(JTA) - While the United States swung its door shut to most refugees during World War II, a young American in France saved thousands, including some of the 20th century's defining artists and thinkers - such as Marc Chagall and Hannah Arendt - from the Nazis.

The rescue mission of Varian Fry, which went largely unrecognized during his life, is the subject of Netflix's new drama "Transatlantic," from "Unorthodox" creator Anna Winger.

Starring Cory Michael Smith as Fry, the seven-episode "Transatlantic" aims to recreate his operation in Marseille after the Nazis defeated France and before the Un...