For the Common Defense!

Jun 20, 1942

0h 22m

★ 4.7

Another Crime Does Not Pay Subject

Overview

This Crime Does Not Pay short shows how cooperation among all the nations of the Americas helps the war effort. In this case, a US government agent travels to Chile and Colombia. He works with local authorities to try to thwart an Axis plan to ship stolen ammunition.

Genres

Drama

Crime

Production Companies

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

For the Common Defense! Trailers

No Trailers found.

Cast

Subprefect Santiago Castillo

John Litel

Dutch Mullner

Douglas Fowley

Lt. Guytan

Stephen McNally

Agent Pritchard

Van Johnson

Adolph (uncredited)

Egon Brecher

Buckley's girlfriend (uncredited)

Jacqueline Dalya

MGM Crime Reporter (uncredited)

Mark Daniels

Heinrich Ort (uncredited)

Steven Geray

Officer (uncredited)

José Portugal

A man takes his American freedoms for granted, until he wakes up one morning to find out that the United States Government has been replaced with a Communist system. The basis for this short film, narrated by Jack Webb, is the alleged Soviet re-creation of US communities for the purpose of training infiltrators, spies, and moles.

6.9

Education for Death: The Making of the Nazi

Jan 15, 1943

A propaganda film during World War II about a boy who grows up to become a Nazi soldier.

7.2

Sergeant York

Sep 27, 1941

Alvin York a hillbilly sharpshooter transforms himself from ruffian to religious pacifist. He is then called to serve his country and despite deep religious and moral objections to fighting becomes one of the most celebrated American heroes of WWI.

No Image Available

0.0

From the Four Corners

Jul 31, 1941

Members of three Commonwealth armies, an Aussie, a Canadian, and a New Zealander meet actor Leslie Howard who buys them a beer and makes them understand why they're fighting.

6.2

My Life for Ireland

Jan 2, 1941

A Nazi propaganda movie from 1941 directed by Max W. Kimmich, covering a story of Irish heroism and martyrdom over two generations under the occupation of the British.

7.3

Night Train to Munich

Aug 31, 1940

Czechoslovakia, March 1939, on the eve of World War II. As the German invaders occupy Prague, inventor Axel Bomasch manages to flee and reach England; but those who need to put his knowledge at the service of the Nazi war machine, in order to carry out their evil plans of destruction, will stop at nothing to capture him.

6.7

Katyn

Sep 21, 2007

On September 1st, 1939, Nazi Germany invades Poland, unleashing World War II. On September 17th, the Soviet Red Army crosses the border. The Polish army, unable to fight on two fronts, is defeated. Thousands of Polish men, both military and government officials, are captured by the invaders. Their fate will only be known several years later.

6.0

The Silver Fleet

Jun 16, 1943

The Silver Fleet was inspired by a true story from World War II. Holland now under German occupation, a Shipyard owner and Chief engineer Jaap van Leyden is summoned to build ships for the German war effort. The commission would allow Leyden to build sophisticated submarines whilst safeguarding jobs for the local Dutch workforce. A newly built U-boat, named U107 goes out on her first sea trial and is hijacked by a Dutch crew and they re-route the vessel to England. As such it provided an opportunity to refuel patriotism in the face of a seemingly interminable war and almost unbearable civilian hardship.

9.0

Know Your Money

Jan 27, 1940

This MGM Crime Does Not Pay series short tells the fictitious story of a bill counterfeiting ring and explores the government's attempt to curb counterfeiting.

6.4

The Iron Lady

Dec 26, 2011

A look at the life of Margaret Thatcher, the former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, with a focus on the price she paid for power.

6.4

Jack Pot

Mar 9, 1940

This entry in MGM's "Crime Does Not Pay" series deals with illegal gambling and bookmaking.

6.6

Their Finest

Feb 19, 2017

During the Blitz of World War II, a female screenwriter works on a film celebrating England's resilience as a way to buoy a weary populace's spirits. Her efforts to dramatise the true story of two sisters who undertook their own maritime mission to rescue wounded soldiers are met with mixed feelings by a dismissive all-male staff.

6.0

Seeing Hands

Jul 3, 1943

This serious Pete Smith Specialty series entry encourages industry to hire people with disabilities to help with the war effort. As a boy, Ben Helwig was blinded in an accident while playing baseball. He eventually acquired a guide dog and now works in a defense plant.

5.9

The Wrong Way Out

Dec 24, 1938

Two young people get married and run away, even though their parents advise them to build up their savings first. After they get settled they can barely make ends meet. When opportunity suddenly presents itself, they start on a downward spiral of crime.

5.9

Red and Black

May 25, 1942

Since childhood, Luisa and Miguel have always been good friends; but several years later, as adults, when Spain faces the abyss of the Civil War (1936-1939), they support ideologically opposed camps.

7.0

Purity Squad

Nov 3, 1945

This entry in the Crime Does Not Pay series focuses on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's effort to ensure that drugs are fully tested before they are sold to consumers. Two unscrupulous investors market the drug 'Diabulin' as a substitute for insulin after preliminary tests show good results. After a short time, however, users start dying from the drug. The FDA and the state attorney general's office then go after the drug marketers.

5.9

Don't Talk

Feb 28, 1942

This Crime Does Not Pay series entry dramatizes the idea that during wartime, people should not discuss anything related to their work when in public. A casual remark can be overheard by an enemy agent and used to sabotage the war effort. In this short, the story involves shipments of parts to a defense plant.

0.0

Headin' for God's Country

Aug 26, 1943

In this anti-Japanese WW II propaganda film, Japanese invaders attempt to raid Alaska and are totally obliterated. The trouble begins when a stranger visits a small town and tells them that the U.S. is going to be taken over by a powerful country. The story turns out to be true when the Japanese bomb Pearl Harbor. The town then rises up and slaughters a Japanese raiding party.

5.8

Curtiz

Sep 12, 2019

Hollywood, 1942. The US government pressures Hungarian-born film director Michael Curtiz, who is about to finish shooting Casablanca, to accentuate the film's propaganda message in order to sway public opinion in favor of the country's intervention in the European war.

6.0

Buried Loot

Jan 19, 1935

An embezzler who expects to serve his time in prison and then pick up his buried loot is in for a surprise.