description 49th Parallel Overview
49th Parallel is a 1941 British film directed by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, featuring an ensemble cast including Leslie Howard and Laurence Olivier. The story centers on a German U-boat crew’s efforts to infiltrate neutral United States territory after becoming stranded in Canada. It explores the complex political situation of the time with a focus on the submarine's predicament.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
info 49th Parallel Specifications
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Year | 1941 |
help 49th Parallel FAQ
Why is the film called 49th Parallel?
The title refers to the latitude forming much of the Canada-United States border. The stranded German sailors travel across Canada hoping to cross that border into the then-neutral United States.
What happens to the German U-boat crew in 49th Parallel?
After their submarine is destroyed in Hudson Bay, a small Nazi landing party attempts to escape westward across Canada. Encounters with a Hutterite community, Indigenous people, and other Canadians gradually reduce the group.
Who do Laurence Olivier and Leslie Howard play?
Laurence Olivier plays Johnnie, a French-Canadian trapper encountered early in the escape. Leslie Howard plays Philip Armstrong Scott, an intellectual and art collector whose apparent softness is badly underestimated by the fugitives.
Was 49th Parallel made as wartime propaganda?
Yes. Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger made the 1941 film partly to encourage support for the Allied cause, especially among audiences in neutral America, while dramatizing a Nazi threat moving through Canadian society.
explore Explore More
Similar to 49th Parallel
See all arrow_forward
Reviews & Comments
Write a Review
Be the first to review
Share your thoughts with the community and help others make better decisions.
