Confessions of a Nazi Spy (1939)
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- Approved
- 1h 44min
- Drama, War
- 06 May 1939 (USA)
- Movie
FBI agent Ed Renard investigates the pre-war espionage activities of the German-American Bund.
Director:
Writers:
Awards:
- 4 wins.
- See more »
Photos and Videos
Cast verified as complete
| Edward G. Robinson | ... |
Edward Renard
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| Francis Lederer | ... |
Kurt Schneider
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| George Sanders | ... |
Franz Schlager
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| Paul Lukas | ... |
Dr. Karl F. Kassell
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| Henry O'Neill | ... |
Attorney Kellogg
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| Dorothy Tree | ... |
Hilda Kleinhauer
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| Lya Lys | ... |
Erika Wolf
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| Grace Stafford | ... |
Mrs. Schneider
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| James Stephenson | ... |
British Military Intelligence Agent
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| Hedwiga Reicher | ... |
Mrs. Liza Kassell
(as Celia Sibelius)
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| Joe Sawyer | ... |
Werner Renz
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| Sig Ruman | ... |
Dr. Julius Gustav Krogman
(as Sig Rumann)
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Lionel Royce | ... |
Hintze
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| Henry Victor | ... |
Wildebrandt
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| Hans Heinrich von Twardowski | ... |
Max Helldorf
(as Hans von Twardowski)
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| Wolfgang Zilzer | ... |
Johann Westphal
(as John Voigt)
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| Frederik Vogeding | ... |
Captain Richter
(as Frederick Vogeding)
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Willy Kaufman | ... |
Greutzwald
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| Rudolph Anders | ... |
Captain Straubel
(as Robert Davis)
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| Wilhelm von Brincken | ... |
Captain von Eichen
(as William Vaughn)
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| George Rosener | ... |
Klauber
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| Frederick Burton | ... |
U.S. District Court Judge
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| Eily Malyon | ... |
Mrs. Mary McLaughlin
(as Ely Malyon)
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| Bodil Rosing | ... |
Anna Keller - Passenger on Boat
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John Deering | ... |
Narrator (voice)
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| Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
| Louis Adlon | ... |
Nazi American Youth Leader (uncredited)
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| Fred Aldrich | ... |
Nazi at Bund Meeting (uncredited)
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Sherwood Bailey | ... |
Newsboy at End (uncredited)
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| Ward Bond | ... |
American Legionnaire (uncredited)
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Walter Bonn | ... |
Naval Officer Seeing Renard at Seaplane (uncredited)
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Egon Brecher | ... |
Fritz Muller - German Agent (uncredited)
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| Tommy Bupp | ... |
Shoeshine Boy (uncredited)
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| Glen Cavender | ... |
Man in Montage Stuffing Mailboxes (uncredited)
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John Conte | ... |
Radio Announcer (uncredited) (voice)
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| Alec Craig | ... |
McGregor - Scottish Postman (uncredited)
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| Jimmie Dundee | ... |
Nazi Goon at Bund Meeting (uncredited)
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Jack Egger | ... |
Undetermined Secondary Role (uncredited)
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Frederick Giermann | ... |
German-American at Bund Meeting (uncredited)
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| Lisa Golm | ... |
Mrs. Anna Westphal (uncredited)
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| Sol Gorss | ... |
Nazi Goon at Bund Meeting (uncredited)
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| William Gould | ... |
FBI Agent (uncredited)
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| Fred Graham | ... |
American Legionnaire at Bund Meeting (uncredited)
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| Creighton Hale | ... |
Draftsman (uncredited)
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| John Hamilton | ... |
FBI Chief (uncredited)
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| John Harron | ... |
Man in Montage with Propaganda (uncredited)
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| Eddie Hart | ... |
Nazi Agent (uncredited)
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| Adolf Hitler | ... |
Self (uncredited) (archiveFootage)
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Max Hoffman Jr. | ... |
Soldier at Renz's Arrest (uncredited)
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| Stuart Holmes | ... |
Draftsman (uncredited)
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| Arthur Stuart Hull | ... |
U.S. Government Agent (uncredited)
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| Selmer Jackson | ... |
Customs Official (uncredited)
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Edward Keane | ... |
FBI Agent (uncredited)
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| Robert Emmett Keane | ... |
Harrison - Passport Official (uncredited)
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| Milton Kibbee | ... |
Man Greeting Waiter Bill (uncredited) (archiveFootage)
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| Martin Kosleck | ... |
Joseph Goebbels (uncredited)
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Jack Low | ... |
Nazi at Meeting (uncredited)
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| Frank Mayo | ... |
FBI Agent Phillips (uncredited)
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| Lon McCallister | ... |
Undetermined Secondary Role (uncredited)
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Ray Miller | ... |
Bill - Coffee Shop Proprietor (uncredited)
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| Walter Miller | ... |
Bill - Waiter with Coffee (uncredited)
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| Jack Mower | ... |
FBI Agent 'Mac' MacDonald (uncredited)
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| George Offerman Jr. | ... |
Western Union Messenger (uncredited)
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| Lotte Palfi Andor | ... |
Kassel's Nurse (uncredited)
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| Steve Pendleton | ... |
Naval Courier (uncredited)
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| Gil Perkins | ... |
Goebbels' Aide (uncredited)
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Norman Phillips Jr. | ... |
Gottfried Simmons - Nazi Youth (uncredited)
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| Tempe Pigott | ... |
Undetermined Secondary Role (uncredited)
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| Lucien Prival | ... |
Kranz (uncredited)
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| Otto Reichow | ... |
Driver of Nazi Car That Crashed (uncredited)
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| John Ridgely | ... |
Army Hospital Clerk (uncredited)
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Ferdinand Schumann-Heink | ... |
Undetermined Secondary Role (uncredited)
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| Hans Schumm | ... |
Bismarck Officer with Crew List (uncredited)
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| Lester Sharpe | ... |
Undetermined Secondary Role (uncredited)
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| Charles Sherlock | ... |
FBI Agent Fred Young (uncredited)
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| Edwin Stanley | ... |
U.S. Official (uncredited)
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Rudolf Steinboeck | ... |
Undetermined Secondary Role (uncredited)
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| Robert R. Stephenson | ... |
Fritz - von Eichen's Aide (uncredited)
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| Regis Toomey | ... |
Tom - in Coffee Shop (uncredited)
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Frederic Tozere | ... |
FBI Agent Staunton (uncredited)
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| Charles Trowbridge | ... |
Maj. Williams (uncredited)
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| Emmett Vogan | ... |
Hotel Desk Clerk (uncredited)
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Dave Wengren | ... |
Undetermined Secondary Role (uncredited)
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Directed by
| Anatole Litvak | ||
Written by
| Milton Krims | ... | (screen play) and |
| John Wexley | ... | (screen play) |
| Leon G. Turrou | ... | (based on the articles of) |
Produced by
| Robert Lord | ... | associate producer (uncredited) |
| Hal B. Wallis | ... | executive producer (uncredited) |
| Jack L. Warner | ... | executive producer (uncredited) |
Music by
| Max Steiner | ... | (uncredited) |
Cinematography by
| Sol Polito | ... | (photography by) |
| Ernest Haller | ... | (uncredited) |
Editing by
| Owen Marks | ... | film editor |
Editorial Department
| Don Siegel | ... | montage (uncredited) |
Art Direction by
| Carl Jules Weyl | ||
Costume Design by
| Milo Anderson | ... | (gowns) |
Makeup Department
| Robert Cowan | ... | makeup artist (uncredited) |
| Ruby Felker | ... | hair stylist (uncredited) |
| Joe Stinton | ... | makeup artist (uncredited) |
Production Management
| Louis Baum | ... | unit manager (uncredited) |
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
| Claude Archer | ... | second unit director (uncredited) |
| Chuck Hansen | ... | assistant director (uncredited) |
Art Department
| Morris Goldman | ... | props |
| Harry Goldman | ... | assistant props (uncredited) |
| M. Goldman | ... | props (uncredited) |
Sound Department
| Robert B. Lee | ... | sound |
Stunts
| Jimmie Dundee | ... | stunts (uncredited) |
| Sol Gorss | ... | stunts (uncredited) |
| Fred Graham | ... | stunts (uncredited) |
| Gil Perkins | ... | stunts (uncredited) |
Camera and Electrical Department
| William Conger | ... | best boy (uncredited) |
| Archie R. Dalzell | ... | montage cameraman (uncredited) |
| Mack Elliott | ... | still photographer (uncredited) |
| Frank Evans | ... | assistant camera (uncredited) |
| Frank Flanagan | ... | gaffer (uncredited) |
| Harold Noyes | ... | grip (uncredited) |
| John Polito | ... | second camera operator (uncredited) |
Costume and Wardrobe Department
| Cora Lobb | ... | wardrobe (uncredited) |
| Dick Moder | ... | wardrobe (uncredited) |
Music Department
| Leo F. Forbstein | ... | musical director |
| Hugo Friedhofer | ... | orchestrator (uncredited) |
Script and Continuity Department
| Jean McNaughton | ... | script clerk (uncredited) |
Additional Crew
| Ted Thomas | ... | dialogue director |
| Leon G. Turrou | ... | technical advisor |
| Frank Heacock | ... | publicist (uncredited) |
Production Companies
Distributors
- Warner Bros. (1939) (United States) (theatrical)
- Vitagraph Limited (1939) (Canada) (theatrical)
- Warner Brothers Pictures (1939) (United Kingdom) (theatrical)
- Warner Bros First National (1939) (France) (theatrical)
- Warner Brothers First National Films (1946) (Norway) (theatrical)
- Associated Artists Productions (AAP) (1956) (United States) (tv)
- Warner Home Video (2009) (United States) (DVD) (dvdr)
- Warner Archive Collection (2023) (United States) (Blu-ray)
Special Effects
Other Companies
Storyline
| Plot Summary |
Prior to the United States entry into World War II, Nazi spies try to steal American military secrets. Among those whose passions are roused is Kurt Schneider who was court-martialed and dishonorably discharged from the US Army. Schneider is not very bright and is easily swayed by the oratory of Dr. Karl Kassel, a prominent physician who is eventually made the head of the Nazi spy ring. When Schneider's contact is arrested in Scotland, the US military asks the FBI to root out the spies. Agent Edward Renard is put in charge of the case and they methodically arrest all who have been spying. Written by garykmcd |
| Plot Keywords | |
| Taglines | THEY don't want you to see this picture! See more » |
| Genres | |
| Parents Guide | View content advisory » |
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Box Office
| Budget | $1,500,000 (estimated) |
Did You Know?
| Trivia | According to the article "Hollywood Goes to War" by Colin Shindler in the film history tome "The Movie": "Warner Brothers, who had made the one explicitly anti-Nazi film of the [US] pre-war period (i.e., this film) were unofficially told by the [US] government not to make any more such pictures. In April 1940, the news filtered back to Hollywood that several Polish exhibitors who had shown the film had been hanged in the foyers of their own cinemas." See more » |
| Goofs | There is a large sign on a fence reading, "Fort Wentworth Base Hospital". The Army does not refer to its installations as "bases". A correct sign would have read "Post Hospital". See more » |
| Movie Connections | Featured in War Comes to America (1945). See more » |
| Soundtracks | Annie Laurie See more » |
| Quotes |
Dr. Paul Joseph Goebbels:
There will be slight change in our methods. From now on, National Socialism in the United States must wrap itself in the American flag. It must appear to be a defense of Americanism. But at the same time, our aim must always be to discredit conditions there in the United Sates. And in this way make life in Germany admired and wished for. Racial and religious hatred must be fostered on the basis of American-Aryanism. Classism must be encouraged in a way that the labor and the middle classes will become confused and antagonistic. In the ensuing chaos, we will be able to take control. See more » |