Summary
In the shadow of the Great War, the Pfeiffer and Block households serve as a microcosm for a divided America. Carl Pfeiffer and Henry Block, two German immigrants who have built successful lives in the United States, find their decades-long friendship pushed to the breaking point by conflicting loyalties. While Henry is a vocal patriot for his adopted home, Carl remains emotionally tethered to the Fatherland, a sentimentality that blinds him to the darker machinations of the conflict. The tension escalates from domestic bickering to national tragedy when Carl’s son, William, enlists in the U.S. Army. Carl, manipulated by the predatory German agent Miller, unwittingly finances an act of sabotage that targets the very ship carrying his son to the front lines. What follows is a harrowing journey of realization, as Carl must confront the consequences of his misguided allegiance and work with his old rival—and the Secret Service—to bring a saboteur to justice. The film culminates in a desperate race to rectify a father’s mistake, ultimately forging a new, singular identity for the Pfeiffer family.
Synopsis
Carl Pfeiffer and Henry Block, who emigrated from Germany to the United States, have become prosperous and argumentative. When the World War breaks out, Henry is one hundred percent American while Carl's loyalties are divided between his adopted country and his native land. William Pfeiffer, Carl's son, enlists in the U. S. Army, deeply disturbing his father, who is persuaded by Miller, a German agent, to contribute money to the German cause. Miller uses the money to place a saboteur on the troopship to which William is assigned. The saboteur disables the ship, and Carl receives a report that as a consequence William has been killed. William turns up unharmed, however, and Carl and Henry set out to capture Miller with the help of Hilda Schwartz, a Secret Service agent. After Miller is finally captured, William marries June Block, Henry's beautiful daughter, with the happy consent of the old friends, who now agree completely in their loyalty to the United States.
