Passage to Marseille (1944)

54% of users liked it
(352 ratings)

Designed as a followup to the enormously successful Casablanca, Passage to Marseille utilizes the talents of many of the on- and off-screen personnel of the earlier Warner Bros. classic. Unfolded in a complex flashback-within-flashback structure, this is the story of Matrac (Humphrey Bogart), a… More Designed as a followup to the enormously successful Casablanca, Passage to Marseille utilizes the talents of many of the on- and off-screen personnel of the earlier Warner Bros. classic. Unfolded in a complex flashback-within-flashback structure, this is the story of Matrac (Humphrey Bogart), a freedom-loving French journalist who sacrifices his happiness and security to battle Nazi tyrrany. The film opens as French liason officer Freycinet (Claude Rains), stationed in London, tells Mantrac's story to a British reporter (John Loder). Freycinet reveals that Mantrac, happily married to Paula (Michele Morgan), was framed by pro-fascists and sentenced to Devil's Island. Here he engineered a daring escape with such lost souls as Marius (Peter Lorre), Garou (Helmut Dantine), Petit (George Tobias) and Renault (Philip Dorn). Adrift in a lifeboat, the escapees were picked up by a French vessel commandeered by pro-fascist Major Duval (Sydney Greenstreet). With the help of Mantrac and the prisoners, the ship's patriotic captain (Victor Francen) thwarted Duval's evil machinations, enabling Mantrac to continue his battle against Nazism as a member of the RAF. By modern standards, Passage to Marseille is overproduced, overdirected, overacted and overscored (by Max Steiner); however, it filled a definite need in wartime America, and proved a huge financial success. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 50 min.
Directed By: Michael Curtiz
Genres: Drama, Action & Adventure, Classics

In Theaters: Feb 16, 1944 Wide
Studio: Warner Home Video

Critic Reviews

Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
Sort of a class reunion of Casablanca, but not as good, reuniting Bogart, director Curtiz and other key players of that cult picture.

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Featured Audience Ratings

danny d

curtiz reunites with 4 cast members from casablanca and the result is an excellent one. although the scope of this war film might have been a bit too small, the film had intrigue and solid performances as well as a great story. wonderful film.

Cast

            Humphrey Bogart as Matrac

            Michèle Morgan as Paula

            Claude Rains as Capt. Freycinet

            Sydney Greenstreet as Maj. Duval

            Peter Lorre as Marius

            Philip Dorn as Renault

            John Loder as Manning

            George Tobias as Petit

            Vladimir Sokoloff as Grandpere

            Eduardo Ciannelli as Chief Engineer

            Konstantin Shayne as First Mate

            Victor Francen as Capt. Patain Malo

            Helmut Dantine as Garou

            Louis Mercier as Engineer

            Monte Blue as Second Mate

            Stephen Richards as Lt. Hastings

            Hans Conried as Jourdain

            Billy Roy as Mess Boy

            Charles La Torre as Lt. Lenoir

            Peter Camlin as French Sergeant

            Harry Cording as Chief Guard

            Adrienne D'Ambricourt as Mayor's Wife

            Jean Del Val as Raoul

            Diane Du Bois as Petit's Daughter

            Fred Essler as Mayor

            Gerald Perreau-Saissine as Jean

            Corinna Mura as Singer

            Alex Papana as Lookout

            Frank Puglia as Older Guard

            Mark Stevens as Lt. Hastings

            Donald Stuart as Military Driver

            Walter Bonn as Prison Official
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