They Raid By Night (1942)
The British Commandos send Bob Owen (Lyle Talbot) to Norway to prepare for a raid. His mission also includes freeing General Heden (Paul Baratoff) who is being held by the Nazis. His aides include Eric Falken (George Nesie) and Harry (Charles Rogers). Inga (June Duprez), a Norwegian girl to whom Falken was once engaged but who has become the sweetheart of Oberst Von Ritter (Victor Varconi), betrays their hiding place. The three overpower the Gestapo men sent after them, take their uniforms and enter the prison camp and free Heden. The four men then start for the coast to meet the Commando expedition. Inga, who the men still trust, again informs von Ritter and Falken is captured but Bob and Harry escape with the aid of Dalberg, who they thought was a Quisling stooge.
THE COMMANDOS HAVE LANDED! They laugh at death...and strike terror in the hearts of the Nazi masters of stricken Norway!
This film was one of a handful of movies that were all released around the same time that dealt with the Norwegian Resistance in World War II. Besides this one there were Commandos Strike at Dawn (1942); First Comes Courage (1943) and Edge of Darkness (1943).
The earliest documented telecast of this film occurred Saturday 9 February 1946 on New York City's pioneer television station WNBT (Channel 1). In Detroit it first aired Wednesday 15 December 1948 on WXYZ (Channel 7), in Washington DC Tuesday 21 June 1949 on WMAL (Channel 7), in Albuquerque Saturday 16 July 1949 on KOB (Channel 4), and in Los Angeles Wednesday 19 April 1950 on KTLA (Channel 5).
The commando raid was based on an actual raid that took place on December 27, 1941. The raid was successful. It led the Germans to increase the size of the garrison in 400,000 men in anticipation of invasion for an attack that never came.
Continuity
The Germans take a prisoner out in the woods to be executed. A German officer ties the prisoner's arms behind him, around a tree. When the prisoner is shot, he falls forward and away from the tree as if his arms were not bound.
During the British attack and rescue, several real-life clips (showing ships at sea, explosions, etc.) are shown twice.
Three men are seen to leave the aircraft through the door, but the shot from underneath the plane shows four parachutists.
Factual errors
When Sergeant Hall arrives at Owens' room, he is wearing his helmet. He would not to be wearing his helmet indoors in this venue, and should be wearing a forage cap (like the orderly who arrives alter) with his helmet attached to a bag containing his gas-mask.
The commandos twice hide from a plane that it searching for them. This plane is a DC-3/ C-47 with a British roundel. The Germans did not fly this model of aircraft.
The office in the prison shows a world map with the Western hemisphere shown centrally, rather than central Europe, indicating the U.S. origin of the production and crew.
The Douglas DC-3 lacks military markings and camouflage painting.
Revealing mistakes
At exactly 9 minutes and 14 seconds, you can clearly hear someone coughing on the set. Another voice is heard coughing again 5 seconds later.
Plot holes
The German troops looking for the commandos in the forest fail to see their tracks despite the fact that they are walking in snow.
Character error
The messenger who arrives at the hotel with the orders is a sergeant but Owens refers to him as 'Orderly'. This term was only used for privates. Owens should have referred to him as 'Sergeant'.