Understanding Anti-Semitism from a Neglected Film and Novel

The Mortal Storm premiered in American theatres in 1940. Directed by Frank Borzage, its leading roles were played by Margaret Sullavan, Jimmy Stewart, and Frank Morgan. Many other stars—Robert Young, Robert Stack, and Ward Bond—filled out the cast. Robert Osborne noted it was “one of Hollywood’s first warnings to moviegoers about the Nazi menace.” The review in the New York Times on June 20, 1940, was bolder: “on the basis of recorded facts and the knowledge that its drama is authentic, this picture turns out to be one of the most harrowing and inflammatory fictions ever placed upon the screen.”