/1vSaNw265Kvw44cudV9qf59KgWj.jpg
DramaWar

The Pied Piper

- It's all heart and thrills!

Englishman Mr. Howard is on a fishing holiday in eastern France when the Germans invade in 1940. Setting off to try and get back home he is persuaded to take along the two Cavanaugh children, and as his journey progresses his family keeps growing in size. Once in German-occupied northern France a new problem arises — the risk of being heard speaking English.

Release Date : 1942-08-21

Language :EnglishFrench

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : 20th Century FoxFranco London Films

Production Country : United States of America

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Monty Woolley

Character Name : John Sidney Howard

Original Name : Monty Woolley

Gender : Male

Roddy McDowall

Character Name : Ronnie Cavanaugh

Original Name : Roddy McDowall

Gender : Male

Anne Baxter

Character Name : Nicole Rougeron

Original Name : Anne Baxter

Gender : Female

Otto Preminger

Character Name : Major Diessen

Original Name : Otto Preminger

Gender : Male

J. Carrol Naish

Character Name : Aristide Rougeron

Original Name : J. Carrol Naish

Gender : Male

Lester Matthews

Character Name : Mr. Cavanaugh

Original Name : Lester Matthews

Gender : Male

Jill Esmond

Character Name : Mrs. Cavanaugh

Original Name : Jill Esmond

Gender : Female

Ferike Boros

Character Name : Madame

Original Name : Ferike Boros

Gender : Female

Peggy Ann Garner

Character Name : Sheila Cavanaugh

Original Name : Peggy Ann Garner

Gender : Female

Merrill Rodin

Character Name : Willem

Original Name : Merrill Rodin

Gender : Male

Maurice Tauzin

Character Name : Pierre

Original Name : Maurice Tauzin

Gender : Male

Fleurette Zama

Character Name : Rose

Original Name : Fleurette Zama

Gender : Male

William Edmunds

Character Name : Frenchman

Original Name : William Edmunds

Gender : Male

Marcel Dalio

Character Name : Focquet

Original Name : Marcel Dalio

Gender : Male

Marcelle Corday

Character Name : Madame Bonne

Original Name : Marcelle Corday

Gender : Female

Odette Myrtil

Character Name : Madame Rougeron

Original Name : Odette Myrtil

Gender : Female

Jean Del Val

Character Name : Railroad Official

Original Name : Jean Del Val

Gender : Male

Rudolph Anders

Character Name : Lieutenant

Original Name : Rudolph Anders

Gender : Male

Henry Rowland

Character Name : Military Policeman

Original Name : Henry Rowland

Gender : Male

Helmut Dantine

Character Name : Aide

Original Name : Helmut Dantine

Gender : Male

George Davis

Character Name : Barman

Original Name : George Davis

Gender : Male

Reviews

C

CinemaSerf

@Geronimo1967

2024-12-23

Curmudgeonly Briton "Howard" (Monty Woolley) is doing his best impersonation of "Rudolf Rassendyl", fishing peaceably and minding his own business, when the Nazis decide to invade France. He has to get home and is persuaded to take the two "Cavanaugh" children to safety with him. There's "Ronnie" (Roddy McDowall) and his sister "Sheila" (Peggy Ann Garner) who manage to irritate their new guardian just by being there, but they are just the start of his problems as they act like a magnet for other endangered children. Before he knows it, it's like he has his own herd of cats to try and smuggle out from under the nose of the menacing "Maj. Diessen" (Otto Preminger). Terrified of being heard to speak English, he and his charges gradually learn a little about themselves and this erstwhile selfish gent starts to demonstrate an whole new set of human traits hitherto a mystery to himself. Can he manage to get them, and himself, to safety though? It's a showcase for an on-form Woolley that features a few brief appearances from Anne Baxter and J. Carrol Naish as the adventure builds slowly but quite menacingly to a denouement that has something of last year's "Pimpernel Smith" to it. McDowall's is an engaging young character and the story exudes quite a healthy degree of sentiment-free mischievous charm as Woolley delivers the goods once again.