Les enfants d'Hitler

Original title: Hitler's Children

1943
Approved
1h 22m

IMDb RATING

YOUR RATING

Bonita Granville in Les enfants d'Hitler (1943)

This lurid exposé of the Hitler Youth follows the woes of an American girl declared legally German by the Nazi government.This lurid exposé of the Hitler Youth follows the woes of an American girl declared legally German by the Nazi government.This lurid exposé of the Hitler Youth follows the woes of an American girl declared legally German by the Nazi government.

Directors
- Edward Dmytryk
- Irving Reis
Writers
- Emmet Lavery
- Gregor Ziemer
Stars

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.4/10

YOUR RATING

Directors
- Edward Dmytryk
- Irving Reis
Writers
- Emmet Lavery
- Gregor Ziemer
Stars

See production info at IMDbPro

Top cast54

Edit

Tim Holt

Karl Bruner

Bonita Granville

Anna Müller

Kent Smith

Professor Nichols

Otto Kruger

Colonel Henkel

H.B. Warner

The Bishop

Lloyd Corrigan

Franz Erhart

Erford Gage

Dr. Schmidt

Hans Conried

Dr. Graf

Gavin Muir

Nazi Major

Nancy Gates

Brenda

Carla Boehm

Magda
(uncredited)

Egon Brecher

Mr. Müller
(uncredited)

Billy Brow

Boy
(uncredited)

Frances Brown

Bill Burrud

Prof. Nichols' Student
(uncredited)

Bruce Cameron

Storm Trooper
(uncredited)

Paula Corday

Young Matron
(uncredited)

Yvonne Cross

Bit
(uncredited)

Directors
- Edward Dmytryk
- Irving Reis
Writers
- Emmet Lavery
- Gregor Ziemer
All cast & crew
Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

User reviews33

Featured review

6/10

Try and find a film made in 1943 that isn't about WWII!

I have always wanted to watch this movie if only for the title alone. Bonita Granville plays Anna, a young lass at the American school in Berlin. It is 1933, not a good year to be a German born Yank residing in the Deutschland (not a good year for anyone to be there). The film opens with our freedom loving friends fighting a bunch of Nazi Youth. During the fracas Tim Holt, a strapping example of Germany's future meets the spunky Bonita. He quickly succumbs to her cheeky charms and after a bit of resistance Bonita returns his affection.

Time passes and Holt rises in the Nazi machine while Bonita remains in Germany (why didn't she leave? Because then we would have no movie) Eventually Bonita ends up in a labor camp unwilling to renounce her loyalty to the USA and suffers fierce reprisals for her stubbornness. Holt ultimately allows his love for her to overcome his Nazi leanings. How does this turn out? Watch and find out.

This film made a lot of money for RKO in 1943 but today it seems like an obvious piece of wartime propaganda, melodramatic and shrill but for a few interesting moments. A close-up of Holt and Granville embracing in shadow was beautiful and a fine example of German Expressionism. There were scenes of Anna fleeing her enemies in the woods. These were lovely and evoked again those fabulous Universal horror films of the thirties. Nice film noir touches. Granville's flogging by the Nazi's was appropriately brutal. Otto Kruger and Hans Conried are always a welcome addition to any movie. H.B. Warner plays a very talkative Catholic priest.

Directed by Jules Dassin, it is interesting to see for that reason alone.

AlsExGal
Jun 27, 2020
Permalink

Photos23

+ 17

More like this

6.2

Tender Comrade

6.6

Cinq millions dans une poubelle

6.8

Berlin Express

6.7

Investigation criminelle

6.5

La robe déchirée

6.8

Même les assassins tremblent

7.1

6.4

6.3

7.5

7.1

6.6

Storyline

Edit

Did you know

Edit

Trivia
Edward Dmytryk in his autobiography 'It's a Hell of a Life But Not a Bad Living', states: "A friend of mine, Irving Reis, had prepared and actually started shooting a film called 'Hitler's Children', an exploitation B. Irving was rather headstrong and somewhat touchy - a bad combination in Hollywood. After a few days, he got into a fight with producer Doc Golden [Robert Golden]. Getting his back up, he quit the film, expecting, so he told me later, to win a quick apology and a free hand. Instead, the studio said, 'As you wish,' and asked me to take over the direction. He gave me his blessing, asking only that his name be completely removed from the film's credits. The studio was willing and I went to work. I finished on schedule, cut and dubbed it, and turned it over to the distribution department. None of us at the studio was sure of what we had."

Goofs
Karl Bruner is wearing the four pips and strip on his uniform collar of an SS Obersturmbanfuhrer, or Lieutenant Colonel, when Colonel Henkel said he would be promoted to Captain (or Hauptsturmfuhrer) and should be wearing a collar tab with three pips (diagonally) and two stripes. Colonel Henkel's insignia is also incorrect. He is wearing the three oak leaves of a Brigadefuhrer (Brigadier General) when he should have only one leaf of a Standartanfuhrer (Colonel).

Quotes
The Bishop: [to the Nazi Major] No wonder you take away the breath of life so readily. The breath of death is already upon you.

Crazy credits
During opening credits, the camera zooms in on a German book burning, and the book on top of the pile is "Education for Death" by Gregor Ziemer. That was another book by the same author of the novel on which this film is based.

Alternate versions
There is an Italian DVD edition of this movie, distributed by DNA Srl. The movie was re-edited with the contribution of the film history scholar Riccardo Cusin. This version is also available in streaming on some platforms.