Voyage of the Damned (1976)

The tragic 1939 voyage of SS St. Louis carrying hundreds of German Jewish refugees from Nazi Germany that seemingly no nation is willing to save from certain doom.

Director:

Stuart Rosenberg

Writers:

Steve Shagan (screenplay), David Butler (screenplay),

Stars:

Faye Dunaway, Oskar Werner, Lee Grant

Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 1 win & 6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Faye Dunaway	...	Denise Kreisler
Oskar Werner	...	Professor Egon Kreisler
Lee Grant	...	Lili Rosen
Sam Wanamaker	...	Carl Rosen
Lynne Frederick	...	Anna Rosen
David de Keyser	...	Joseph Joseph
Della McDermott	...	Julia Strauss
Genevieve West	...	Sarah Strauss
Luther Adler	...	Professor Weiler
Wendy Hiller	...	Rebecca Weiler
Julie Harris	...	Alice Fienchild
Nehemiah Persoff	...	Mr. Hauser
Maria Schell	...	Mrs. Hauser
Paul Koslo	...	Aaron Pozner
Jonathan Pryce	...	Joseph Manasse

Storyline

937 Jewish Germans are offered safe haven in Havana, Cuba, in 1939. They depart Hamburg in high spirits, looking forward to their new life. However, after weeks of unsuccessful pleas they are forced to return back to Europe.

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Plot Keywords:

nazi | jew | voyage | germany | ship | 

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Taglines:

In The Shadow of Death... [UK]

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Genres:

Drama | War

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 December 1976 (USA)

Also Known As:

El viaje de los malditos

Filming Locations:

Barcelona, Cataluña, Spain

Company Credits

Production Co:

Sir Lew Grade, Associated General Films, ITC Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

155 min 182 min (video)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Many PR handouts on the mircojacket of Robert Brown at BFI national Library say he is in this film but he cannot be seen in the final print

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Goofs

Several of the hairstyles worn by many of the actresses in the film are from the 70's, despite the fact that the events took place in 1939.

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Connections

Referenced in Frasier: Voyage of the Damned (1997)

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Soundtracks

"Green Eyes"
(uncredited)
Written by Adolfo Utrera and Nilo Menendez

User Reviews

A ship load of political pawns.

Based on a true story. In 1939, 1937 German-Jewish refugees fleeing Nazi Germany are bound for Cuba and asylum. Before reaching Cuba the ship is refused permission to dock and all visas revoked. After being told they could not dock anywhere else, the S.S. St. Louis must turn around and head back to Germany and certain death for its passengers. The captain(Max von Sydow)wants to fake a shipwreck off the coast of England, but another solution arises.

A tremendous all-star cast features:Faye Dunaway, Oskar Werner, Lee Grant, Jose Ferrer, Katherine Ross, Orson Welles, Lynne Frederick, Ben Gazzara, James Mason, Victor Spinetti and Malcolm McDowell. I was most impressed with Ross and Frederick. This film can bring on mild depression, but hope does win out in the end. I liked the finale showing important characters and their fate.