Hitler's Reign of Terror

The version of the movie I saw was a reissue from the Royal Belgian Archives. Newsreel footage indicates it was updated during the "Phony War" phase of the Second World War -- the French in the Maginot Line are facing the Germans in the Siegfried Line.

The heart of this movie concerns Cornelius Vanderbilt Jr. -- the great-grandson of the Robber Baron and the son of the man who gave up his seat on a lifeboat on the Titanic and was last seen calmly smoking a cigar -- and the footage he shot on a trip to Germany and Austria soon after Hitler had come to power. That footage is fascinating. It is also in poor shape. It looks like it was preserved on 16 mm. and then restored to 35 mm., with attendant blurring. It would be worth some one's time and effort to run this footage through a computer to restore it. There is also a sequence shot at Dorn with the Kaiser and the Crown Prince's son. As someone interested in history, I find it fascinating.

Unfortunately, much of the film consists of people speaking to microphones, especially Mr. Vanderbilt, who is not an engaging speaker. The overall effect is barely tolerable.