03 Feb Address Unknown
Address Unknown, WWII Movie starring Paul Lukas.
(1944) During the 1930’s two close friends, both German immigrants, own an art gallery in San Francisco. One of them moves back to Germany with his wife and family. The other is Jewish and stays behind to run the business. Both their families are directly impacted by the changing politics of their native country.
The movie Address Unknown is based on a 1938 short novel by American author Kathrine Kressman Taylor. When she wrote it the horrors of Nazism were not yet known to everyday Americans. It was first published in magazines, then in 1939 became a best-selling book. Everywhere except in Germany where it was banned.
The New York times review of the ensuing movie read, “It has taken ‘Address Unknown’ a long, long time to reach the screen.”
It was nominated for Academy Awards for Art Direction and Best Music. The photography was good enough that I wouldn’t mind watching it again just for that.
Most impactful for me was watching the main character (played by Paul Lukas) as he was coerced, threatened, and terrified into cooperating with Germany’s new regime.
You can’t sit on two stools at once, at least not here in Germany ~ Baron von Friesche, devout Nazi
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