The Pied Piper

Released Jul 8, 1942

1 hr. 26 min.

Drama

List

100%

8 Reviews

Tomatometer

80%

100+ Ratings

Audience Score

While on holiday in the south of France, an English curmudgeon named John Sidney Howard (Monty Woolley) winds up in serious trouble when he finds himself behind enemy lines with Nazis occupying large portions of the country. Howard, who dislikes children, reluctantly agrees to help a couple get their two, Ronnie (Roddy McDowall) and Sheila (Peggy Ann Garner), safely back to England. As Howard returns home, he picks up more kids and tries to stay a step ahead of the Nazis.

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david l

The Pied Piper is, unlike most movies of the time, a more lightweight take on a WWII story. The result is this endearing, pleasant flick that is far from original, but solid nonetheless. The runtime is overly short and the technical aspects aren't all that great, but the acting is terrific and the movie's light tone and likable characters are a delight.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

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steve d

Sweet and well acted.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

Audience Member

For those expecting an adaptation of the classic German legend The Pied Piper of Hamelin you will be sorely disappointed as while the book that this film is based on takes it's title from that story it deviates significantly from that tale. This is the sort of family friendly, war related entertainment that appealed to audiences in 1942 but to a modern audience it appears as a second rate kids film featuring an oddly plotted story and some fairly stilted writing. It wasn't the worst film I've seen from this time period but it certainly hadn't held up in the way that How Green Was My Valley (1941) or One Foot in Heaven (1941) has. Curmudgeonly old British man Howard, Monty Woolley, is making his way through France in 1940 intending to fish at various exotic locations. His vacation is interrupted when the Germans decide to invade France and World War II breaks out. Suddenly everybody is desperate to escape the country as the Nazis occupy the nation and Howard has two children, Ronnie Cavanaugh, Roddy McDowall, and Sheila Cavanaugh, Peggy Ann Miller, thrust upon him. He initially struggles to gel with the children as they are loud and boisterous while he likes peace and quiet. He is further annoyed by the fact that they pick up several more children without his knowledge and he is forced to shoulder the responsibility of caring for them. They find a savior in the kind Nicole Rougeron, Anne Baxter, who had been romantically involved with Howard's brother. Sadly the Nazis serve as a major barrier to them escaping as they hope to hurt all of those who oppose their cause and even the sweet children face punishment. Howard eventually befriends the children and through smart bargaining finds a way out for them. Woolley's performance is perhaps the main attraction of the film as it is warm as you would expect while having something of the Greer Garson stiff upper lip that the Academy were so fond of around this time. He presents himself as cold and distant at the beginning of the film but we know what sort of film this is and so we are all aware of the fact that he will thaw fairly quick and submit to the merciless charms of these apple cheeked children. The screenplay is fairly weak as it only really allows him to go through the motions and never explores any of his characters deeper motivations. We have seen countless actors play characters who go through similar arcs whether it be Walter Matthau in The Bad News Bears (1976) or Gerard Butler in Playing for Keeps (2012) but Woolley does have a certain rough edged charm that sets him apart from this rest of the pack. For one, he nails the English accent as I was shocked to find out that he was actually American and his back and forth with McDowall is the most entertaining material in the film. Although I don't think it's Academy Award nomination worthy stuff he is a bright spot in an otherwise dull film that could have been a complete lost cause without his stable presence. Disappointingly the film puts Baxter to waste as a terrific actress just blossoming is left with little more to do than deliver expository dialogue in a French accent. She never gets to have fun like Woolley and we see very little of her with the children which puts her at a significant remove from the heart of the story. The film often fails to use the resources at hand to good use as it wastes what could have been an emotional story on a cheap little movie that tries to exploit the interests of well meaning families. The war is dropped in as a cynical ploy to make the audience believe that this film is somehow ‘important' but the film actually fails to really comment on it's subject and you walk away feeling nothing for the children. In a film like this you can predict exactly how the film will end and that makes it difficult to walk away with a positive reaction. I want more from my entertainment and this does not provide it.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

02/01/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Really sweet propaganda film from WWII that is hard not to enjoy.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/24/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Very good film with a great performance from Monty Woolley as an old Englishman who dislikes children. While visiting France during the beginning of WWII, he winds up taking a group of children with him on his return to England in order to save them from the Nazis. It's really a sweet movie, Woolley does a wonderful job, with some very funny moments, particularly the entire Rochester discussion, as well as evry time he winds up with another kid, I'm really glad he got an Oscar nomination out of this.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/14/23

Full Review

Audience Member

a masterpiece coming from 1942. Europe and WW2...A DIFFERENT VIEW TO THE WAR

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/14/23

Full Review

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Irving Pichel

Director

Monty Woolley

Howard

Roddy McDowall

Ronnie Cavanaugh

Otto Preminger

Major Diessen

Anne Baxter

Nicole Rougeron

J. Carrol Naish

Aristide Rougeron

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Theodore Strauss

New York Times

Irresistably entertaining.

Rated: 4/5

Aug 8, 2006

Full Review

Trevor Johnston

Time Out

Baxter falters as the mademoiselle who comes to their aid, but the film does well by an obviously contrived scenario.

Jun 24, 2006

Full Review

Jose Maria Santos

Cine-Mundial

The dramatic and tender moments of the movie are heightened by the performances of the child actors. [Full Review in Spanish]

Sep 19, 2019

Full Review

Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

Sentimental wartime story that never fully recovers from its contrivances.

Rated: B-

Jan 4, 2012

Full Review

Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Nominated for the Best Picture Oscar, Pied Piper is a sentimental but well acted propaganda film, made at the height of WWII.

Rated: B-

Mar 28, 2011

Full Review

TV Guide

A warm, loving, heart-tugging story.

Rated: 3.5/4

Oct 23, 2007

Full Review

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Synopsis

While on holiday in the south of France, an English curmudgeon named John Sidney Howard (Monty Woolley) winds up in serious trouble when he finds himself behind enemy lines with Nazis occupying large portions of the country. Howard, who dislikes children, reluctantly agrees to help a couple get their two, Ronnie (Roddy McDowall) and Sheila (Peggy Ann Garner), safely back to England. As Howard returns home, he picks up more kids and tries to stay a step ahead of the Nazis.

Director: Irving Pichel
Screenwriter: Nunnally Johnson, Nevil Shute
Distributor: 20th Century Fox
Production Co: 20th Century Fox
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 8, 1942, Original