TOMORROW THE WORLD (1944)

 

STARDUST AND SHADOWS suggests  another off  the  path story in TOMORROW THE WORLD (1944) . The picture was Directed by Leslie Fenton who was married  to Anne Dvorak.   Its a story of a  German Boy Emil (Skip Homeier)who is  sent to America to live to live with  his Uncle  Mike Frame (Fredric March).  Emil has been exposed to the Hitler Youth training even struts around: spouting Nazi idealogy in a uniform complete with dagger.  Fredric March is wonderful as the  upright Mike Frame who is  going to marry Leona Richards (Betty Field) who is Jewish.   Agnes Moorhead has a  good  turn as  Frame’s sister Jessie.  The picture features some not  so typical strong roles  for children particularly Joan Carol in the role of Pat Frame.   The children have the distinction of solving Emils intigration into American society by doing many of the  actions adults had  done in  picture of the  time.  They hunt down Emil at the conclusion and show  him the  error of his ways.

TOMORROW THE WORLD (1944)  is one of  handful of  wartime films that tried to show the plight of the everyday German during, that time.  It was  was also a  successful play under the same title with Homeier in the role of Emil on Broadway.