Anybody else feel like there were subtle references to the Nazis? I did when the German shareholder started talking about buying all the shares and then putting soldiers in the tunnel and ending the peace. I also think he specifically mentioned blowing up the tunnel. Anyway, I got the feeling that the filmmaker had a vision of events in the near future and was alluding that Germany would be the cause.
shareHitler re-enforced and rearmed Germany's military in 1935, against the treaty of Versailles. Many in England at the time thought this was a good idea, that the treaty was too tough on Germany anyway, (if only they had known). The US was having police trained by the Nazis SS as late as the late 30's. Prior to this police here usually wore tan shoes. After this period you'll see state "troopers" wear the black high top "storm trooper" boots and a uniform that was more military in nature. You can still see Nazi influence today.
The German investor was an arms and munitions dealer. People at the time of the film would have assumed he made his fortune selling to Hitler and others - he was worried about investing, since his customers would probably blow the thing up. In the end I figure he killed his US partner, so probably owned most all the tunnel.
Definitely! Hitler became Chancellor in 1933, and although he didn't annex Czechoslovakia until 1939, he was still seen as a menace and potential threat to Britain. I'm not sure of the timeline, but even before Hitler declared war on England, many Brits were looking to the U.S. for aid/backup.
The U.S. wasn't officially involved in WW II until the Pearl Harbor attack in 1941, but some Americans (including President Roosevelt, whose asinine economic policies were failing miserably) encouraged U.S. alliance with Britain. But since most Americans didn't want to get involved in Europe's issues, the British had to undertake a bit of cajoling. I'm sure that explains much of the film's "unity of the English-speaking peoples" and "'secure peace for the world" rhetoric.