49th Parallel (film)

49th Parallel
original Belgian film poster
Directed by	Michael Powell
Produced by	Michael Powell John Sutro (Managing director of An Ortus Film Production)
Written by	Original Story and Screenplay by Emeric Pressburger Scenario by Rodney Ackland and Emeric Pressburger
Starring	Leslie Howard Laurence Olivier Raymond Massey Anton Walbrook Eric Portman
Music by	Ralph Vaughan Williams Musical Director Muir Mathieson with The London Symphony Orchestra
Cinematography	Frederick Young, F.R.P.S.
Edited by	David Lean
Distributed by	General Film Distributors LTD. (UK) Columbia Pictures (US)
Release date	October 8, 1941 (United Kingdom; London premiere) November 24, 1941 (United Kingdom) March 5, 1942 (United States; New York City premiere) April 15, 1942 (United States)
Running time	123 minutes
Country	UK
Language	English
Budget	£120,000 (est.)
Box office	£250,000 (in Britain) $5 million (US/Canada)

49th Parallel is a 1941 British war drama film; it was the third film made by the British writer-director team of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger. It was released in the United States as The Invaders. Despite the title, no scene in the film is set at the 49th parallel, which forms much of the Canada–United States border. The only border scene is at Niagara Falls, which is further south.

The British Ministry of Information approached Michael Powell to make a propaganda film for them, suggesting he make "a film about mine-sweeping". Instead, Powell decided to make a different film to help sway opinion in the neutral United States. Said Powell, "I hoped it might scare the pants off the Americans [and thus bring them into the war]". Screenwriter Emeric Pressburger remarked, "Goebbels considered himself an expert on propaganda, but I thought I'd show him a thing or two". After persuading the British and Canadian governments, Powell started location filming in 1940.

The original choice to play the German officer, Lieutenant Hirth, was Archers' stalwart Esmond Knight but he had joined the Royal Navy on the outbreak of war.Anton Walbrook as "Peter" donated half his fee to the International Red Cross.Raymond Massey, Laurence Olivier and Leslie Howard all agreed to work at half their normal fee, because they felt it was an important propaganda film. This is the only time that Canadian-born Massey played a Canadian on screen.

Early in the Second World War, U-37, a German U-boat, makes its way to Canadian waters and participates in fictional anti-shipping activities similar to those of the later Battle of the St. Lawrence. The U-boat evades RCN and RCAF patrols by moving north. A raiding party of six Nazi sailors are put ashore to obtain supplies but soon after, the U-boat is sunk in Hudson Bay by RCAF bombers. The six attempt to evade capture by travelling across Canada to reach the neutral United States and return to Germany.