Movies Similar to For the Common Defense!

Soak the Old(1940)

Part of MGM's "Crime Does Not Pay" series, this short film focuses on crimes revolving around pension scams.

Katyn(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.

6.7

Patrolling the Ether(1944)

1940. Sixteen year old Phillip is one of a number of amateur radio operators across the US, doing it purely as a fun hobby. He is informed by Bill Beck of the Radio and Intelligence Division (RID) of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that amateur international radio communication is now banned due to spying a result of the war in Europe. Beck, on behalf of the RID, asks Phillip, however, to continue to monitor the airwaves for suspicious activity.

6.0

Easy Life(1944)

In this entry in the MGM "Crime Does Not Pay" series young Frank Davis, dropping out of school and joining a small-time hoodlum gang, finds out that leading a life of crime is not all he thought it would be.

5.0

Buyer Beware(1940)

This entry in MGM's "Crime Does Not Pay" series deals with shady companies selling fake merchandise.

6.0

Sucker List(1941)

In this MGM Crime Does Not Pay series short, a man and his racketeer buddies devise a scheme to bilk those already seemingly desperate for money of what little they have.

6.3

Keep 'Em Sailing(1942)

An FBI agent goes undercover to investigate the sabotage of American cargo ships.

7.0

Education for Death: The Making of the Nazi(1943)

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

6.9

Red Nightmare(1962)

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.

6.0

Night Train to Munich(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.

7.2

Sergeant York(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.

7.2

Seeing Hands(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.

6.0

The Iron Lady(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

Their Finest(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.

6.6

Seven Miles from Alcatraz(1942)

After Pearl Harbor, convicts at Alcatraz prison live in fear of bomb attacks, driving Champ Larkin and his pal Jimbo to a desperate escape attempt which lands them on a tiny lighthouse island, where they take over. The five inhabitants are stymied in their efforts to summon aid. But the island also figures in the schemes of a big Nazi spy ring; which will win out, the gangsters' greed or their patriotism?

4.5

Dark Shadows(1944)

A police psychiatrist is enlisted to catch a killer.

9.1

The Negro Soldier(1944)

Documentary focusing on the contributions to the American war effort of African-American soldiers.

6.1

Miracle Money(1938)

In this MGM Crime Does Not Pay series short, doctors scam patients with a fake cure for cancer.

5.6

Help Wanted(1939)

A temporary laborer who helps bring down a mob-sponsored employment racket

7.0

Think It Over(1938)

A gang of 'professional torches' burn down stores for the insurance money.

6.3