The Last Blitzkrieg

The 23rd Infantry, U.S. Army, 1944 - Ardennes, Holland. Something is not quite right with this band of soldiers...

Directed by Arthur Dreifuss, written by Lou Morheim, The Last Blitzkrieg stars Van Johnson, Dick York and Kerwin Matthews. Filmed on location in Holland, music is by Hugo de Groot and cinematography by Ted Scaife.

Poor. The story is actually a good one, coming at things from a German undercover perspective, it's nice to see the other side of the coin. Unfortunately, with the exception of York, the acting is borderline farcical. The makers pad out the picture with newsreel footage, while asking us to wait till the last quarter of film before we get some acting action worthy of the title (competently staged). But just when you think you could possible forgive it its sins, it pulls a dead rabbit out of the hat and delivers a turn of events that quite frankly stinks. Nice to see proper use of radio protocol for a change though! 4/10

I just saw this picture screened in an old 35mm release print. I thought this would be a companion piece to that other WWII Van Johnson bore-fest, THE ENEMY GENERAL. However, this one was hysterical! Right from the get-go the acting, as well as the tone of the production was broad and inept (verging on HOGAN'S HEROES territory) all the while parading as a serious WWII yarn. Watch for Dick York and a scenery chewing Larry Storch (pre-"Bewitched" and "F-Troop" respectively.) And BTW, the stark black and white photography was excellent (when not resorting to stock footage of the actual war.) Definitely a "so bad it's good

THE LAST BLITZKRIEG works as it offers something a little different from the usual American WW2 film in terms of plot. The main characters in the movie are actually Nazi soldiers who are disguised as American troops and sent on an intelligence-gathering mission during the Battle of the Bulge. Therefore the characters we have to identify with are actually antiheroes and even the bad guys while the heroes are the enemy.

The film was shot on a low budget in the Netherlands by producer Sam Katzman so it has more authenticity to it than most. Van Johnson is the lead actor and does well with a complex role; that he comes off kindly and likable despite everything is a testament to his acting prowess. Kerwin Mathews is also here too and playing a slimy villain; in every other film I've seen him playing heroic characters so it made a nice change of pace for the actor.

This film has a short running time which flies past without ever flagging and there's plenty of suspense inherent in the set-up. Some have criticised the climax as being unrealistic but I found it quite fitting even if it is morally heavy-handed. War fans looking for something a little out of the ordinary are sure to enjoy the plot twists and turns of THE LAST BLITZKRIEG.

Those with a keen interest in WWII and overall movie history can appreciate this effort. Although there are the "never would happen" situations, such as the officer's rank insignia's on their battlefield helmets being displayed in a nice bright white, the main storyline of German infiltrators into American lines is based in historical fact.

Something that the movie touches on is the fact that many Americans who fought in the war were of German decent and did so while having many relatives who still lived in Germany. It is my guess that this was mentioned in the film due to the fact that the director, Arthur Dreifuss, was born in Germany and moved to the U.S. before the war in 1928. First he worked in the entertainment industry as a dance instructor and then, beginning in 1939, in Hollywood where he made numerous B-level films including the "Boston Blackie" series.

Entertainment historians will appreciate seeing Dick York, who played the original Darren Stevens in the "Bewitched" television series, and Larry Storch, who played Corporal Agarne in the T.V. series "F Troop", in fairly prominent roles playing foot soldiers. Storch's southern accent is especially amusing and those familiar with Storch's Agarne character in F-Troop will see a tinge of it when, upon learning of the prospect of German infiltrators, he exclaims "Don't talk that way - it's disheartening!".

Perfect for a rainy weekend afternoon.

This story of a German commando team operating behind American lines during the Battle of the Bulge has a fair amount of potential, but it never quite comes together, partially due to some less-than-stellar performances (Larry Storch, I'm looking in your direction) and a silly Hollywood ending.