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'The Pied Piper' is about two English children in France fleeing the Nazis. The film was made in 1942 during World War II, not long after the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) escaped at Dunkirk (May 1940). It was based on a novel by Neville Shut. The film starred Monty Woolley as the main character, Roddy Mc Dowall as the boy, and Peggy Ann Garner as the girl. The film was set in France in June 1940, just as the French surrendered to the Germans and the Germans close the channel ports. A British man, Mr. Howard, on a fishing trip to France. World War II breaks out and he is forced to return to England. Mr. Howard is an elderly germunchon who hates children, but finds himself stuck with a pack of them. He reluctantly agrees to take with him two children of diplomats who are working at the League of Nations. He journeys to the nearest French port to get a boat to England. Along the way he collects an assortment of refugee children. He could get back to England easier by himself, but his conscious won't let him leave them. He starts out with two English children and along the way they are joined by a number of young refugees. He attracts more and more children as he travels through France. Mounty Woolley is taking him back to England. They are crossing NAZI infested France. They argue over American States. Mounty
Woolley claims Rochester is a state and Roddy points out that it is only a city. Mounty Woolly will not have it but concedes to Roddy's arguement on a cross channel fishing boat at the end of the film. This is after Roddy has lost the pride and joy Mounty Woolley's belongings - His fishing Rod. It is clear that by this time man and boy are friends. Roddy dons French clothes, a smock and beret, to blend in with the others. As Roddy was 13 or 14, you wonder if he didn't object to the juvenile costumes. This film is similar in many ways to 'Happy Road' (US, 1957).
The film was made in 1942 during World War II, not long after the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) escaped at Dunkirk (May 1940). The movie was adapted by Nunnally Johnson from Nevil Shute's novel. It was directed by Irving Pichel. The film was nominated for several Academy Awards: Best Actor in a Leading Role (Monty Woolley), Best Cinematography, Black-and-White, and Best Picture.
The film starred popular English character acter Monty Woolley as the main character, Mr. Howard. Anne Baxter plays the female lead. Roddy McDowell had the leading boy role as Ronnie Cavanaugh, son of an English diolomat working at the League of Nations. Peggy Ann Garner has the leading girl role.
The film was set in France in June 1940, at the onset of the the German Western Offense. The Germans soon sweep over northern France and the French were surrendering the channel ports. The book was written and the film made before the full extent of NAZI evil was known. So while the Germans were depicted as evil, a real depiction of what was happening is not grasped by the author of the book mor the film makers. Of course when the events depicted the Germans had not yet embarked on industrial-scale killing. And what they were doing in occupied Poland was not yet known in England and France. German behavior and polict in France was very different than in the East.
'The Pied Piper' is about an Englishman and refugee children in France fleeing the Nazis. He is on vacation in France and caught up in the rapid German invasion. He attracts himself with an ever-growing group of children that he attempts to get to safety. The film keeps to the book. However If I recall the story is told in a London Gentalemens club at the height of the Blitz recalling what their member Mr. Howard had done.
Mr. Howard is greiving and the reason he is in France. At the time it is quiet onthe front. The era was called "The Phony War" in ngland. His son, an RAF pilot was killed in combat only weeks before he took his fishing trip. The German Western Offensive occurs and the Germans break through. Mr. Howard is forced to get back to England as best he can. Mr. Howard is an elderly germunchon who hates children, but finds himself stuck with a pack of English childrn. Roddy is of course one of them. He very reluctantly agrees to take with him two children of English diplomats who are working at the League of Nations. [HBC note: As the children of diplomats, the two English children would have had diplomatic immunity and would have been returned to England by the Germans through a neutral country like Sweden or Switzerland.] Mr. Howard heads as best he can to the nearest French port to get a boat to England. Along the way he collects an assortment of refugee children. He could get back to England easier by himself, but his conscious won't let him leave them. He starts out with two English children and along the way they are joined by a number of young refugees. He attracts more and more children as they travel through NAZI occupied France. They argue over American States. Woolley claims Rochester is a state and Roddy points out that it is only a city. Mounty Woolly will not have it but concedes to Roddy's arguement on a cross channel fishing boat at the end of the film. This is after Roddy has lost the pride and joy Mounty Woolley's belongings--his fishing rod that he had carried all through France. It is clear that by this time man and boy are friends.
Roddy begins the film as an English boy in short pants and kneesocks, if my memory serves me correcrly. It has been some time since I have seen the film. The other children are variously dressed. Roddy dons French clothes, a smock and beret, to blend in better after they are overrun by the Germans. The As Roddy was 13 or 14, you wonder if he didn't object to the juvenile costumes, especially as he had been living in America.
This film is similar in many ways to 'Happy Road' (US, 1957). Carry Grant played in a similar role set in the Pacific, 'Father Goose'. He acquires a French school mistress and her all-girl class. The girls are mostly British and wear British school uniforms.
A British reader writes, "I like this film because of the concept of children no
matter what language they speak get along with each other. I.E the Dutch boy who is neglected and chased away by the locals is totally traumatised but the children understand what has happened. The first child Howard takes under his wing is the boy orphand when a
Luftwaffe airplanes machine guns the bus they are travelling on. [HBC note: Roads jammed with refugees made it difficult for the British and French to move troops. Often the roads were jammed with mixed columns of military and civilians. World War II constantly show Luftwaffe planes attacking refugee columns. I am unsure to what extent the Luftwaffe attacked civilian refugee columns.]
The film was remade about 1997 and Peter O'toole played the part of Mr. Howard.
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