This ripped-from-the-headlines melodrama achieved its fame (similar to the l950's "The Bad Seed") mainly due to its spectacular, take-no-prisoners lead performance by its child actor. 'Skippy' Homeier, (later just plain Skip as he moved on to adult roles) portrayed a German war orphan adopted by his American uncle (Frederic March) and brought to the States to live with his uncle's family.
For anyone who revels in stories where sociopathic chaos invades an innocent Americana setting, (a la Hitchcock's "Shadow Of A Doubt") here's where the real fun begins. Skippy arrives in his new apple pie suburban home as a full fledged, rabidly antisemitic Hitler Youth, complete with the rotted, maliciously depraved soul of a Nazi coward and bully.
Young Homeier, much like Patty McCormack in "The Bad Seed" didn't do much to modulate or tone down his stage performance for the film camera. Skippy goes for broke here, playing this odious little fascist worm loud enough and over-the-top enough to reach the cheapest seats in the upper balcony. Watching this performance today, you could either laugh hysterically as if Skippy's doing a goose-stepping version of Frank N Furter in "Rocky Horror", or like most audiences, you might want to leap into the screen so you can personally bitch-slap him to death.
Skippy, disgusted and appalled at his new life in the Land Of The Free, naturally goes on a villainous hate-spewing rampage through his horrified community, culminating with his almost murderous attack on his kindly young cousin, March's daughter. This becomes the last straw for the rest of the cast.....the neighborhood kids administer (to the audience's delight) a deeply satisfying beatdown on Skippy's ass and March prepares to turn the Hitler mini-me over to the cops.
But hold on.....the script does have a higher purpose than having you cheer on while this kid gets the crap beat out of him. Keep in mind, this was a 1944 play with a deeper message in mind......and when this tormented boy's surprising, poignant backstory is revealed.....you understand you've been watching an attack on the ideology involved rather than this pathetic kid who literally embraced it like a life preserver.
Skip Homeier went on to a busy career in films, but mostly as a character actor and not a leading man. Unfortunately his unforgettable work in "Tomorrow The World!" forever earmarked him as a villain and he toiled through countless movies as a sneering, untrustworthy henchman.
And the BQ couldn't help but remember Skip's jaw-dropping role a few weeks ago when we watched some ridiculous White House minion, sent out to fume and rant his way through the Sunday morning network news discussions. Like a taller, balder little Nazi-fied Skippy, he actually declared that his fearless Leader's authority was...uh....'not to be questioned.' Chills ran through us.....this wasn't an old black-and-white movie on TCM, comfortably watched on a rainy afternoon....it was the real scary thing. And unlike our Skippy, we doubt there'd be any justifiable backstory to explain this idiot carrying on like a low level Gestapo underling. After a while, we hoped he'd try to open the Lost Ark Of The Covenant and watch his face melt.......
As for Skip Homeier and his vividly iconic work in "Tomorrow The World!".....it's another one of those one-of-a-kind moments in wartime cinema not to be missed....4 stars (****)
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