of their Nazi leaders. He does this via a clandestine illegal radio operation which, of necessity, must continually move to various locales to transmit. Jeffrey Lynn plays Dorn's brother, a German soldier who, minus most of his left arm, returns home but is still a loyal German who is unaware of his brother's underground activities. This story is a good one and avoids most of the cliches that permeated many similar WWII movies. Martin Kosleck plays his usual role, that of an officious German officer but, even he, tones down his role and does not appear as menacing as he later became in other similar films. I enjoyed this 95 minute story and definitely recommend it to all fans of the suspense melodrama genre.
One of the better, neglected World War II melodramas...
Doylenf22 April 2001
Vincent Sherman was on his way up as a film director at Warner Bros. when he was assigned to 'Underground', a low-budget feature without stars to bolster its box-office appeal. Nevertheless, he managed to weave an interesting, fast-paced tale of intrigue and suspense with the Nazi menace hanging like a heavy shadow over the whole film. Basically, it's the story of two brothers torn apart by their beliefs--one (Philip Dorn) is involved in an underground movement, an announcer for a resistance radio program. The other (Jeffrey Lynn) is a loyal German soldier who eventually joins his brother's cause when he realizes what Hitler is doing. This did fairly well at the box-office despite not having big names and deserves to be seen as the forceful war melodrama that it is.
Martin Kosleck does his usual turn as a vicious Nazi officer and Mona Maris is convincing as a woman not exactly loyal to the German cause. May not be an "A" feature but it certainly is worth viewing.
Martin Kosleck does his usual turn as a vicious Nazi officer and Mona Maris is convincing as a woman not exactly loyal to the German cause. May not be an "A" feature but it certainly is worth viewing.
A really top flight film
gordonl5631 May 2016
Warning: Spoilers
UNDERGROUND 1941
This 1941 Warner Brothers production is one of the earlier films to deal with the anti-Nazi German Resistance movement. The film stars, Philip Dorn, Jeffery Lynn, Mona Maris, Kareen Verne, Peter Whitney and Martin Kosleck. This one has the old story chestnut of two brothers on opposite sides.
Philip Dorn is a chemical engineer with a dangerous second job, that of a radio broadcaster for the secret German underground. He tells the German public the truth about what the Nazis are up to. Of course the Gestapo types are out to collar said underground members. The underground has to constantly be on the move after each broadcast. This is to prevent the authorities from locating the transmitter.
Dorn's younger brother, Jeffery Lynn, now puts in an appearance. Lynn has just been discharged from the army after losing an arm in combat. Lynn is of course a die-hard Nazi. In the mix here is Kareen Verne, a member of the underground that Lynn takes a liking to. Dorn and Verne hide the fact that they both are part of the resistance from Lynn.
The head Gestapo man is played by Martin Kosleck. Kosleck made a career out of playing various Nazi weasel types. Kosleck's secretary is played by Mona Maris. Kosleck and his bunch nearly grab up Dorn, Peter Whitney and the rest during a broadcast. They are warned by Miss Maris just in time about the raid. Maris is an underground agent who is their contact on the Gestapo staff.
Kosleck tries a new ploy and releases a former resistance member, Wolfgang Zilzer. Zilzer has been beaten, tortured, and turned, he is now willing to help the Gestapo. Hoffman leads Kosleck and a Gestapo squad to a meeting place at a Berlin café. Shots are exchanged and an underground type is killed.
Miss Verne, who is employed at the café as a violin player, is grabbed up in the raid. Also grabbed up is Jeffery Lynn. He tells the Gestapo that he is seeing Miss Verne and that she cannot possibly with the underground. (Which he believes) Kosleck lets her go, but only if Lynn agrees to keep tabs on her. Lynn agrees to the arrangement.
The ever true blue Nazi, Lynn, is dumbstruck when he now discovers that Miss Verne is with the resistance. He does not know whether to turn her in or what. He decides to convince her to quit the underground. He gives the Gestapo info he overhears about a new broadcast location.
Needless to say, he does not know that he has actually turned in his brother, Dorn. Dorn is carted off for a round of shall we say, not so gentle questioning. The brother's father, Erwin Kaiser, is also taken into custody. Both are sentenced to the chopping block.
Lynn is horrified at what he has done, but tells Kosleck that it was the job of every good German to turn in traitors. He knows that he cannot save his brother and father. The Gestapo of course now trust him. They announce on the radio that the underground broadcasts have been quashed, and the traitors killed.
This last statement turns out to be less than accurate as the broadcasts begin again. This time it is Lynn at the microphone.
This one plays out more or less like the same years British film, FREEDOM RADIO, both of which follow the same idea.
Warner Brothers must have sent out a casting call for every German actor in Hollywood. There is at least a couple dozen German born actors in various roles. Look close and you will see Hans Conried and Henry Brandon in small bits.
The director here is Vincent Sherman. Sherman is best known for a string of excellent film noir such as, NORA PRENTISS, THE UNFAITHFUL, BACKFIRE, THE GARMENT JUNGLE, FLIGHT FROM DESTINY and THE DAMNED DON'T CRY.
Cinematographer Sid Hickox gives the film a nice assortment of grey and black hues. Three time Oscar winning composer, Adolph Deutsch, supplies the top flight score.
Martin Kosleck and Mona Maris would play pretty well the same characters in 1942's BERLIN CORRESPONDENT, with Dana Andrews.
This 1941 Warner Brothers production is one of the earlier films to deal with the anti-Nazi German Resistance movement. The film stars, Philip Dorn, Jeffery Lynn, Mona Maris, Kareen Verne, Peter Whitney and Martin Kosleck. This one has the old story chestnut of two brothers on opposite sides.
Philip Dorn is a chemical engineer with a dangerous second job, that of a radio broadcaster for the secret German underground. He tells the German public the truth about what the Nazis are up to. Of course the Gestapo types are out to collar said underground members. The underground has to constantly be on the move after each broadcast. This is to prevent the authorities from locating the transmitter.
Dorn's younger brother, Jeffery Lynn, now puts in an appearance. Lynn has just been discharged from the army after losing an arm in combat. Lynn is of course a die-hard Nazi. In the mix here is Kareen Verne, a member of the underground that Lynn takes a liking to. Dorn and Verne hide the fact that they both are part of the resistance from Lynn.
The head Gestapo man is played by Martin Kosleck. Kosleck made a career out of playing various Nazi weasel types. Kosleck's secretary is played by Mona Maris. Kosleck and his bunch nearly grab up Dorn, Peter Whitney and the rest during a broadcast. They are warned by Miss Maris just in time about the raid. Maris is an underground agent who is their contact on the Gestapo staff.
Kosleck tries a new ploy and releases a former resistance member, Wolfgang Zilzer. Zilzer has been beaten, tortured, and turned, he is now willing to help the Gestapo. Hoffman leads Kosleck and a Gestapo squad to a meeting place at a Berlin café. Shots are exchanged and an underground type is killed.
Miss Verne, who is employed at the café as a violin player, is grabbed up in the raid. Also grabbed up is Jeffery Lynn. He tells the Gestapo that he is seeing Miss Verne and that she cannot possibly with the underground. (Which he believes) Kosleck lets her go, but only if Lynn agrees to keep tabs on her. Lynn agrees to the arrangement.
The ever true blue Nazi, Lynn, is dumbstruck when he now discovers that Miss Verne is with the resistance. He does not know whether to turn her in or what. He decides to convince her to quit the underground. He gives the Gestapo info he overhears about a new broadcast location.
Needless to say, he does not know that he has actually turned in his brother, Dorn. Dorn is carted off for a round of shall we say, not so gentle questioning. The brother's father, Erwin Kaiser, is also taken into custody. Both are sentenced to the chopping block.
Lynn is horrified at what he has done, but tells Kosleck that it was the job of every good German to turn in traitors. He knows that he cannot save his brother and father. The Gestapo of course now trust him. They announce on the radio that the underground broadcasts have been quashed, and the traitors killed.
This last statement turns out to be less than accurate as the broadcasts begin again. This time it is Lynn at the microphone.
This one plays out more or less like the same years British film, FREEDOM RADIO, both of which follow the same idea.
Warner Brothers must have sent out a casting call for every German actor in Hollywood. There is at least a couple dozen German born actors in various roles. Look close and you will see Hans Conried and Henry Brandon in small bits.
The director here is Vincent Sherman. Sherman is best known for a string of excellent film noir such as, NORA PRENTISS, THE UNFAITHFUL, BACKFIRE, THE GARMENT JUNGLE, FLIGHT FROM DESTINY and THE DAMNED DON'T CRY.
Cinematographer Sid Hickox gives the film a nice assortment of grey and black hues. Three time Oscar winning composer, Adolph Deutsch, supplies the top flight score.
Martin Kosleck and Mona Maris would play pretty well the same characters in 1942's BERLIN CORRESPONDENT, with Dana Andrews.
One of the best "B"s
jacksflicks12 October 2006
Watching Underground makes me wish that TCM would do an anthology of great B-movies. Limited budgets imposed constraints on production values -- sound stages and back lots instead of locations, black & white instead of color, character actors in leading roles. What budgets didn't constrain was acting, directing and writing. And what's cool is that there were lots of them, especially from the studio system, where great talent was on staff.
I don't think I've seen a wartime propaganda flick that pulls out all the stops quite like this one. Vile Nazis in their spiffy Nazi uniforms, sadism, torture, whips, dungeons, betrayal, sabotage, righteous rants by old professors...all here! Tight production and right casting make this a delicious grand guignol. Despite the grim theme, there are some pretty funny Hogan's Heroes moments. Example: a thuggish Gestapo underling is bragging to his secretary about a ghastly new torture method he's invented and complaining about Himmler's taking the credit. The secretary, who's in the underground, replies, barely containing her sarcasm, "Don't worry, I'm sure you'll get a promotion."
And then, there's the ending, when one must face an excruciating dilemma -- to do something horrible and cruel for the greater good. It's something I don't know if I'd have the courage to do. Would you?
I don't think I've seen a wartime propaganda flick that pulls out all the stops quite like this one. Vile Nazis in their spiffy Nazi uniforms, sadism, torture, whips, dungeons, betrayal, sabotage, righteous rants by old professors...all here! Tight production and right casting make this a delicious grand guignol. Despite the grim theme, there are some pretty funny Hogan's Heroes moments. Example: a thuggish Gestapo underling is bragging to his secretary about a ghastly new torture method he's invented and complaining about Himmler's taking the credit. The secretary, who's in the underground, replies, barely containing her sarcasm, "Don't worry, I'm sure you'll get a promotion."
And then, there's the ending, when one must face an excruciating dilemma -- to do something horrible and cruel for the greater good. It's something I don't know if I'd have the courage to do. Would you?
Good small Warners film
blanche-226 April 2009
"Underground" is a good propaganda movie that came out of Warner Brothers in 1941. It's lacking major stars, but the story is certainly A list. Philip Dorn and Jeffrey Lynn star as German brothers on opposite sides. Dorn is a member of the underground, which uses a traveling illegal radio to broadcast to the people, while Lynn is a returning soldier who has lost his arm. He becomes interested in an attractive violinist, Sylvia (Kaaren Verne) who performs in a tavern, unaware that his brother knows her from the underground and that they are both members. This leads to problems as the Nazis close in.
Vincent Sherman does an excellent job of directing. The rest of the cast includes Martin Kosleck a a nasty Nazi, and Mona Maris as his assistant, also an underground member. The Dutch Dorn gives a very good performance, as does Lynn. The ending of the film is quite touching.
As someone on this site pointed out, the Germans let the Nazis come into power and didn't do much in the way of resistance. There was a strong French resistance, as well as the Yugoslav Partisans, the Polish Home Army, the Soviet partisans, the Italian CLN, the Norwegian Resistance, the Greek Resistance and the Dutch Resistance. One doesn't hear much about German resistance. Warner Brothers probably just assumed it was active.
A good movie.
Vincent Sherman does an excellent job of directing. The rest of the cast includes Martin Kosleck a a nasty Nazi, and Mona Maris as his assistant, also an underground member. The Dutch Dorn gives a very good performance, as does Lynn. The ending of the film is quite touching.
As someone on this site pointed out, the Germans let the Nazis come into power and didn't do much in the way of resistance. There was a strong French resistance, as well as the Yugoslav Partisans, the Polish Home Army, the Soviet partisans, the Italian CLN, the Norwegian Resistance, the Greek Resistance and the Dutch Resistance. One doesn't hear much about German resistance. Warner Brothers probably just assumed it was active.
A good movie.
Surprisingly good...
planktonrules17 May 2011
Warning: Spoilers
Believe it or not, up until the entry of the US in WWII, it was technically illegal for Hollywood to take a stand concerning the Nazi invasions of most of Europe. A little-known law was passed by Congress that forced the studios to remain neutral on the war--but by 1940 and 41, several bigger studios basically ignored the law. Warner Brothers was the first with "Confessions of a Nazi Spy" but soon MGM came out with "Mortal Storm"--both very, very critical of the German government. As for "Underground", it actually debuted before the attack on Pearl Harbor, so it was also in violation of this probably unconstitutional law. Because of this, you really have to admire the studio for taking such a strong stand against the evils of the Nazi regime.
This fictional film finds two brothers, Eric (Philip Dorn) and Kurt (Jeffery Lynn) on opposite sides. Kurt is a wounded war veteran and 100% loyal to his party. Eric, on the other hand, is a leader in the German underground--and Kurt has no idea of this. Eventually, however, Eric is slowly pushed to accept that his Nazi overlords are NOT as wonderful as he once thought--and by the end of the film he is in a complete moral quandary. I could say a lot more about the film, but frankly it would spoil the surprise.
About the only thing negative about he film is that the two brothers didn't sound like brothers. Dorn was Dutch by birth and to us Americans, he sounded rather German. But Lynn sounded very American--and this contrast was odd. But, despite this, the script is excellent--exciting, tough and very convincing. It is, in essence, very effective anti-Nazi propaganda--and must have done a lot to galvanize the public against the menace of Nazi Germany. Also, being from Warner Brothers, it had great direction and polish. It compares well with other similar films of the era and is much more subtle than many of the anti-Nazi films that debuted just after the US entered the war. Well worth seeing.
This fictional film finds two brothers, Eric (Philip Dorn) and Kurt (Jeffery Lynn) on opposite sides. Kurt is a wounded war veteran and 100% loyal to his party. Eric, on the other hand, is a leader in the German underground--and Kurt has no idea of this. Eventually, however, Eric is slowly pushed to accept that his Nazi overlords are NOT as wonderful as he once thought--and by the end of the film he is in a complete moral quandary. I could say a lot more about the film, but frankly it would spoil the surprise.
About the only thing negative about he film is that the two brothers didn't sound like brothers. Dorn was Dutch by birth and to us Americans, he sounded rather German. But Lynn sounded very American--and this contrast was odd. But, despite this, the script is excellent--exciting, tough and very convincing. It is, in essence, very effective anti-Nazi propaganda--and must have done a lot to galvanize the public against the menace of Nazi Germany. Also, being from Warner Brothers, it had great direction and polish. It compares well with other similar films of the era and is much more subtle than many of the anti-Nazi films that debuted just after the US entered the war. Well worth seeing.
Inside Nazi Germany
sol-kay17 May 2011
Warning: Spoilers
***Some Spoilers*** Pre-Pearl Harbor Hollywood war propaganda flick involving a group of anti-Nazi Germans trying to get the message through to the German people just how rotten the Nazi regime is. Using a shortwave radio the anti-Hitler Germans use it to bring out that the war news is not as bright as their controlled media tells them that it is. There's the sinking of the German super battleship Bismark with all 2,800 sailors, aboard as well as the mysterious flight of Nazi Deputy Fuhrer Rudolph Hess to England whom were told by the Free German radio announcer Eric Franken, Phillip Dorn, just had about enough of Hitler's Germany and escaped to freedom to the British isles! In fact Hess was later tried as a Nazi war criminal at Nuremberg and given a life sentence and then committing suicide, or suspected being murdered, in his Spandou Prison jail cell in 1987 after spending almost 50 years behind bars!
It's when Eric's brother Kurt, Jeffery Lynn, shows up with his left arm blown off in Norway that Eric and his members of the anti-Nazi underground run into trouble in that unlike Eric Kurt is a die-in-the-wool Nazi who'll turn him as well as anyone else, even his parents, in if he suspected them of being traitors to their country! It's when Kurt meets Eric's girlfriend and fellow anti-Nazi German violinist Sylvia Helmuth, Kaaren Verne, that his unyielding love for the Fatherland takes a backseat!
At first not believing that Sylvia is working for the German underground Kurt is given the job by his superior Col.Heller, Martin Kosleck, to spy on her after she got caught receiving radio equipment through the mail that was banned by the German Government. What Col.Heller doesn't realize is that he has a spy in his own office in the person of his private secretary Fraulein Gessner, Mona Maris, who relays everything going there on to the underground keeping them one step ahead of his henchmen who are out to arrest and execute them.
***SPOILERS*** It's Kurt's lame attempt to prove his worthiness to the Nazi cause as well as save Sylvia from a gestapo firing squad that in the end backfires in him exposing the entire underground movement, as well as his brother Eric, to Col Heller storm troopers. With Eric and his fellow anti-Nazi freedom fighter now about to get the ax, or guillotine, Kurt finally sees the light and joins to good fight by becoming the star announcer of new the Free German Movement after those of the old one have been arrested and slated to be executed by the gestapo!
Heart wrenching final with Eric & Co. about to get it in the neck as all of a sudden we and the Nazi gestapo about to do Eric in hear Kurth's voice come out load and clear as it's broadcast all over Berlin denouncing the Nazi Regime and rallying the German people to overthrow it! That's before the Nazis ends up doing to the German people what their about to do to Eric & co, which they ended up doing anyway in the spring of 1945, if the German masses don't rise up and overthrow them before it's too late!
It's when Eric's brother Kurt, Jeffery Lynn, shows up with his left arm blown off in Norway that Eric and his members of the anti-Nazi underground run into trouble in that unlike Eric Kurt is a die-in-the-wool Nazi who'll turn him as well as anyone else, even his parents, in if he suspected them of being traitors to their country! It's when Kurt meets Eric's girlfriend and fellow anti-Nazi German violinist Sylvia Helmuth, Kaaren Verne, that his unyielding love for the Fatherland takes a backseat!
At first not believing that Sylvia is working for the German underground Kurt is given the job by his superior Col.Heller, Martin Kosleck, to spy on her after she got caught receiving radio equipment through the mail that was banned by the German Government. What Col.Heller doesn't realize is that he has a spy in his own office in the person of his private secretary Fraulein Gessner, Mona Maris, who relays everything going there on to the underground keeping them one step ahead of his henchmen who are out to arrest and execute them.
***SPOILERS*** It's Kurt's lame attempt to prove his worthiness to the Nazi cause as well as save Sylvia from a gestapo firing squad that in the end backfires in him exposing the entire underground movement, as well as his brother Eric, to Col Heller storm troopers. With Eric and his fellow anti-Nazi freedom fighter now about to get the ax, or guillotine, Kurt finally sees the light and joins to good fight by becoming the star announcer of new the Free German Movement after those of the old one have been arrested and slated to be executed by the gestapo!
Heart wrenching final with Eric & Co. about to get it in the neck as all of a sudden we and the Nazi gestapo about to do Eric in hear Kurth's voice come out load and clear as it's broadcast all over Berlin denouncing the Nazi Regime and rallying the German people to overthrow it! That's before the Nazis ends up doing to the German people what their about to do to Eric & co, which they ended up doing anyway in the spring of 1945, if the German masses don't rise up and overthrow them before it's too late!
Like the old man grimacing in "Cabaret", not all Germans supported the Nazi's.
mark.waltz25 March 2015
Warning: Spoilers
In 1941, rising Warner Brothers director Vincent Sherman took two different looks at the World War II underground. The Damon Runyeon like "All Through the Night" took the mugs of New York City and had them exposing Fifth Columnists utilizing an upscale auction shop as their base of operations, and "Underworld" revealed that even the families of World War I who were still haunted by losing that war didn't want to be involved in Hitler's war simply because they knew the motivations for it were wrong. In fact, an entire family finds themselves being torn apart by the political differences between two brothers (Jeffrey Lynn and Philip Dorn), the youngest a devoted Nazi soldier and the other secretly working in the underground.
While the outstanding "All Through the Night" focused on comic undertones with a serious main plot, "Underground" is strictly dramatic, and powerfully so. It was released before the United States got involved in World War II, while "All Through the Night" got released almost immediately afterwords. That film had the ironic coincidence of an attempted attack on the New York Harbor, coming just as Pearl Harbor was attacked. Certainly heavy on propaganda, it served the purpose of letting Americans know that just because the enemy was near didn't mean that every citizen of that enemy nation was on the side of evil. The righteous include Lynn and Dorn's parents, a neighbor (Ludwig Stossel, a victim of Nazi villainy in "All Through the Night") who lost his son in battle, a café violin player (Kaaren Verne, "ATTN's" heroine) and even the severe looking assistant (Mona Maris) to nasty Nazi Martin Koslock, also called back by Sherman to play the head speaker at the Nazi meeting in the conclusion of "ATTN". It should be noted that Maris looked pretty much exactly the same in 20th Century Fox's banal "Berlin Correspondent", although in that film, there was no doubt where her loyalties lay.
This is one of those war films which grabs you from the beginning and never lets you go. While it is clear that the underground for the most part will come out on top, there are some gripping moments where your doubts take over, such as a chase sequence where Kosleck and his men head to the location where Dorn's radio truck is in the process of delivering an underground message. There's also a hand-ringing confrontation between Dorn and another member of the underground with a recently released concentration prisoner, basically brainwashed by years of torture into doing the Nazi's bidding. When he tries to plead for his life, it almost appears that the good guys are the actual bad guys, but a twist in their decision of how to handle him gives way to a powerful moment of retribution and atonement. The ending is straight out of "A Tale of Two Cities", but is moving rather than corny, even though I found myself quoting Ronald Colman's delivery of Dicken's immortal words in the film's final moments.
Verne, whose "All Through the Night" character became involved with the Nazi's merely to save her imprisoned father, is clearly on the side of the underground, and when she is exposed for being the recipient of newly purchased radio equipment, she undergoes a torture so brutal that it is difficult at times to watch, especially when Kosleck forces her to sign a statement indicating that she was treated fairly. Presented with much subtlety, "Underground" is an important film in the sense that almost 75 years later reminds its new audiences to not judge the entire population of a nation by its leaders or military, in other words, to minimize the hate and remember that people of free minds will always stand up to their government, even if their lives are threatened.
While the outstanding "All Through the Night" focused on comic undertones with a serious main plot, "Underground" is strictly dramatic, and powerfully so. It was released before the United States got involved in World War II, while "All Through the Night" got released almost immediately afterwords. That film had the ironic coincidence of an attempted attack on the New York Harbor, coming just as Pearl Harbor was attacked. Certainly heavy on propaganda, it served the purpose of letting Americans know that just because the enemy was near didn't mean that every citizen of that enemy nation was on the side of evil. The righteous include Lynn and Dorn's parents, a neighbor (Ludwig Stossel, a victim of Nazi villainy in "All Through the Night") who lost his son in battle, a café violin player (Kaaren Verne, "ATTN's" heroine) and even the severe looking assistant (Mona Maris) to nasty Nazi Martin Koslock, also called back by Sherman to play the head speaker at the Nazi meeting in the conclusion of "ATTN". It should be noted that Maris looked pretty much exactly the same in 20th Century Fox's banal "Berlin Correspondent", although in that film, there was no doubt where her loyalties lay.
This is one of those war films which grabs you from the beginning and never lets you go. While it is clear that the underground for the most part will come out on top, there are some gripping moments where your doubts take over, such as a chase sequence where Kosleck and his men head to the location where Dorn's radio truck is in the process of delivering an underground message. There's also a hand-ringing confrontation between Dorn and another member of the underground with a recently released concentration prisoner, basically brainwashed by years of torture into doing the Nazi's bidding. When he tries to plead for his life, it almost appears that the good guys are the actual bad guys, but a twist in their decision of how to handle him gives way to a powerful moment of retribution and atonement. The ending is straight out of "A Tale of Two Cities", but is moving rather than corny, even though I found myself quoting Ronald Colman's delivery of Dicken's immortal words in the film's final moments.
Verne, whose "All Through the Night" character became involved with the Nazi's merely to save her imprisoned father, is clearly on the side of the underground, and when she is exposed for being the recipient of newly purchased radio equipment, she undergoes a torture so brutal that it is difficult at times to watch, especially when Kosleck forces her to sign a statement indicating that she was treated fairly. Presented with much subtlety, "Underground" is an important film in the sense that almost 75 years later reminds its new audiences to not judge the entire population of a nation by its leaders or military, in other words, to minimize the hate and remember that people of free minds will always stand up to their government, even if their lives are threatened.
solid anti-Nazi film
SnoopyStyle10 April 2020
Eric Franken is a leading member of an underground network and illegal radio in wartime Berlin. He is concerned when his mother announces the return of his soldier brother Kurt. Family friend Müller is disillusioned with the death of his son in the sinking of the Bismarck. Kurt remains a militant as he berates old man Müller. Eric struggles to hide his secret life. Kurt falls for violinist Sylvia Helmuth, not realizing that she is part of the underground.
This is a straight up anti-Nazi story woven into the war. It is effective in portraying a police state although there are some unrealistic turns. I do love the funny rumor spreading of Fräulein Gessner. It is moralistic and thrilling. Kurt's berating of Müller is painful. If it has any problem, it's that there are too many people in the underground. It's more realistic and more powerful to have fewer people.
This is a straight up anti-Nazi story woven into the war. It is effective in portraying a police state although there are some unrealistic turns. I do love the funny rumor spreading of Fräulein Gessner. It is moralistic and thrilling. Kurt's berating of Müller is painful. If it has any problem, it's that there are too many people in the underground. It's more realistic and more powerful to have fewer people.
Awesome WW2 Resistance movie done during the war
c-a-r-l-o-s26 December 2011
This is one of those great little-heard-of movies you see every once in awhile on Turner Classic Movies. It's done very well, the pace is intriguing from beginning to end. The suspense builds very well in several scenes. The 2 brothers' struggles with family and loyalty is what keeps the pace and keeps the viewer glued to the very end. The script is smart and believable, you get the idea that you're not safe anywhere while out in public in Nazi Germany. Sitting in a restaurant, walking down the street, buying food, all those everyday doings could put you under suspicion by the bad guys, even get you tortured and killed. It gets you thinking about what can happen when good men do nothing. Absolutely worth seeing.
Pirate radio is always best
AAdaSC11 April 2015
Nazi soldier Jeffrey Lynn (Kurt) returns home on the night that his brother Philip Dorn (Eric) is due to make an illegal Resistance radio broadcast. The brothers are at odds in their beliefs but Lynn is unaware of how his brother feels and his role with the Resistance. One of Dorn's allies is Kaaren Verne (Sylvia) who plays violin at a club. She becomes the focus of Lynn's romantic interests but he remains unaware of her involvement in the Resistance. Will the Nazi brother suss out what is going on? And will he inform on his brother and the woman he loves to Gestapo chief Martin Kosleck (Heller)?
This film is better than expected and there are several tense scenes, eg, when Verne is sent to collect some radio equipment and must change her routine in the last seconds as Gestapo officers wait to arrest her. There is also a good scene between Gestapo secretary Mona Maris (Gessner) and Lynn as she points out a few home truths to him. I liked Philip Dorn and felt that it was his film and he should have been given the headline credit. He has a powerful scene when he goes to confront his Nazi brother about what course of action with regards the reporting of Verne that he will take. Dorn cannot afford the wrong decision to be taken and is prepared for what he may have to do. Another good scene involves Dorn and fellow Underground member Peter Whitney (Alex) as they confront Resistance traitor Wolfgang Zilzer (Hoffman).
The only poor acting comes from a couple of Resistance figures as they try to leave a club un-noticed. They stand out a mile in terms of suspicious behaviour. I'm afraid they get what they deserve for being so crap. Otherwise, the acting is very good all round. It's a pity that they bring some complicated poem into the proceedings - no way would anyone remember that clunky thing.
Overall, a good film. The Gestapo team reminded me of the French Resistance UK comedy of the 1980s "Allo Allo". Kosleck and Maris have that similar fetishized imagery working for them as was exploited by Gestapo officer "Herr Otto Flick" and his secretary "Helga". There is definitely some kind of repressed kinkiness going on. The scene with the boots and the whip and Kaaren Verne draped over a seat. Definitely. The only detail missing is revealing that Kosleck is wearing ladies lingerie throughout the whole film.
This film is better than expected and there are several tense scenes, eg, when Verne is sent to collect some radio equipment and must change her routine in the last seconds as Gestapo officers wait to arrest her. There is also a good scene between Gestapo secretary Mona Maris (Gessner) and Lynn as she points out a few home truths to him. I liked Philip Dorn and felt that it was his film and he should have been given the headline credit. He has a powerful scene when he goes to confront his Nazi brother about what course of action with regards the reporting of Verne that he will take. Dorn cannot afford the wrong decision to be taken and is prepared for what he may have to do. Another good scene involves Dorn and fellow Underground member Peter Whitney (Alex) as they confront Resistance traitor Wolfgang Zilzer (Hoffman).
The only poor acting comes from a couple of Resistance figures as they try to leave a club un-noticed. They stand out a mile in terms of suspicious behaviour. I'm afraid they get what they deserve for being so crap. Otherwise, the acting is very good all round. It's a pity that they bring some complicated poem into the proceedings - no way would anyone remember that clunky thing.
Overall, a good film. The Gestapo team reminded me of the French Resistance UK comedy of the 1980s "Allo Allo". Kosleck and Maris have that similar fetishized imagery working for them as was exploited by Gestapo officer "Herr Otto Flick" and his secretary "Helga". There is definitely some kind of repressed kinkiness going on. The scene with the boots and the whip and Kaaren Verne draped over a seat. Definitely. The only detail missing is revealing that Kosleck is wearing ladies lingerie throughout the whole film.
Powerful anti-Nazi thriller.
youroldpaljim27 October 2001
This top rate production from Warners Bros., tells the story of the anti-Nazi underground and its attempts to sway the German people to reject the Nazi regime and put an end to its war machine. This film is far better than many other later anti-Nazi films cranked out by Hollywood during WW2. The cast all give top rate performances. Martin Koslec is effectively slimey as the Nazi secret police leader who is out to crush the underground. After seeing him here, no wonder he made a career portraying evil Nazi leaders. Perhaps the most memorable performance is by Wolfgang Zilzer as the sad, pathetic former underground leader who becomes a traitor in exchange for release from the hellish torture he is undergoing in a Nazi concentration camp. The scene where he is confronted by underground leaders and forced to commit suicide has real power. The lighting and the music are perfect. Seen today, this film might seem a bit optimistically naive. It gives the viewer the impression the Nazi regime would soon fall from power. None the less the film effectively portrays the terror inflicted on the German people to assure obedience to its corrupt and evil regime.
Note; One odd idea thrown in, is a suggestion about why Rudolph Hess fled Germany and flew into London. During one of the underground broadcasts, Philip Dorn states that Hess fled to escape the gestapo and tell the world the truth. This sounds a bit naive, since everything suggests in real life Hess was always a staunch supporter of the Nazi regime. Of course the whole Hess affair is still to this day shrouded in mystery, and we may never know the real reason why Hess flew into London. That, however is a matter of discussion for another forum.
Note; One odd idea thrown in, is a suggestion about why Rudolph Hess fled Germany and flew into London. During one of the underground broadcasts, Philip Dorn states that Hess fled to escape the gestapo and tell the world the truth. This sounds a bit naive, since everything suggests in real life Hess was always a staunch supporter of the Nazi regime. Of course the whole Hess affair is still to this day shrouded in mystery, and we may never know the real reason why Hess flew into London. That, however is a matter of discussion for another forum.
The story of the Good American and the Bad German
hasosch20 August 2009
Should declared as well as intended B-movies be taken for serious or not? Of course, only the affirmation of this question legitimates any possible criticism.
Vincent Sherman was one of the classical B-movie directors. If the reason why he directed "Underground" (1941) was of political nature or simply because he needed money - or irresponsibility toward the subject of the movie -, we don't know. However, everybody can find out very easily that the "good guys" in the film - most of all the characters of Kurt and Eric (correctly: Erich) Franken are played by non-Germans (an American and a Dutchman), and that the main "bad guy"-character Colonel Heller was played by the German Martin Kosleck. Besides the only exception of Fräulein Gessner, who was played by the American Mona Maris, one realizes soon that, although all characters are German, the real actors who play the good guys are almost exclusively Americans and the real actors who play the bad guys are almost exclusively Germans.
By chance? Let me tell you that no European director would come to the insane idea to let the role of an American character be played by a Non-American. However, especially German characters in American movies are regularly played by American actors imitating American accents as Marlon Brando did in "Morituri". How convincing is a movie in which a French actors plays an American character, revealing after two words his actual origin? However, in "Underground", the things are dramatically different: Issued in 1941 and although a B-movie, this movie was obviously intended to call for Americans to enter World War II and to legitimate beforehand an American meddling in Germany (which still continues by the American presence in nowadays Germany, as every child knows). So, the good characters in this movie are recognizable by the audience via correct American speech of the American actors, while the bad characters are also easily recognizable by the German accents of the German actors.
Concluding, let me admit that for once, I have been inconsistent: I enjoyed seeing actors like Kosleck, Ilka Grüning or Ludwig Stössel and I therefore rated this movie with 6 points. However, had I been honest, I would have given a 1, because this movie is nothing else than intellectual filth, a war-chaser and propaganda movie on the lowest possible level.
Vincent Sherman was one of the classical B-movie directors. If the reason why he directed "Underground" (1941) was of political nature or simply because he needed money - or irresponsibility toward the subject of the movie -, we don't know. However, everybody can find out very easily that the "good guys" in the film - most of all the characters of Kurt and Eric (correctly: Erich) Franken are played by non-Germans (an American and a Dutchman), and that the main "bad guy"-character Colonel Heller was played by the German Martin Kosleck. Besides the only exception of Fräulein Gessner, who was played by the American Mona Maris, one realizes soon that, although all characters are German, the real actors who play the good guys are almost exclusively Americans and the real actors who play the bad guys are almost exclusively Germans.
By chance? Let me tell you that no European director would come to the insane idea to let the role of an American character be played by a Non-American. However, especially German characters in American movies are regularly played by American actors imitating American accents as Marlon Brando did in "Morituri". How convincing is a movie in which a French actors plays an American character, revealing after two words his actual origin? However, in "Underground", the things are dramatically different: Issued in 1941 and although a B-movie, this movie was obviously intended to call for Americans to enter World War II and to legitimate beforehand an American meddling in Germany (which still continues by the American presence in nowadays Germany, as every child knows). So, the good characters in this movie are recognizable by the audience via correct American speech of the American actors, while the bad characters are also easily recognizable by the German accents of the German actors.
Concluding, let me admit that for once, I have been inconsistent: I enjoyed seeing actors like Kosleck, Ilka Grüning or Ludwig Stössel and I therefore rated this movie with 6 points. However, had I been honest, I would have given a 1, because this movie is nothing else than intellectual filth, a war-chaser and propaganda movie on the lowest possible level.
German underground
robfollower20 May 2020
Warner Brothers contribution in the fight against fascism when other studios were turning the other way. It was great to watch this movie about the German Underground reminding us that many Germans hated the Nazis and actively fought back. Very exciting and emotional film.
One of the Best and Earliest of Hollywood's Answer to the Nazi Threat
LeonLouisRicci20 November 2015
Early Hollywood Nazi Movie set in Germany Following a Pirate "Underground" Radio Station and the Nationalist but Anti-Nazi Germans that Risked Their Lives trying to bring Truth to the Population.
Oppressive and Gestapo Tactics were being "Jack Booted" on the People with Restrictions on Everything from the Media to Free Speech. This Group of Resistance Fighters and Their Tribulations are Presented in a High Suspense Social Picture that WB did so Well.
It has a basically No-Name Cast but all Deliver Riveting, Believable Performances and the Film was Gripping and Obviously Topical, at the Time, and Deserves to be Rediscovered as one of the Best, Unseen and Forgotten Films that is Preachy Without being Overbearing and Thought Provoking Without Doubt.
Concentration Camps and the Devastating Effect the Torture had on "Enemies of the State", Brutal Beatings of Suspects (including Women and old folks), Nazi Iconography Dominating Scenes, and a Family Literally Torn Apart by the Hitler Regime are all Included here and No Restraint.
The Ending is Wicked and Heart Wrenching but Turns to an Upbeat Note in the "Nick of Time" (but at such cost). This is a Powerful Film and Holds Up much more than many of its Type made Throughout the War. A Must See.
Oppressive and Gestapo Tactics were being "Jack Booted" on the People with Restrictions on Everything from the Media to Free Speech. This Group of Resistance Fighters and Their Tribulations are Presented in a High Suspense Social Picture that WB did so Well.
It has a basically No-Name Cast but all Deliver Riveting, Believable Performances and the Film was Gripping and Obviously Topical, at the Time, and Deserves to be Rediscovered as one of the Best, Unseen and Forgotten Films that is Preachy Without being Overbearing and Thought Provoking Without Doubt.
Concentration Camps and the Devastating Effect the Torture had on "Enemies of the State", Brutal Beatings of Suspects (including Women and old folks), Nazi Iconography Dominating Scenes, and a Family Literally Torn Apart by the Hitler Regime are all Included here and No Restraint.
The Ending is Wicked and Heart Wrenching but Turns to an Upbeat Note in the "Nick of Time" (but at such cost). This is a Powerful Film and Holds Up much more than many of its Type made Throughout the War. A Must See.
A study of inhumanity prompting the necessity of fighting it
clanciai11 August 2021
It can't be helped, but this is a great film made on a great script of universal validity for all times against any tyranny, any oppression and dictatorship. It's only a B-feature but more eloquent than most A-features and definitely in the front row of the expressions of the awakening America to the reality of the bolting inhumanity of Nazi Germany. Colonel Heller (Martin Kosleck) couldn't be more abominable in his consistent hardcore inhumanity, he is a monster and not quite credible as such, and you must wonder: Was it actually possible for ordinary human beings of the Nazi party to allow themselves to be completely brainwashed out of every fragment of any human feeling? Perhaps that question never can be answered, as you have to accept the facts of characters like Hitler, Himmler and all the concentration camp architects of SS and Gestapo. Hitler is supposed to have wondered himself at Reinhard Heydrich's extreme inhumanity with nothing left at all except reptilian insensitivity and callousness. The story is great, the dialog is pregnant all the way, all the characters are convincing, and all you can object against is the utter cruelty and inhumanity of any dictatorship which is the main object of the film to reveal to an incredulous world that still after 80 years have difficulties in understanding and accepting it. Thus the problem remains imminent ever, and the film focuses on the vital necessity of never allowing it to thrive.
Hidden Gem
shawndrewett-8776723 March 2024
I've made a study of searching for and watching Nazi movies made in the 1940's. Underground is surprisingly good! Unlike many movies in this era the action moves fairly quickly in "Underground". The acting is also admirable. Even with 4 years left to go to defeat the Germans, the writers understood the evil Nazi regime. Noticeably absent is any mention of Jews. I assume at this point little was known of what was going on in the concentration camps. Knowing what we know now it's difficult to grasp how Germany was perceived in 1941. Soon atrocities of great magnitude would be uncovered. Sacrifice for truth.
First-rate film not to be missed. Plenty of spoilers here!
fordraff4 March 2005
Warning: Spoilers
Because so many World War 2 dramas have dated badly and lost power in the light of today's extremely realistic films, I wasn't expecting much of this film.
But I was in for a major surprise. This powerful, well-conceived film delivers a strong impact even today.
At the core is an instantly interesting narrative situation: Eric Franken (Dorn) works with the German Underground to broadcast anti-Nazi information to the German people. His brother Kurt (Lynn), a loyal Nazi solider, returns home, having lost an arm in battle. How will this conflict between the loyal Nazi brother and the anti-Nazi brother work itself out? Adding to the plot complication is Kurt's interest in Sylvia Helmuth (Kaaren Verne), an Underground member who plays a violin at a café that is a meeting place for the Underground. Thinking Eric is courting Sylvia, Kurt is happy when she tells him she hardly knows Eric, though, of course, that is not the case. Kurt's romantic pursuit of Sylvia constantly complicates the work of the Underground. But after the Gestapo arrests Sylvia following a tip and she is tortured by Col. Heller (Kosleck), Kurt is faced with a quandary: Col. Heller orders Kurt to romance Sylvia--but this time, Kurt must report to Col. Heller any scrap of information he gleans from Sylvia. When Kurt finally has proof that Sylvia is a member of the Underground, he is put in a moral dilemma: Which is more important: the girl he loves or the Nazi party? In the film's climax, when Kurt discloses to Col. Heller three Underground members about to make an illegal broadcast, Kurt doesn't know his brother Eric is one of the three men. When Underground member Fraulein Gessner (Maris) tells him of Eric's arrest and shows him Eric's torture at the hands of the Gestapo, Kurt is at last convinced that the Nazis are not what he thought them to be. Family triumphs over loyalty to the state, but then that has been happening at least since "Antigone." The film has strong scenes. The best is the confrontation between Fraulein Gessner and Kurt, with Gessner convincing Kurt that he must tell Col. Heller he knew Eric was one of the three men he reported. This will put Kurt above suspicion with the Gestapo and allow him to work well with the Underground. Mona Maris and Jeffrey Lynn are superb in the scene! In fact, I've never seen Jeffrey Lynn do a better acting job, but Mona Maris drives the scene.
In another scene unusual for a 1941 film, Kurt and Hugo Baumer confront Walter Hoffman, whom the Gestapo has taken out of a concentration camp on the condition that Hoffman, formerly an Underground member, rejoin the group to discover the source of the Underground broadcasts. Kurt and Hugo make it clear to Hoffman that, paradoxically, he can only prove his loyalty to the Underground by committing suicide! What a striking moment when Hugo lays the gun down on the table, and he and Kurt walk out, leaving Hoffman to his decision.
There isn't a happy ending here, but there is a rousing patriotic finish. In the conclusion, we're shown Eric, Hugo, and another Underground member led into a prison yard to be guillotined (face up to see the ax descending upon them). An execution setting this detailed was unusual for 1941 And then, Eric hears his brother Kurt delivering an Underground broadcast, Kurt identifying himself by reciting a few lines of poetry that had been on a sampler on the wall of the Franken family's home. Implausible? Yes. But it works fine theatrically to provide a satisfactory capper to a gripping film.
In addition to the excellent performances of Jeffrey Lynn and Mona Maris, Philip Dorn has never been better. Martin Kosleck as Col. Heller doesn't "go over the top" as did so many actor of the time who portrayed Nazis. Wolfgang Zilzer is exceptional in his scenes, particularly the one leading up to the moment when Hoffman realizes he must commit suicide.
The entire cast does a solid job in an engrossing, entertaining, first-rate film that shouldn't be missed. Why doesn't everyone know of this excellent film?
But I was in for a major surprise. This powerful, well-conceived film delivers a strong impact even today.
At the core is an instantly interesting narrative situation: Eric Franken (Dorn) works with the German Underground to broadcast anti-Nazi information to the German people. His brother Kurt (Lynn), a loyal Nazi solider, returns home, having lost an arm in battle. How will this conflict between the loyal Nazi brother and the anti-Nazi brother work itself out? Adding to the plot complication is Kurt's interest in Sylvia Helmuth (Kaaren Verne), an Underground member who plays a violin at a café that is a meeting place for the Underground. Thinking Eric is courting Sylvia, Kurt is happy when she tells him she hardly knows Eric, though, of course, that is not the case. Kurt's romantic pursuit of Sylvia constantly complicates the work of the Underground. But after the Gestapo arrests Sylvia following a tip and she is tortured by Col. Heller (Kosleck), Kurt is faced with a quandary: Col. Heller orders Kurt to romance Sylvia--but this time, Kurt must report to Col. Heller any scrap of information he gleans from Sylvia. When Kurt finally has proof that Sylvia is a member of the Underground, he is put in a moral dilemma: Which is more important: the girl he loves or the Nazi party? In the film's climax, when Kurt discloses to Col. Heller three Underground members about to make an illegal broadcast, Kurt doesn't know his brother Eric is one of the three men. When Underground member Fraulein Gessner (Maris) tells him of Eric's arrest and shows him Eric's torture at the hands of the Gestapo, Kurt is at last convinced that the Nazis are not what he thought them to be. Family triumphs over loyalty to the state, but then that has been happening at least since "Antigone." The film has strong scenes. The best is the confrontation between Fraulein Gessner and Kurt, with Gessner convincing Kurt that he must tell Col. Heller he knew Eric was one of the three men he reported. This will put Kurt above suspicion with the Gestapo and allow him to work well with the Underground. Mona Maris and Jeffrey Lynn are superb in the scene! In fact, I've never seen Jeffrey Lynn do a better acting job, but Mona Maris drives the scene.
In another scene unusual for a 1941 film, Kurt and Hugo Baumer confront Walter Hoffman, whom the Gestapo has taken out of a concentration camp on the condition that Hoffman, formerly an Underground member, rejoin the group to discover the source of the Underground broadcasts. Kurt and Hugo make it clear to Hoffman that, paradoxically, he can only prove his loyalty to the Underground by committing suicide! What a striking moment when Hugo lays the gun down on the table, and he and Kurt walk out, leaving Hoffman to his decision.
There isn't a happy ending here, but there is a rousing patriotic finish. In the conclusion, we're shown Eric, Hugo, and another Underground member led into a prison yard to be guillotined (face up to see the ax descending upon them). An execution setting this detailed was unusual for 1941 And then, Eric hears his brother Kurt delivering an Underground broadcast, Kurt identifying himself by reciting a few lines of poetry that had been on a sampler on the wall of the Franken family's home. Implausible? Yes. But it works fine theatrically to provide a satisfactory capper to a gripping film.
In addition to the excellent performances of Jeffrey Lynn and Mona Maris, Philip Dorn has never been better. Martin Kosleck as Col. Heller doesn't "go over the top" as did so many actor of the time who portrayed Nazis. Wolfgang Zilzer is exceptional in his scenes, particularly the one leading up to the moment when Hoffman realizes he must commit suicide.
The entire cast does a solid job in an engrossing, entertaining, first-rate film that shouldn't be missed. Why doesn't everyone know of this excellent film?
Trust No One
GManfred25 November 2015
We now have all the answers, but this picture was released before WWII became a world war. It is likely there were rumors and inklings about underground movements but this may have been the first picture about a German resistance movement brought to the attention of the movie-going public. Imagine the surprise and amazement of American audiences trying to fathom the concept that Germany was not a monolith.
"Underground" is the tense and suspenseful story of two brothers on opposite sides of the war. Jeffrey Lynn is a Nazi officer discharged and returning home after losing an arm in combat and Philip Dorn is his older brother who is a member of the underground. We learn of the consequences to a resistance member if caught and of the attendant paranoia prevalent among members. Secrecy is necessary and required, under penalty of death.
The storyline is absorbing and the direction is spot-on throughout. The two stars are at their best, and this may be one of Jeffrey Lynn's best roles. The supporting roles are filled with competent German character actors who may be unfamiliar to many of us. "Underground" is a memorable rendering of a theme which has become very familiar to us over the years since the war. Well worth the time, which is only 95 fast-moving minutes.
"Underground" is the tense and suspenseful story of two brothers on opposite sides of the war. Jeffrey Lynn is a Nazi officer discharged and returning home after losing an arm in combat and Philip Dorn is his older brother who is a member of the underground. We learn of the consequences to a resistance member if caught and of the attendant paranoia prevalent among members. Secrecy is necessary and required, under penalty of death.
The storyline is absorbing and the direction is spot-on throughout. The two stars are at their best, and this may be one of Jeffrey Lynn's best roles. The supporting roles are filled with competent German character actors who may be unfamiliar to many of us. "Underground" is a memorable rendering of a theme which has become very familiar to us over the years since the war. Well worth the time, which is only 95 fast-moving minutes.
A gripping story of clandestine radio under the Nazis.
mail-67124 September 2005
When I saw this as a kid I found it a grim.vivid & gripping introduction to the wartime "underground" movement in an occupied territory courtesy Warner Bros as did Martin Kosleck's ruthless Gestapo officer and the silent struggle of one German brother to stick to his convictions in direct opposition to the other,an enemy where discovery meant certain torture & death. It has never been shown on UK TV - certainly not by TCM. I distinctly still recall the relief when this feature in the cinema was quickly followed by the next week's trailer in contrasting brilliant technicolour for Greer Garson in "Blossoms In The Dust"! Only a few years ago I finally tracked down the video which I believed never existed in the States & did not hesitate to have it sent over. It is in pretty good condition & brought back those memories. Barely a year later,(1941), 2 Cities Films in Britain released its blander & lighter version, "Freedom Radio" which starred two of Britain's then leading stage stars, Clive Brook ("Cavalcade") and Diana Wynyard which has had TV showings. In this version the ethical differences & attitudes in defying the gestapo were between husband & wife and various Nazis played(as was then usually the case)by other well known British faces with English accents.
Stands the Test of Time
sksolomonb11 April 2020
I first saw "Underground" on WOR Channel 9 New York TV's "Million Dollar Movie."
At the time I felt it was a very powerful film. This was 1959 and I was 12 yrs. old. At the time I thought it was a powerful and thought provoking movie.
Yesterday April 10, 2020 I saw it again and felt it was more powerful.
Reading the previous positive reviews, there isn't much to add.
The story at the time was current, being released in June 1941. Before the U.S. entry into World War II.
The Rudolf Hess flight to England and the sinking of the Bismarck was in May.
The scenes as brutal and chilling as they were, turned out to be nothing compared to what was inflicted by Nazi Germany on everyone and everywhere
they controlled. The message is of warning and of hope to all people everywhere. Each of us should ask ourselves how we would act if confronted with what these same issues. We may have to whether we like it or not.
The cast, direction, script, etc. was excellent. Even though Lynn and Dorn are brothers and don't sound like brothers isn't really anything that diminishes from the message throughout the picture. Kaaren Verne was excellent as the girl caught between the brothers. Mona Maris excellent and Martin Kosleck fabulous as the ultimate evil Nazi. Hans Schumm's menace cannot be minimized. All in all "Underground" rates along with "Confessions of a Nazi Spy" as a shining example of the best of the film industry to warn this country what they would soon be up against and what we all need to examine in our individual lives.
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
