History Film / TheMortalStorm

* TheHerosBirthday: A dark example, as the film starts with Viktor's 60th birthday, which is also the day the Nazis are taking power.

* TheChick: Freya is the only girl in their little group of childhood friends that includes Martin, Fritz, and her half-brothers Otto and Erich. She tries to hold them together after the Nazis start splitting them apart.

%% * GettingCrapPastThe Radar: Due to overwhelming and persistent misuse, GCPTR is on-page examples only until 01 June 2021. If you are reading this in the future, please check the trope page to make sure your example fits the current definition.

It is a tale of UsefulNotes/NaziGermany and how it destroyed one Jewish family. It opens in 1933 in the German Alps, in a town right by the Austrian border, on the day UsefulNotes/AdolfHitler came to power. That day, January 30, 1933, also happens to be the 60th birthday of Professor Viktor Roth (Morgan). Roth is a Jew married to a Gentile, Amelie. They have a daughter, Freya (Sullavan), and Amelie has two sons, Erich and Otto, by her first marriage. Despite having a Jewish stepfather, Erich and Otto (Otto is played by a young Creator/RobertStack) are both supporters of the Nazi Party. Similarly Freya, despite being partially Jewish, is engaged to a Nazi supporter, Fritz (Young).

* GettingCrapPastTheRadar: As noted above, skittish MGM producers didn't allow the word "Jew" in the movie, so Viktor, Freya, and Rudi are only identified as "non-Aryan". And it was a pointless gesture, as Hitler still banned MGM movies.

''The Mortal Storm'' is a 1940 film directed by Creator/FrankBorzage, starring Creator/JamesStewart, Margaret Sullavan, Frank Morgan, and Creator/RobertYoung.

It is a tale of UsefulNotes/NaziGermany and how it destroyed one Jewish family. It opens in 1933 in the German Alps, in a town right by the Austrian border, on the day UsefulNotes/AdolfHitler came to power. That day, January 30, 1933, also happens to be the 60th birthday of Professor Viktor Roth (Morgan). Roth is a Jew married to a Gentile, Amelie. They have a daughter, Freya (Sullavan), and Amelie has two sons, Erich and Otto, by her first marriage. Despite having a Jewish stepfather, Erich and Otto are both supporters of the Nazi Party. Similarly Freya, despite being partially Jewish, is engaged to a Nazi supporter, Fritz (Young).

''The Mortal Storm'' is a 1940 film directed by Creator/FrankBorzage, starring Creator/JamesStewart, Margaret Sullavan, Frank Morgan, and Robert Young.

''The Mortal Storm'' is a 1940 film directed by Creator/FrankBorzage, starring [[Creator/JimmyStewart James Stewart]], Margaret Sullavan, Frank Morgan, and Robert Young.

* TranslationConvention: In full effect, and uniquely effective in this film, when the townspeople refer to their country's dictator with the English word "Leader" rather than with its German equivalent, ''Fuhrer''.

* GettingCrapPastTheRadar: As noted above, skittish MGM producers didn't allow the word "Jew" in the movie, so Viktor, Freya, and Rudi are only identified as "non-Aryan". And it was a pointless gesture, as Hitler still banned MGM movie.

* LoveTriangle: Fritz, Martin, and Freya. Fritz appears to have emerged victorious in the beginning, but events prove that Martin is Freya's real soulmate.

It is a tale of UsefulNotes/NaziGermany and how it destroyed one Jewish family. It opens in 1933 in the German Alps, in a town right by the Austrian border, on the day UsefulNotes/AdolfHitler came to power. That day, January 30, 1933, also happens to be the 60th birthday of Professor Viktor Roth (Morgan). Roth is a Jew married to a Gentile, Amelie. They have a daughter, Freya (Sullavan), and Amelie has two sons, Erich and Otto, by her first marriage. Despite having a Jewish stepfather, Erich and Otto are both supporters of the Nazi Party. Similarly Freya, despite being at least partially Jewish, is engaged to a Nazi supporter, Fritz (Young).

It is a tale of UsefulNotes/NaziGermany and how it destroyed one Jewish family. It opens in 1933 in the German Alps, in a town right by the Austrian border, on the day UsefulNotes/AdolfHitler came to power. That day, January 30, 1933, also happens to be the 60th birthday of Professor Viktor Roth (Morgan). Roth is a Jew married to a Gentile, Amelie. They have a daughter, Freya (Sullavan), and Amelie has two sons, Erich and Otto, by her first marriage. Despite having a Jewish stepfather, Erich and Otto are both supporters of the Nazi Party. Similarly Freya, despite being half-Jewish, is engaged to a Nazi supporter, Fritz (Young).

It is a tale of UsefulNotes/NaziGermany and how it destroyed one Jewish family. It opens in 1933 in the German Alps, in a town right by the Austrian border. on the day UsefulNotes/AdolfHitler came to power. January 30, 1933 also happens to be the 60th birthday of Professor Viktor Roth (Morgan). Roth is a Jew married to a Gentile, Amelie. They have a daughter, Freya (Sullavan), and Amelie has two sons, Erich and Otto, by her first marriage. Despite having a Jewish stepfather, Erich and Otto are both supporters of the Nazi Party. Similarly Freya, despite being half-Jewish, is engaged to a Nazi supporter, Fritz (Young).

* GettingCrapPastTheRadar: As noted above, skittish MGM producers didn't allow the word "Jew" in the movie, so Viktor, Freya, and Rudi are only identified as "non-Aryan". And it was a pointless gesture, as Hitler banned MGM movies anyway.

It is a tale of UsefulNotes/NaziGermany and how it destroyed one Jewish family. It opens in 1933 in the German Alps on the day UsefulNotes/AdolfHitler came to power, which also happens to be the 60th birthday of Professor Viktor Roth (Morgan). Roth is a Jew married to a Gentile, Amelie. They have a daughter, Freya (Sullavan), and Amelie has two sons, Erich and Otto, by her first marriage. Despite having a Jewish stepfather, Erich and Otto are both supporters of the Nazi Party. Similarly Freya, despite being half-Jewish, is engaged to a Nazi supporter, Fritz (Young).

1940 was the year that Hollywood finally started making anti-Nazi movies, with this film being released around the same time as Creator/CharlieChaplin's ''Film/TheGreatDictator'' and ''Film/YouNaztySpy'' by the pioneers of anti-Nazi activism, Film/TheThreeStooges. MGM pulled its punches a little bit by using the word "Germany" only twice and not using the word "Jew" at all, only describing Viktor and Freya as "non-Aryan". It didn't work, as Adolf Hitler proceeded to [[BannedInChina ban all MGM films in Germany anyway]].

* AloneInACrowd

* BookBurning
* TheChick
* DayOfTheJackboot

* LoveTriangle

1940 was the year that Hollywood finally started making anti-Nazi movies, with this film being released around the same time as Creator/CharlieChaplin's ''Film/TheGreatDictator'' and ''You Nazty Spy'' by the pioneers of anti-Nazi activism, Film/TheThreeStooges. MGM pulled its punches a little bit by not using the word "Germany" except in an opening title card and not using the word "Jew" at all, only describing Viktor and Freya as "non-Aryan". It didn't work, as Adolf Hitler proceeded to [[BannedInChina ban all MGM films in Germany anyway]].