Actors and Spies

Inspired by true events. A young HILDA KRUEGER, age 11, Berlin, makes faces at herself in the reflection of her bedroom window. She raises her arm in the Nazi salute. London, November 1940. A bomb goes off and Hilda, now in her 20’s, wakes up to dust falling down on her face in her London apartment. She runs to the window to see an air raid from the LUFTWAFFE. Later on in the day she is at her dialect lesson to shake her thick German accent and improve her English. This is all so she can be an actress. At her audition as the rumbles get closer and stronger, the DIRECTOR cuts the audition short, but takes the time to tell Hilda to work on her accent or settle for German parts.

FRITZ WEIDDEMAN, a Nazi spy, early 40’s, finds Hilda and chases her into a bomb shelter. Bombs are being dropped. Fritz saves Hilda from a bomb and convinces to become a Nazi spy hiding in the U.S. He promises to help her with her acting career. Fritz drives to a field where an airplane is waiting to take them to the U.S. When she arrives at her new L.A. apartment, Hilda is dazzled by its size and a closet full of dresses and shoes. All compliments of Goebbels and Weiddeman. She begins her training with Fritz. First with her English then with her shooting.

MARIO RODRIGUEZ interviews with a local newspaper company. He draws political cartoons, but isn’t happy when the staffer asks him to tone down his political ideas in his art in order to work there and for the sake of not offending the Germans. Both in his visual and performance art, Mario tries to bring attention to the killing of innocent people in Germany, but his staged performance in the park falls on the deaf ears of one woman listening. His friend and fellow performer, GUSTAVO, tries to cheer him up. Later, while in his apartment, Mario receives a surprise visit from FBI agent CLINT. He recruits Mario into helping him in an operation taking place in Los Angeles. Mario’s mentions of German infiltration into American and Mexican affairs has piqued the FBI’s interest. Mario agrees to help.

Even after meeting big Hollywood filmmakers, Hilda and Fritz are still having trouble finding her work in Hollywood. Hilda’s accent is to blame. Mario is at the party too and sees the opportunity to entice Hilda into coming to Mexico. He almost misses his chance but recovers by crashing his car in front of Hilda. Mario charms her into agreeing to meet for a screentest. Hilda starts to fantasize of making movies in Mexico.

Fritz reminds her of her obligation to the Fuhrer.They seek help from, BAASCH, a principal at a German school. She points out who in the Mexican government would be sympathetic to their cause. She arranges a dinner for Hilda and Fritz to meet the Mexican Secretary of State, MIGUEL ALEMAN. Baasch is worried about Fritz drinking too much at the dinner. Hilda invites Mario to the dinner. Mario makes a scene by voicing his political opinions in front of everyone. Fritz suspects Mario is a spy. He demands Hilda take care of him. She comes up with a plan to poison him.

Hilda brings Mario a bottle of wine that she has secretly laced with Ricin. Mario takes a sip, unknowingly poisoning himself. In a rush to save himself, Mario forces himself to vomit and dials the operator for help. All the while, Hilda attends a classical concert with Aleman. Agents get to Mario in time with the antidote. In the car, Hilda seduces Aleman while making him promise his loyalty. After his near-death experience, Mario doesn’t want to continue the mission. Clint convinces him to stay.
Later, Mario and Gustavo come up with an idea to put a play together that showcases what’s happening in Germany.

They interview, MONA, a German defector living in Mexico. Hilda tells Fritz of where to find the traitor, Mona. He takes care of her by shooting her in the head. The play seems to gain some attention when Hilda has Aleman invite reporters, but it is a flop when Mona fails to show up. Hilda gets scared after seeing Fritz in the crowd and purposely acts badly on stage. Mario is crushed he has failed once again. Everyone meets up for drinks. While in the bar, Mario gets an idea after watching Fritz in a drunken rage telling off reporters. He sets up a dinner with TERESA in order to get Fritz drunk and talking. It works and Fritz starts yelling at everyone about being a spy. Now everyone must die because they know too much.

Teresa runs for her life, but Fritz and Hilda catch up to her. Fritz takes aim, but Hilda’s guilt takes over and turns the car around. Teresa barely escapes with her life. Hilda and Fritz’s covers are blown and have leave town. Fritz and Aleman arrange a marriage between Hilda and IGNACIO. As they leave Aleman’s house, Mario follows them. He tries to arrest them, but Hilda pulls her gun out and fires at him. Mario struggles for the gun and Ignacio speeds away. Mario goes to the police in hopes of getting the attention of the government. After being interrogated, Mario is taken to the German embassy. He finally has his chance to plead his case to someone with power, PRESIDENT CARDENAS. The German ambassador, OTTO LANG, and Clint are also there. Lang denies any German interference in the Mexican government or the killing of innocent people in concentration camps. Cardenas isn’t fully convinced by Mario and Clint.

Hilda has a new assignment. Fritz informs her of a planned attack. A U-boat is targeted and blown up at Fritz’s command. Lang tries to blame the United States for the attack. Aleman realizes Cardenas can blackmail him and confesses that he knows Hilda’s location. Cardenas kicks Lang out and ends Mexico’s alliance with Germany. Fritz, Hilda, and Ignacio carry out another attack themselves. Hilda must prove her loyalty in order to gain her freedom by being the one to pull the trigger on the bomb, but she’s having second thoughts and her guilt sets in. Fritz tries to pressure her into following through with the plan. She can’t go through with it and in a struggle with Fritz she tosses the bomb into the lake and it explodes over the lake.

Ignacio flees and Fritz and Hilda are arrested. She swears she had no choice but to follow orders. Mario and the other agents have no evidence against them and are let go. She thinks her spy life is over, but she sees both Fritz and Mario at a premiere event in Mexico. Mario later catches up with her in New York. She tries to confess, but Mario can’t do anything now that he’s no longer an agent.

Hilda finds Fritz and approaches him. She threatens him, Fritz is overly confident she won’t do anything. She doesn’t. When Fritz arrives home, he is shot four times and dies. Mario is the one holding the smoking gun. Hilda waits for him in the car. She tries to double cross him too, but the gun jams. They drive off into the sunset as they watch road and each other.