The Mortal Storm (1940)
- Starring:
- Margaret Sullavan, James Stewart, (more)
- Director(s):
- Frank Borzage
- Theatrical MPAA Rating:
- NR
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The Nazi Party's rise to power has disastrous consequences for a German family in this drama. Victor Roth (Frank Morgan) is a college professor teaching in Germany in 1933 who leads a peaceful and contented life with his wife Emelie (Irene Rich), son Rudi (Gene Reynolds), daughter Freya (Margaret Sullavan), and stepsons Otto (Robert Stack) and Erich (William T. Orr). However, Adolph Hitler's emergence as Germany's ruler has an unexpected impact on their lives. Fritz (Robert Young) and Martin (James Stewart) both vie for Freya's hand in marriage, but anti-Nazi activist Martin is forced to flee to Austria, while Freya is disturbed by Fritz's membership in a pro-fascist group. Victor repudiates Hitler's theories about Aryan superiority in class, and he not only loses his teaching position, but he is sentenced to a concentration camp. And while Emelie and Rudi join Freya as she tries to escape to Martin's new home in Austria, they find themselves hunted by Otto and Erich, now members of the Hitler Youth. The Mortal Storm was perhaps the most explicitly anti-Nazi film made in Hollywood prior to America's entry into WWII, and it resulted in all of MGM's product being banned in Germany. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Complete Cast:
- Margaret Sullavan - Freya Roth
- Robert Young - Fritz Marberg
- Robert Stack - Otto von Rohn
- Irene Rich - Mrs. Victor Roth
- William Orr - Erich von Rohn
- Russell Hicks - Rector
- Esther Dale - Marta
- Granville Bates - Prof. Berg
- Ward Bond - Franz
- Harry Depp - 2nd Colleague
- Max Davidson - Old Man
- Howard Lang - Man
- Dick Rich - Guard
- Henry Victor - Gestapo Official
- John Stark - Gestapo Official
- Bert Roach - Fat Man in Cafe
- Fritz Leiber - Oppenheim
- Robert O. Davis - Hartman
- James Stewart - Martin Breitner
- Frank Morgan - Professor Victor Roth
- Bonita Granville - Elsa
- Maria Ouspenskaya - Mrs. Breitner
- Gene Reynolds - Rudi
- William Edmunds - Lehman
- Dan Dailey - Holl
- Thomas W. Ross - Professor Werner
- Sue Moore - Theresa
- Gus Glassmire - Colleague
- William Irving - Waiter
- Ted Oliver - Guard
- Bob Stevenson - Gestapo Guard
- Tom Drake
- Julius Tannen - 3rd Colleague
- Lucien Prival - Passport Official
- Dick Elliott - Passport Official
- Director(s):
- Frank Borzage
- Writer(s):
- George Froeschel, Claudine West
- Producer(s):
- Sidney Franklin, Sidney Franklin, Victor Saville
- Theatrical MPAA Rating:
- NR(Suitable for Children)
- Closed Captioning:
- Check All Versions
- Subtitles:
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- 1940 - The Mortal Storm - Film Daily - 10 Best Films
- 1940 - The Mortal Storm - New York Times - 10 Best Films
