A World War II Hollywood propaganda film detailing the dark underside of Nazism and the Third Reich set between two brothers, Kurt and Erik Franken, who are SS officers in the Nazi party. Kurt learns and exposes the evils of the system to Erik and tries to convince him of the immoral stance that marches under the symbol of the swastika.—Anonymous
In current day Berlin, the Frankens believe they are all patriotic Germans, but each family member probably has a slightly different view of what that actually means to him or her without saying so to the others. Dr. and Frau Franken, old school Germans, just want the health, happiness and safety of themselves and their loved ones. Away in battle, Kurt Franken, one of their sons, is a Nazi soldier, he following and believing everything the party does in the name of Germany. And Eric Franken, their other son, does his part in the war effort in working at a chemical institute. However, what Eric has not told anyone in the family is that he is part of an underground group that disseminates "the truth" countering the official reports, namely the Nazi propaganda. Although the underground clandestinely distribute leaflets, they probably reach the most people via their illegal radio broadcasts, Eric the voice of those broadcasts. The Gestapo, led by Colonel Heller, is trying to flush out the members of the underground, largely using the tactic of making the connection from known or suspected members to the rest of the network, he not averse to torturing any suspect to get them to talk. What he doesn't know is how widespread the network actually is with one working in his own office. Things get more complicated for the underground network and especially Eric when Kurt makes an unexpected "medical" issue permanent return home, in turn unknowingly falling for one of Eric's fellow underground members, Sylvia Helmuth, a violinist who often has to take on the dangerous tasks in the public light.—Huggo
Set in Berlin, Nazi Germany in mid 1941, Eric Franken (Philip Dorn) works with the German underground to broadcast anti-Nazi information over the radio to the German people. When his younger brother Kurt (Jeffery Lynn), a soldier, returns home after losing his left arm in battle, Eric must double his efforts to hide his activities. On the night of Kurt's return, the family is visited by an old friend, Gustav Müller, who has been saddened by the death of his son in the war on the battleship Bismarck. Kurt, who is convinced of the nobility of the German cause, accuses the grieving man of being unpatriotic.
Eric has planned a broadcast for that evening and, intending to sneak out of the house, leaves for his room. Kurt follows him and, noticing a phone number for Sylvia Helmuth (Kaaren Verne), another member of the underground, teases Eric about his "girl friend." After Kurt leaves, Eric drives with the others to a location in the countryside. While he broadcasts from a studio hidden in a tow truck, the Gestapo zeros in on their location. Warned by Fraulein Gessner (Mona Maris), an operative inside Gestapo headquarters, the group is able to escape but is forced to burn the truck and destroy the radio equipment.
Hoping to trap the members of the group, Colonel Heller (Martin Kosleck), the Gestapo officer in charge of the local district, orders the release of their former associate, Hoffman (Wolfgang Zilzer), from a concentration camp. They force Hoffman to set up a meeting in the cafe where Sylvia plays the violin. The group is warned of the trap, but two of its members are killed in the escape.
Meanwhile, Kurt has introduced himself to Sylvia and is very attracted to her. When she tries to pick up new radio equipment, Kurt insists on accompanying her despite her efforts to dissuade him. The Gestapo is waiting and Sylvia is arrested and tortured. She reveals nothing, however, and learning of Kurt's romantic interest in her, Heller asks him to win Sylvia's confidence and report on her activities. Kurt is deeply disturbed by the treatment Sylvia received from the Gestapo, but believing her to be innocent, he agrees. Eventually, he tells her that he has been watching her and begs her to go away with him. While they talk, however, Kurt realizes that she is in fact a member of the underground and leaves her house.
At home, Eric questions Kurt, determined to kill his own brother if necessary to defend the underground, but Kurt admits that he can never betray Sylvia because he loves her too much. Hoping to warn Sylvia of the danger, Kurt visits her one more time and sees her leave with other underground members. After Kurt informs Heller, he rushes Sylvia away and learns for the first time that Eric is one of the people he has betrayed when he sees Eric being arrested and taken away with the other underground members.
A distraught Kurt wants to tell Eric that he did not know of his brother's involvement, but Gessner convinces him that he can be of more use to Eric if he pretends that he willingly turned in his own brother. Kurt agrees to join the underground and allow Eric to die believing that he betrayed him, but on the day of the execution, Kurt broadcasts illegally over speakers at the execution site and, by reciting part of a motto that has always hung in the Franken home, lets Eric know that he will continue his work.
