Margin for Error

"Margin for Error" is a propaganda film starring, of all people, Milton Berle! It's an odd but entertaining picture and is still watchable today.

The story begins on a transport taking soldiers to fight in Europe. One of the soldiers, Moe Finklestein (Milton Berle), tells the men a story to buck up their morale and get them to fight as a team.

It seems that before the war, Finkelstein was a New York City cop and he was given the dubious duty of being stationed at the German consulate in order to protect them. Being Jewish (heck, EVERY officer in the place was Jewish), he was loathe to accept the assignment. Once there, he comes to see that the head of the consultate, Herr Baumer (Otto Preminger) is a nasty piece of work. Baumer gives ample reason for everyone there to kill him and ultimately when he dies, it's "Murder on the Orient Express"! Who did it and why? See the film.

This film is unique because most WWII propaganda films are incredibly serious. But this one has a lot of comedic elements which make it a welcome break. Well worth your time...and...oddly...fun.

Preminger also starred and directed the stage play which ran highly successful seasons both on Broadway (264 performances) and the West Coast, so he was a natural for the movie version. Unfortunately, the play is more than a trifle dated, unlike Mrs Luce's other huge stage success, The Women, which is still pointed and amusing even today. By contrast, the women in Margin for Error are not the least bitchy, feline or self-indulgent. Instead, the comedy (such as it is) centers on the efforts of a Jewish cop to come to terms with his duties at the German consulate. He smiles a lot, wins the heart of a serving girl (the lovely Leisl Handl) and has plenty to say and do, but Milton Berle's interpretation never strikes me as either the slightest bit policeman-like or true-to-life. Otto Preminger's portrait of the evil consul is equally one-dimensional, but at least he gives the role presence and charisma. While Preminger rivets attention, Berle is just plain dish-washy. Admittedly, the plot is full of holes, and the other police officers are likewise ridiculously simple-minded. Thank goodness the rest of the cast are better served by the script, particularly Howard Freeman in his best role ever as the strutting, cowardly Mussolini-like bund leader; dashing Carl Esmond as the secretary; and beautiful Joan Bennett as the wife. Production values, led by Cronjager's velvety photography and Day's appealing sets, impress

It's just a joy to see Moe Finkelstein,a modest cop ,give lessons in democracy to a consul (the director/actor) and to a German of high birth,a baron !It was a propaganda movie ,but it did not repeat parrot(!) fashion Preminger's peers ' errors (!).Actually the purpose of the movie was to denounce Nazis and it pulls it off with gusto ,thanks to Milton Berle's naive but effective common sense .He probably never read "Tristan Und Isolde" but he knows that his country is the country where you enjoy freedom of expression.The movie cannot be ranked among Preminger's finest works,by a long shot ,but its construction (a long flashback) is a good way to show that all the Germans are not evil when the cop (now a soldier)stands up for his noble friend .There's also a murder mystery a la Agatha Christie a bit far fetched but rather smart. Fine acting,particularly by Joan Benett and Milton Berle.Preminger's character is a bit caricatured.

Policeman Milton Berle is assigned to guarding the German consulate in New York, despite his protests. He woos the German maid, Liesl Handl, gets along well with aristocratic consulate secretary Carl Esmond, thinks the consulate's wife, Joan Bennett, is quite a looker (so do I). That leaves the consul, played by director Otto Preminger as if he is Eric von Stroheim, He is a stinker. Meanwhile, various plots are playing out within the walls.

On paper, this looks like it should have been a pretty good movie. It's based on a Claire Booth Luce play, and the screenplay is by Lillie Hayward and Samuel Fuller. Yet the propaganda content overwhelms everything so much that the jokes have aged very poorly. The result is a desultory effort.

I venture to suggest that Preminger had no talent for directing comedy. He finished up a couple of films for Lubitsch in a manner tha lacked sparkle, and spent the rest of his career doing important and often fascinating dramas, I venture to say that it's just as well.

"Margin for Error," a wartime film released in 1943, navigates the delicate balance of injecting humor into a narrative dominated by the shadow of World War II. Despite its promising origins as a stage play by Claire Booth Luce and a screenplay by Lillie Hayward and Samuel Fuller, the film struggles to rise above the weight of its propaganda content.

Directed by Otto Preminger, who also takes on the role of the sadistic Nazi consul, the film showcases a mismatched mix of genres. While the comedic elements feel desultory and often fall flat, Preminger's portrayal of the villainous consul adds a compelling layer to the story. His character lacks any redeeming features, and Preminger revels in playing the antagonist with evident gusto.

Milton Berle, playing the lead character Moe Finkelstein, a New York City cop tasked with guarding the German consulate, displays a restrained performance. However, the film's attempt to infuse humor into the serious wartime setting seems to stretch Berle's comedic talents thin. The supporting cast, including Joan Bennett and Carl Esmond, contributes solid performances, with Bennett bringing a noteworthy presence to her role.

The narrative unfolds through a clever use of flashback, allowing Berle's character to recount the events within the German consulate. The film cleverly weaves a murder mystery, reminiscent of Agatha Christie, into its plot, adding an intriguing layer to the otherwise uneven storyline.

Cinematographically, the film boasts impressive production values, with velvety photography by Cronjager and appealing set designs by Day. However, the comedic elements, intended to provide relief from the wartime tension, have not aged well, resulting in a film that falls short of its potential.

In retrospect, "Margin for Error" remains a peculiar blend of genres, with Preminger's strong performance standing out against a backdrop of mixed comedic and dramatic attempts. The film's historical context, as a wartime propaganda piece, adds an extra layer of interest, but it ultimately fails to join the ranks of Preminger's more accomplished works.

Additionally, it presents an idealized vision of a democratic America where seemingly people of all nationalities are well accepted and integrated. However, notably absent is any acknowledgment of the serious issue of segregationist racism that prevailed in the country at that time. The film appears to offer a simplified and optimistic portrayal of American society in the 1940s, overlooking the tensions and challenges related to racism that were, in reality, a significant part of the era. This lack of a deeper exploration may limit the authentic representation of the social and cultural complexity of that period.