Figure 1.--'Confessions of a Nazi Spy' was Hollywood's first anti-NAZI film. It was courageoudly produced by Warmnerbrothers. It was a spy thriller about the breaking up of the first NAZI spy ring in Amnerica. Here one of the NAZI spies thinks he is clever by getting a paper boy to pick up a package of blank passports. He is then arrested by the FBI who use him to begin to break up the conspiracy. Surprisingly for Hollywood, it is a fairly accurate depiction.

"Confessions of a Nazi Spy" was the first of the anti-NAZI film turned out by Hollywood. And surprisingly for Hollywood, it was fairly accurate. One of the main characters is Dr. Karl Kassel (Paul Lukas) the president of the Friends of the New Germany. He represents the real life Dr. Ignatz Griebel. "Confessions" is a spy thriller, but a good bit of the film deals with the Friends of the New Germany and the effort to convert German-Americans to NAZIism. Dr. Kassel works to build support for the NAZIs within the German-American community. He is shown speaking at rallies. He vinsists that Hitler has declared war on the evils of democracy and that as Germans, they should fasithfully follow his instructions. Another main character is Kurt Schneider (Francis Lederer) an unemployed German-American malcontent is strongly attracted to the NAZI ideology. He is a would-be spy who thinks he is extremely clever. The spy ring bincludes German-Americans in the military and defense industry. The ring is uncovered because of Schneider carelessness. The British also uncover an Abwehr mail drop in Scotland. The lead role is FBI agent Ed Renard (Edward G. Robinson). Renard oversees the case. He captures Schneider and skillfully extracts a confession. And through Schneider, Renard is led to Hilda Kleinhauer (Dorothy Tree) who is a hairdresser on a German oceanliner and the girl friend of an fervent NAZI. The investigation leads to Kassel's mistress Erika Wolff (Lya Lys), and eventually to Kassel himself. Kassel spews his guts to the FBI leading to mahny arrests. The FBI manage to capture many members of the ring and their accomplices, several, including Kassel escape. The movie presents him as being adducted and spirited back to Germany. He may have escaped on his own. There is a scene in which Ward Bond as an American Legionnaire (veterans organization) stands yp the Friends of the New Germany. It is based on an actual event when a grouo of aboutb 30 World War I American Legion Veterans stood up to the Friends in New York City during a celebration of Hitler's Birthday celebration (April 1938). The veterans were severely beaten by the Friends. Such incidents were common in Germany, but shiocked modst Americans. Cecil Schubert, who suffered a fractured skull, was personnally recognized by Mayor La Guardia for his bravery.