They Came to Blow Up America (1943): Cast & Plot
They Came to Blow Up America is a 1943 war drama directed by Edward Ludwig, starring Ward Bond as FBI Chief Craig, George Sanders and Ludwig Stössel. It runs 1 hour 13 minutes.
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 13m (73 min)
- Director
- Edward Ludwig
- Original language
-
English - Studio
- 20th Century Fox
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is They Came to Blow Up America About?
The premise of They Came to Blow Up America without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
Based on the 1942 incident in which nine Nazi saboteurs were landed on Long Island by a German submarine and ordered to blow up American defense installations, the film recounts their covert mission, the attempts to destroy key targets, and the ensuing response of U.S. authorities.
They Came to Blow Up America Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- posing as a traitor
- school for sabotage
- nazi agent
- saboteur
- denouncement
- nazi menace
- time bomb
- submarine
- sabotage
- sound activation
- german american bund
- assumed identity
+38 more Show fewer
- exploding car
- double agent
- spy
- world war two
- nazi germany
- father disowns son
- substitution
- berlin germany
- federal agent
- german resistance movement
- deception
- damsel in distress
- held at gunpoint
- cigarette smoking
- betrayal
- gestapo interrogation
- insane asylum
- country in title
- german submarine
- long island new york
- u.s. coast guard
- coast guard sentry
- short wave radio
- stock footage
- storm trooper
- destruction
- nazi indoctrination
- nazi flag
- nazi salute
- zealot
- fbi agent
- fanatical follower
- secret police
- atlantic ocean
- third reich
- invader
- washington d.c.
- bomb
They Came to Blow Up America Cast & Characters
Ward Bond leads the cast as FBI Chief Craig, with George Sanders as Carl Steelman / Ernst Reiter and Ludwig Stössel as Papa Julius Steelman. Directed by Edward Ludwig; 18 actors are credited in all.
- Director Edward Ludwig
-
Ward Bond as FBI Chief Craig -
George Sanders as Carl Steelman / Ernst Reiter - Ludwig Stössel as Papa Julius Steelman
- Elsa Janssen as Mama Henrietta Steelman
Also Starring in They Came to Blow Up America
· 14 more- Poldi Dur Helga Lorenz (as Poldy Dur)
- Dennis Hoey Col. Taeger
- Sig Ruman Dr. Herman Holger
- Anna Sten Frau Reiter
- Robert Barrat Capt. Kranz
- Charles McGraw Zellerbach
- Ralph Byrd Burkhardt
- Otto Reichow Adam, S.S. Trooper
- John Banner Gestapo Agent
- Kurt Katch Schonzeit
- Sven Hugo Borg Cmdr. Ullrich Hauser
- Etta McDaniel Theresa
- Rex Williams Eichner
- Ruth Brady Secretary
More from Edward Ludwig
More films directed by Edward Ludwig: The Gun Hawk, The Black Scorpion, Flame of the Islands and Jivaro.
They Came to Blow Up America Plot Summary
What happens in They Came to Blow Up America from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 15 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 3-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
During World War II, when six of eight would-be German saboteurs are sentenced to death by an American court, an FBI agent complains to his boss, Craig, Ward Bond, about the two remaining men. Craig troops in with the plan that one of the sentenced should have been imprisoned, and a flashback begins to tell the tricky story behind that decision.
Full summary
The whole story of They Came to Blow Up America, scene by scene
How Well Do You Know They Came to Blow Up America?
9 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 9
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
What is the true identity of Carl Steelman in the film?
They Came to Blow Up America Also Known As
2 alternative titles: “School for Sabotage” and “Vieram Dinamitar a América”.
- Also known as
-
- School for Sabotage
- Vieram Dinamitar a América
Seen They Came to Blow Up America?
Movies Like They Came to Blow Up America
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including Submarine Alert, The Last Blitzkrieg and The Long Island Four.
They Came to Blow Up America FAQ: Cast & Runtime
Runtime, release date, director, cast and post-credit scenes of They Came to Blow Up America, each answered in a sentence.
How long is They Came to Blow Up America?
They Came to Blow Up America runs 1 hour 13 minutes (73 minutes).
When was They Came to Blow Up America released?
They Came to Blow Up America was released on May 7, 1943.
Who directed They Came to Blow Up America?
They Came to Blow Up America was directed by Edward Ludwig.
More films by Edward Ludwig Who is in the cast of They Came to Blow Up America?
They Came to Blow Up America stars Ward Bond as FBI Chief Craig, George Sanders as Carl Steelman / Ernst Reiter and Ludwig Stössel as Papa Julius Steelman, among 18 credited actors.
Does They Came to Blow Up America have a post-credit scene?
No. They Came to Blow Up America has no extra scene during or after the credits.
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