Voyage of the Damned (1976)

Director:

Stuart Rosenberg

Writers:

Steve Shagan (screenplay) and
David Butler (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

22 December 1976 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | War

Tagline:

In The Shadow of Death... [UK]

Plot:

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.

Plot Keywords:

Nazi | Jew | Voyage | Germany | Ship

Awards:

Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 1 win & 6 nominations

Cast

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
Brian Gilbert	...	Laurenz Schulman
Georgina Hale	...	Lotte Schulman
Adele Strong	...	Mrs. Schulman
Milo Sperber	...	Rabbi
Max von Sydow	...	Captain Schroeder (as Max Von Sydow)
Malcolm McDowell	...	Max Gunter
Helmut Griem	...	Otto Schiendick
Keith Barron	...	Purser Mueller
Anthony Higgins	...	Seaman Heinz Berg
Ian Cullen	...	Steinman, Radio Officer
Donald Houston	...	Dr. Glauner
David Daker	...	First Officer
Constantine Gregory	...	Navigation Officer (as Constantin de Goguel)
Don Henderson	...	Engineering Officer
Ina Skriver	...	Singer
Orson Welles	...	José Estedes
James Mason	...	Dr. Juan Remos
Katharine Ross	...	Mira Hauser
Victor Spinetti	...	Dr. Erich Strauss
Michael Constantine	...	Luis Clasing
José Ferrer	...	Manuel Benitez
Ben Gazzara	...	Morris Troper
Fernando Rey	...	President Bru
Bernard Hepton	...	Milton Goldsmith
Günter Meisner	...	Robert Hoffman (as Guenter Meisner)
Marika Rivera	...	Madame in Bordello
Janet Suzman	...	Leni Strauss
Frederick Jaeger	...	Werner Mannheim
Denholm Elliott	...	Admiral Canaris
Leonard Rossiter	...	Commander Von Bonin
Philip Stone	...	Secretary
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Luis Ciges	...	President Bru's Secretary (uncredited)
Carl Duering	...	German Ambassador (uncredited)
Harry Fielder	...	Refugee on Ship (uncredited)
Laura Gemser	...	Estedes' Friend (uncredited)
Robin Halstead	...	S.S. Photographer (uncredited)
Bernard Kaye	...	Harbour Pilot (uncredited)
Antonio Lara	...	Journalist (uncredited)
Tom Laughlin	...	Engineering Officer (uncredited)
Gary McDermott	...	Koster - Helmsman (uncredited)
Vikki Richards	...	(uncredited)

Directed by
Stuart Rosenberg

Writing credits
Steve Shagan		(screenplay) and
David Butler		(screenplay)
Gordon Thomas		based on the book "Voyage of the Damned" &
Max Morgan Witts		book "Voyage of the Damned" (as Max Morgan-Witts)

Produced by
Robert Fryer	....	producer
William Hill	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Lalo Schifrin

Cinematography by
Billy Williams

Film Editing by
Tom Priestley
Desmond Saunders		(uncredited)

Casting by
Miriam Brickman

Production Design by
Wilfred Shingleton

Art Direction by
Jack Stephens

Set Decoration by
Francisco Prósper		(settings) (uncredited)

Costume Design by
Phyllis Dalton

Makeup Department
Eric Allwright	....	makeup artist
Linda DeVetta	....	makeup artist (as Linda Devetta)
Susan Germaine	....	hair stylist: Ms. Dunaway
Betty Glasow	....	hair stylist
Ramon Gow	....	hair stylist
Lee Harman	....	makeup artist: Ms. Dunaway (as Lee Harmon)

Production Management
Malcolm J. Christopher	....	production manager (as Malcolm Christopher)
Luis Roberts	....	production supervisor: Spain

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
David Tringham	....	assistant director

Art Department
Terry Apsey	....	construction manager
Ron Burkett	....	supervising painter
Cliff Robinson	....	set dresser
Terry Wells	....	stand-by property master (uncredited)

Sound Department
Derek Ball	....	sound recordist
Dino Di Campo	....	sound editor
William Trent	....	sound editor (as Bill Trent)
Doug E. Turner	....	dubbing mixer (as Doug Turner)
Nigel Galt	....	assistant sound editor (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Jack Conroy	....	supervising electrician
David Harcourt	....	camera operator
John Harris	....	additional location photographer
David Wynn-Jones	....	assistant camera
John Hardman	....	still photographer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Betty Adamson	....	wardrobe supervisor
John Hilling	....	wardrobe supervisor
Jennie Tate	....	assistant costume designer

Editorial Department
Bob Mullen	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Milton Lustig	....	music editor

Other crew
Pamela Carlton	....	continuity
John Dodds	....	runner
Frank Ernst	....	location manager: Spain
Ann Ford	....	assistant to producer
Lew Grade	....	presenter (as Sir Lew Grade)
Richard Green	....	location manager: UK
Brian Harris	....	production accountant
Franklin R. Levy	....	executive production coordinator
Iris Rose	....	production assistant
Roy H. Wagner	....	production assistant (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Sir Lew Grade (presents)
• Associated General Films (for)
• ITC Entertainment
• Robert Fryer Production

Distributors

• ITC (1976) (UK) (theatrical)
• Carlton Video (2000) (UK) (VHS)
• Network (2006) (UK) (DVD)
• AVCO Embassy Pictures (1976) (USA) (theatrical)
• Adams Filmi (1977) (Finland) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1981) (USA) (TV)
• Artisan Entertainment (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• Atlantic Film (2000) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Avid Home Video (1992) (USA) (VHS)
• Avid Home Video (1998) (USA) (VHS)
• Concorde Home Entertainment (2007) (Germany) (DVD)
• Divisa Home Video (2011) (Spain) (DVD)
• Elephant Films (2006) (France) (all media)
• Finnkino (1997) (Finland) (VHS)
• Future Film (2003) (Finland) (DVD)
• Live Home Video (1992) (USA) (VHS)
• Seven7 (2006) (France) (DVD)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (1984) (Finland) (TV)

Other Companies

• Berman's and Nathan's  costumes (as Bermans & Nathans LTD)
• Panavision UK  lenses and Panaflex® Camera by (as Panavision)
• Rank Film Laboratories  processed by
• Thorn EMI Elstree Studios  studio (as EMI Studios, Elstree, Hartfordshire, England)
• De Lane Lea Sound Centre  sound re-recording (as De Lane Lea, London)
• Sicula Oceana  M.V. Irpinia chartered from (as Sicula Oceana, S.A.)
• David Halsey Marine  M.V. Irpinia chartered via (as David Halsey Marine, London)
• Elstree Film & Television Studios  movie studio

Also Known As:

Runtime:

155 min | USA:182 min (video version)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Canada:PG (Ontario) | Iceland:12 | Singapore:PG | Argentina:16 | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | Spain:18 | UK:AA (original rating) | UK:PG (video rating) (1986) | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Barcelona, Cataluña, Spain

Company:

Sir Lew Grade

Trivia:

Ben Aris was cut out of this film

Goofs:

Anachronisms: Outside the German Army HQ in late 1930s Hamburg, a 1970s red London bus drives past.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Brady Bunch Variety Hour: Episode #1.5" (1977)

Soundtrack:

G'schichten aus dem Wienerland

A Voyage Never to Forget ****

Phenomenal and grossly under-rated film dealing with 937 Jewish people allowed to flee the terror of Nazi Germany in 1939 by going on the St. Louis which was bound for Havana.

The truth be told, the Nazis had no intention of allowing the boat to land successfully. Rather they were going to use this trip to show that no one wanted the Jews and therefore when they would destroy them, no one would care or have the right to care.

The picture has a terrific cast in this ill-fated adventure.

For a second time, Oskar Werner, so memorable as the Dr. Willie in "Ship of Fools," plays another doctor, but this time a Jewish one. Along with his wife,Faye Dunaway, they are passengers. Of course, it's hard to fathom Miss Dunaway as Jewish.

Sam Wanamaker and Lee Grant are a couple fleeing from persecution by the Gestapo. Grant's acting in a pivotal scene by cutting off her hair was Oscar made,and while she received the only acting nomination in the film, she lost to Beatrice Straight's "Network." It should also be noted that Straight's time on the screen was even more brief that Grant. Grant's brief performance was probably her best, even better than in "Shampoo," the film that gave her the supporting Oscar the year before.

While the boat is drifting along, we see the players in Cuba either desperately trying to help the unfortunate Jews or corrupt officials in the Cuban government who played along with the Nazis for their own selfish economic interests.

Wendy Hiller and Luther Adler have their moments as an elderly Jewish couple. It's also hard to conceive Hiller as Jewish until she rips her garment in the traditional way when a death occurs. Hard to envision a Jewish funeral at sea with the Nazi swastika swerving on the ship.

Ben Gazzara is brilliant as a Jewish operative desperately trying to free the passengers. He goes all over the world and uncovers nothing more than frustration. Only a last minute reprieve saved the passengers from returning to Germany. Many of those however wound up perishing in countries invaded by Germany during the war.

This brilliant film serves as a reminder to the moral decay of the 1930s and that nations did little to stop the Nazi menace from the killing of 6 million innocents.

It is amazing that this film does not rank up there with "Ship of Fools," or even "Schindler's List."