Movies made in Britain during world war two fascinate me. Through all the struggles of the people, they still managed to pump out some great propaganda films about the war. The 49th Parallel deals with a group of german sailors that get shipped wrecked on the Canadian cost when their U-Boat is put out of commision. At first the german crew tries to pass themselves off as Canadians, but when word gets out about the Uboat and its missing crew, a chase ensues across Canada. Trying to reach America, which is presently not at war with Germany, the U Boat Crew comes across an assortment of characters ending with a writer played by Leslie Howard. The 49th Parallel is a great thriller that is exciting right up untill the end. It is an important classic war picture and is getting released by Criteron DVD. Although it may be pricy at 30 dollars, if you collect war films this is one picture that is an absolute essential. Star Eric Portman can be seen in many war time English films including We Dive at Dawn and One of Our Aircraft is Missing, the later being based on a true story. Both of those films can be found on bargain DVD releases. You can also see The 49th Parallel on Turner Classic Movies as part of their 31 days of Oscar programming.
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