49th Parallel

"THE MIGHTEST MANHUNT THAT EVER SWEPT THE SCREEN!"

Apr 9 1942 Not Rated 2h 3m
Drama, Thriller, War

In the early days of World War II, a German U-boat is sunk in Canada's Hudson Bay. Hoping to evade capture, a small band of German soldiers led by commanding officer Lieutenant Hirth attempts to cross the border into the United States, which has not yet entered the war and is officially neutral. Along the way, the German soldiers encounter brave men such as a French-Canadian fur trapper, Johnnie, a leader of a Hutterite farming community, Peter, an author, Philip and a soldier, Andy Brock.

Plot

In the early years of World War II, a German U-boat (U-37) sinks Allied shipping in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and then tries to evade Canadian Military Forces seeking to destroy it by sailing up to Hudson Bay. The U-boat's fanatical Nazi Captain sends some members of his crew to look for food and other supplies at a Hudson Bay Company outpost. No sooner than the shore party (lead by Lieutenant Hirth) reaches the shore, the U-boat is spotted and sunk by the Canadian Armed Forces, leaving the six members of the shore party stranded in Canada. The Nazi Lieutenant then starts to plan his crew's return to the Fatherland. He needs to reach the neutral U.S., or be captured. Along the way, they meet a variety of characters, each with their own views on the war and nationalism. In this movie, Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger show their ideas of why the U.S. should join the Allied fight against the Nazis.

Written by

Emeric Pressburger, Rodney Ackland

Directed by

Michael Powell

Cast

Leslie Howard, Laurence Olivier, Richard George

Crew

View crew

Production Countries

United Kingdom, Canada

Production Companies

Ortus Films

Languages

English, Deutsch, Français

Awards

Won 1 Oscar. 3 wins & 2 nominations total

Trailers
49th Parallel (1941) Trailer
Scores
# of Votes
8,078
Average Rating
7.3 out of 10
Metascore
NA
Popularity
NA