The Fighting Guerrillas (1943)

Chetniks! The Fighting Guerrillas is a war film made by Twentieth Century Fox in 1943. The film starred Philip Dorn, Anna Sten, and Martin Kosleck.

It was originally titled The Seventh Column and was directed by Louis King based on a story by Jack Andrews, who also co-wrote the screenplay. The film was produced by Sol M. Wurtzel and Bryan Foy. The film was announced in Boxoffice magazine in the May 30, 1942 issue: "'The Seventh Column,' a story based on exploits of General Draža Mihailović, Yugoslav guerilla leader." The movie appears in the American Film Institute (AFI) catalogue for American feature films made between 1941–1950.

The movie was advertised in an original print ad as follows:


"Announcing -- The most stirring picture released this year! Thrill follows thrill in this living drama...that flames out of today's electrifying headlines! This very moment...a Nazi troop train is being destroyed...! Live, love, fight with Draja Mihailovitch and his fighting guerrillas.

Synopsis

In the opening scene, German troops and tanks are shown invading the Kingdom of Yugoslavia while bombers attack the capital Belgrade. When the Germans, Italians, Hungarians, and Bulgarians invade Yugoslavia on 6 April 1941, Serbian army colonel Draža Mihailović forms a band of guerrillas known as the Chetniks, who launch a resistance movement against the Axis occupation. Mihailović's forces then engage in an attack on the German and Italian forces, forcing them to employ seven Axis divisions against them.

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