For the Common Defense!
“Another Crime Does Not Pay Subject”
Synopsis
This Crime Does Not Pay short shows how cooperation among all the nations of the Americas helps the war effort. In this case, a US government agent travels to Chile and Colombia. He works with local authorities to try to thwart an Axis plan to ship stolen ammunition.
Top Cast
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John Litel
Subprefect Santiago Castillo
Douglas Fowley
Dutch Mullner
Stephen McNally
Lt. Guytan
Van Johnson
Agent Pritchard
Egon Brecher
Adolph (uncredited)
Jacqueline Dalya
Buckley's girlfriend (uncredited)
Mark Daniels
MGM Crime Reporter (uncredited)
Steven Geray
Heinrich Ort (uncredited)
José Portugal
Officer (uncredited)
Release History & Theatrical Window
June 20, 1942
Wide Cinema Exhibition
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Allan Kenward
- Screenplay & Story
- John C. Higgins
- Original Title
- For the Common Defense!
- Country of Origin
- United States of America
- Spoken Languages
- English, Italian, Japanese, Spanish
- Runtime
- 22m
- Production Studios
- Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Allan Kenward
John C. Higgins
Jackson Rose
Jack Ruggiero
Department Leadership Roster
Allan Kenward
Director
John C. Higgins
Screenplay
Jackson Rose
Director of Photography
Jack Ruggiero
Editor
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
NR: Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.
International Certification Matrix
Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for For the Common Defense!.
Featured In Curated Collections
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Frequently Asked Questions About For the Common Defense!
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is For the Common Defense! about?
This Crime Does Not Pay short shows how cooperation among all the nations of the Americas helps the war effort. In this case, a US government agent travels to Chile and Colombia. He works with local authorities to try to thwart an Axis plan to ship stolen ammunition.
Who directed For the Common Defense!?
For the Common Defense! was directed by Allan Kenward.
Who stars in For the Common Defense!?
The principal cast of For the Common Defense! includes John Litel, Douglas Fowley, Stephen McNally, Van Johnson, Egon Brecher.
When was For the Common Defense! released and how long is it?
For the Common Defense! was released in 1942 with a total runtime of 22m.
What is the age rating and content advisory for For the Common Defense!?
For the Common Defense! holds official age classifications: US: NR (Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.).