Les enfants d'Hitler

This film must have been rather shocking at the time, as it revealed many Nazi practices which would have offended American morality:

• They forced single women to have babies "for the Fuehrer"

• They sterilized women who were undesirables, either because of their race or their ideas

• They raided churches and preached the destruction of Christianity

• They brainwashed young people and encouraged them to violence against their enemies

Of course, mixed in among the propaganda is a love story between a Hitler Youth member and an attractive German/American girl attending an American school in Germany (which is conveniently situated across from the humorously-named "Horst Wessel School"). Besides having solid lead players, this film also boasts a strong supporting cast including H. B. Warner, Hans Conried, and Erford Gage (who would soon be killed in action during WW2).

The quality of this film is higher than other similar propaganda movies of the time, and has some touching (although predictable) scenes of love and sacrifice. And the opening scene of a Hitler Youth rally may serve as a warning against what happens when a politician with a cult of personality tries to control the minds of young people.

I stumbled across this film on cable and was immediately hooked. Created as a propaganda film to show the horrors of living in Nazi Germany, it seems quite naive in retrospect, as the full atrocities of the Holocaust were not yet public knowledge. Subtle, it is not, but it is definitely interesting as a historical novelty.

A Nazi officer (Tim Holt) falls in love with a freedom-fighting American girl (Bonita Granville) in WWII Germany. Very dated (of course) but still worth seeing. The film pulls no punches is showing how horrible life in Germany was during the war. I especially like them showing German citizens as being against Hitler and unhappy also. It is naive (concentration camps are mentioned once and very casually) but, at the time this was made, that's all we knew about Germany. A big hit in its day--it's easy to see why.

Holt and Granville are good in the leads--especially Holt who has a powerful speech at the end. Also the film moves quickly and is never dull. A very good look at Germany during WWII. Well worth catching.

I can see how this film would have created a stir when it was released in 1942.World War II was being fought and the Germans dominated Europe. The film is the story of two star crossed lovers: an American girl with German blood and an unfortunate young man who rises from the Hitler Youth and becomes a colonel in the Gestapo. Kind of an unusual take on the boy meets girl story but a good film just the same. Recommended for history buffs and Tim Holt fans.

I saw this as a young girl in 1943. It was in the middle of WW2 and the end of the war was not clear cut as it might seem now. People were getting tired of rationing certain foods and gasoline and the restrictions of war time precautions on the East Coast.

Looking back I see now that this type of propaganda was necessary in the view of the Movie crowd. Many young men were being killed and taken prisoner in France and Germany and Italy. I think people needed to be reminded that the war was necessary because of the aggression forced upon the United States people.

I suppose not too many of us are alive now to remember those days so it is easy to put the movie down as exaggerated propaganda. And it was but I see it as one of those things that one would expect during a war.

Truthfully I saw the movie as being very real at the time and I loved Bonita Granville and Tim Holt as the stars. I see it now as part of a pattern of keeping the ordinary people stirred up against our enemies. So be it. How will todays movies be interpreted in 60 years?

It's just interesting to have lived through 5 wars and be able to look at things more objectively.