Évasion

If this was released towards the end of 1940, the U.S. was not officially in WW II yet, but word was certainly out about the movement and cruelty of Hitler's army as they invaded the surrounding countries. Robert Taylor is Preysing, american, over in wartime germany, looking for news of his missing mother, still a german citizen. He gets hints that she may have broken the local laws, but no-one will give him details on what she has done or where she might be. Getting emotional and loud, even in front of german officers, Preysing leaves and bumps into the Countess , played by Norma Shearer. Shearer had already lost husband and hollywood bigshot Irving Thalberg by this time. If you haven't seen her in "The Women", that one is a lot of fun! In Escape, the Countess may have information on where to find his mother.... with supporting cast Conrad Veidt, an actor who had already fled to the US, and Felix Bressart, who popped up in so many supporting roles. The story is mostly strong and full of suspense. However.... everywhere Preysing goes, everyone he meets asks him to keep his voice down, to act calm and normal; but... the entire film, he's yelling in public, making a scene, and embarrassing everyone who could help him. After the first five people said "Keep your voice down, everyone is listening and watching", you'd thing he would catch on, but he doesn't do any of that. That part was not very believe-able, and quite unlikely. Aside from that, it's pretty good! Danger, suspense. War-time intrigue. Directed by Mervyn LeRoy. He was one of the (many) directors on Wizard of Oz.

In the Ethel Vance novel, the role of the Countess is even smaller than it is in the film. The story has been re-structured to fit MGM's Norma Shearer (still the Queen of the lot at the time) and Robert Taylor. Taylor, always an underrated actor, gives one of his most forceful, sensitive and earnest performances as an American trying to free his mother from a German prison camp and seeking the help of the Countess to achieve his goal. Suspense builds as the Nazi menace (Conrad Veidt) threatens to destroy any hope he has of enabling his mother to escape.

Handsomely produced, although much of the Alpine scenery has a studio-bound stage setting look, it gives us a glimpse of Norma Shearer's aristocratic beauty and Robert Taylor in his prime--which should be enough for some movie fans. Added to that is the suspenseful story and an excellent supporting cast--including Nazimova as the mother, Felix Bressart and Bonita Granville as a pro-Nazi sympathizer. It all moves rather smoothly under Mervyn LeRoy's direction, a glossy melodrama that unfortunately has never made its way to video. Well worth watching, so catch it if you can on one of the cable stations.

This is another underrated film, probably due to the fact that in those days, the studios just churned them out. It's a shame that today, with fewer films being made, more can't be "churned out" like this one.

A top-notch cast, including Robert Taylor, Nazimova, Conrad Veidt and Norma Shearer do justice to a very good script which at times has you on the edge of your seat.

Robert Taylor plays an American who comes to Germany looking for his mother, a well-known German actress, who married an American and returns to Germany to sell her house. One can really feel his frustration as he frantically tries to find information on her whereabouts.

Finally, he learns that she is in a concentration camp awaiting execution. Along the way, he has met Shearer, an American, who continued to live in Germany after she was widowed and is now seeing a German officer.

The film is heavy on propaganda, as Taylor comes up against citizens afraid to talk and nasty, uncaring Nazis. Even Shearer refuses to help him initially, and an old family friend pretends not to know him.

Taylor does an excellent job as both a desperate man and a loving, tender son. Without giving the story away, he has one magnificent nonverbal moment where it literally looks like the blood has drained from his face.

Shearer is lovely, and Veidt is alternately charming and scary. Nazimova plays Taylor's mother in a strong performance. Though she went outside the studio to get Tyrone Power to costar with her in "Marie Antoinette" rather than use Taylor, both Shearer and Taylor were under contract to MGM and would meet again for Shearer's final film, "Her Cardboard Lover."

Some of the final scenes of "Escape" are very intense. Highly recommended.

This relatively unknown star vehicle is unusual for a number of different reasons. Although top billed, MGM Studio Queen, Norma Shearer's role is substantially smaller than co-star Robert Taylor's heroic turn as an American son desperately attempting to save his mother from a German Concentration camp. His mother is wonderfully played (and occasionally overplayed) by Nazimova, one of the great theatrical legends of the early 20th century. It's an interesting footnote, that it was Irving Thalberg who helped cut short the meretricious Nazimova's strange film career while his widow, Shearer, graciously allowed the former star to appear to great advantage in one of Shearer's last screen appearances. Conrad Veidt plays Shearer's Nazi lover and while he appears as icy and unyielding as he would two years later in "Casablanca", his character is softened somewhat by his un-disclosed illness and by Shearer's devotion to him. This film was one of the few made in Hollywood prior to the war which was openly critical of the Nazis (although they do hedge their bets by having a sympathetic German doctor, which gives the impression that more than a few intelligent German's disagreed with the Nazis. Significantly, this character does appear in full Nazi drag towards the end of the picture). Robert Taylor is given a very tricky part to play as a man determined to save his mother against all odds. With his masculine demeanor and his controlled sensitivity he gives a performance of great passion and conviction. Norma Shearer, looking regally beautiful and every bit the Countess, manages to convey the situation of a woman who desperately wants to help Taylor and leave her adopted country, but realizes that she must stay out of duty to Veidt, in spite of her true feelings. Felix Bressart also appears as the Nazimova's frightened but faithful servant, who helps Taylor escape. Bressart, who made a career of playing befuddled foreigners, is best known as one of the three Russian Communists in Ninotchka. Interesting casting was Bonita Granville, best known as the screen's all-American girl detective, Nancy Drew, here playing the role of a pro-Nazi student at Miss Shearer's finishing school (she would play a similar role in 1943's wartime propaganda film, "Hitler's Children"). The film was sumptuously mounted and stylishly directed by Mervyn Leroy the same year as he directed "Waterloo Bridge" also starring Taylor with Vivien Leigh. "Escape" is effective, at times shocking, but always vastly entertaining. Interesting footnote: Norma Shearer would turn down "Pride & Prejudice" and "Mrs. Miniver" both of which would turn Greer Garson into an MGM star much in the the same vein as Miss Shearer. Norma Shearer's last film, "Her Cardboard Lover" would also be opposite Robert Taylor.

As a Norma Shearer fan, I looked for this movie for years and finally found it on TCM (hail the great god, Ted Turner!). First of all, I was surprised to find a movie made so early in the years of WW2 that actually brought up the topic of concentration camps, and the reason why Robert Taylor's mother is to be executed (she helped Jewish refugees leave for America -- "Jew" is never mentioned, but it is obvious). The performances are top-notch, and it was nice to see Nazimova toning down her usual grande dame-isness. I've never been a Robert Taylor fan, but this movie has one of his best performances as he alternately bucks authority in the good old American way and puts up with the Nazi-Gestapo badgering. Norma Shearer is fine, even though her role is small, and her scenes with Conrad Veidt (playing her Nazi suitor) are very effective. You can see her democratic side gradually gaining strength against Veidt's facism as she sees more and more of Taylor and his own dilemma makes her question her present beliefs. It's a must-see.