If you had taken tenth grade world history in the early 60s and your teacher liked to show movies in class and was semi cool, as mine was, this is the anti Nazi film he or she would have shown. In other words, this is a thoughtful, admirable, well intentioned and ever so faintly dull work that I would gladly have traded for fifteen minutes of "Notorious" or ten of "Inglorious Bastards".
Best thing about it is William Daniels' cinematography and William C Menzies' production design which together create a dark, menacing Central Europe of the mind as the lights are starting to go out, literally and figuratively. Also, John Cromwell's direction, although sluggish at times, does manage to capture the sense of rootless, suspended animation in which many refugees find themselves. And Frederick March, as always, gives a most compelling performance.
Worst things about it are. Screenwriter Talbot Jennings' too florid, too philosophical, too Nobility Of Man dialogue and the incredibly dull pairing of Glenn Ford and Margaret Sullivan as Jews on the run. (These two are about as Hebraic as Carolina pork bbq).
Give it a generous B minus 'cause it had the courage to be not only anti Nazi during the height of isolationism but anti chief Hollywood anti semite and censor, Joe Breen, as well.
PS...A personal note. This is my 1000th review on IMDB and it's been a total blast. Love the edit feature (most of my thoughts are second and third ones) and the overall intelligence of my colleagues (with a couple exceptions, of course). Very few rabid right or left wingers or Kay Francis/Mickey Rooney nostalgists in evidence. Looking forward to the next couple thou.
