The Last Blitzkrieg (1959)

“Are you treating me this way because you’re a German?” – Hans Von Kroner

“No, because I’m a human being. I’m gonna tell you something you may not understand. I’ve got friends and relatives inside Germany. They’re good and decent people. They didn’t want this war. They didn’t want to conquer the rest of the world. I got a feeling that there must be millions just like ’em.” – Ludwig

Number of Times Seen – 1 (27 Nov 2018)

Brief Synopsis – A German officer who grew up in America is chosen to lead a group of fellow Nazi’s on a mission where they need to pose as Americans in order to sabotage the advance of the Allied troops.

My Take on it – This is a film that I had never heard of beforehand and somehow came across it.

I didn’t know much about the premise and was pleasantly surprised as to how enjoyable this story was.

They do a great job giving the German viewpoint of the aspects of the Battle of the Bulge especially how the Germans used English speaking decoys to try and sabotage everything the Allies were trying to do.

Van Johnson is great in the lead and is quite realistic as a German officer with perfect English.

We are able to get a clear idea of who he is and why he is willing to do what he does throughout.

Dick York is superb in a supporting role as an American sergeant with ancestry from Germany.

This story might be a fabrication and elaboration of what happened during teh Battle of the Bulge but it still gives us a great idea of what both sides were trying to do.

I really liked the way that they portray the German perspective on things yet don’t reach a point where we can sympathize with them and still find the way to keep the story thrilling and enjoyable throughout.

Bottom Line – Great portrayal of the German viewpoint of the Battle of the Bulge. Johnson is great in the lead and we get a clear idea of who he is and why he is doing what he is doing.  York is great in a supporting role.  The story might be a fabrication of what happened but it gives us a great idea of how things worked.  Liked how they show things from the German perspective yet never do they make us sympathize with these soldiers while still keeping it interesting watching what they are attempting to do. Recommended!

MovieRob’s Favorite Trivia – Leon Askin plays German Sergeant Steiner, a guard at the POW camp. He would go on to play German General Alfred Burkhalter 6 years later on Hogan’s Heroes (1965) for 6 years. In that role he regularly visited the POW camp where the show was set. (From IMDB)

Rating – Globe Worthy (8/10)

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