Discover
In the wake of a trial that convicted four Nazi agents of spying against the U.S., Warner Bros. became the first Hollywood studio to fire a salvo at Hitler’s Germany. Months before World War II erupted it released this thriller based on revelations that emerged from the trial and other real-life sources.
The story is a brisk connect-the-dots tale that ties German-American Bund operatives (Francis Lederer, George Sanders and Paul Lukas among others) to Berlin. Chief among those connecting the dots: FBI Agent Edward Renard (Edward G. Robinson).
The drama wasn’t limited to the screen. Production personnel received threats and violence erupted at some screenings. Directed with hard-hitting verve by Anatole Litvak, Confessions of a Nazi Spy struck a nerve in its era. It remains a milestone of filmmaking commitment today.
Original Release
05/06/1939
US Release
05/06/1939
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Cast
Name | Character |
---|
Edward G. Robinson | Edward Renard / Edward 'Ed' Renard |
Francis Lederer | Kurt Schneider |
George Sanders | Franz Schlager |
Paul Lukas | Dr. Kassell / Dr. Karl F. Kassell |
Henry O'Neill | Attorney Kellogg |
Dorothy Tree | Hilda Kleinhauer |
Lya Lys | Erika Wolf |
Grace Stafford | Mrs. Schneider |
James Stephenson | British Military Intelligence Agent |
Hedwiga Reicher | Mrs.Liza Kassell / Mrs. Kassell |
Directors
Writers
Milton Krims, John Wexley, Leon G. Turrou
Cast
Name | Character |
---|
Edward G. Robinson | Edward Renard / Edward 'Ed' Renard |
Francis Lederer | Kurt Schneider |
George Sanders | Franz Schlager |
Paul Lukas | Dr. Kassell / Dr. Karl F. Kassell |
Henry O'Neill | Attorney Kellogg |
Dorothy Tree | Hilda Kleinhauer |
Lya Lys | Erika Wolf |
Grace Stafford | Mrs. Schneider |
James Stephenson | British Military Intelligence Agent |
Hedwiga Reicher | Mrs.Liza Kassell / Mrs. Kassell |
Joe Sawyer | Werner Renz |
Sig Ruman | Dr. Julius Gustav Krogman / Krogman |
Lionel Royce | Hintze |
Henry Victor | Wildebrandt |
Hans Heinrich von Twardowski | Max Helldorf / Helldorf |
Wolfgang Zilzer | Johann Westphal / Westphal |
Frederik Vogeding | Captain Richter |
Willy Kaufman | Greutzwald |
Rudolph Anders | Captain Straubel |
Wilhelm von Brincken | Captain von Eichen |
Producers
Name | Role |
---|
Hal B. Wallis | Executive Producer |
Jack L. Warner | Executive Producer |
Robert Lord | Producer |