"Holocaust" (1978) TV mini-series 1978-

Seasons:

1

Release Date:

16 April 1978 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | History | Romance | War

Tagline:

The story of man's inhumanity to man.

Plot:

The saga of a Jewish family's struggle to survive the horror of Nazi Germany's systematic marginalization and extermination of their community.

Plot Keywords:

Nazi | Germany | Lawyer | Doctor | Piano

Awards:

Won 2 Golden Globes. Another 15 wins & 11 nominations

Cast

Joseph Bottoms	...	Rudi Weiss (4 episodes, 1978)
Tovah Feldshuh	...	Helena Slomova (4 episodes, 1978)
Rosemary Harris	...	Berta Palitz Weiss (4 episodes, 1978)
Tony Haygarth	...	Heinz Muller (4 episodes, 1978)
Michael Moriarty	...	Erik Dorf (4 episodes, 1978)
Deborah Norton	...	Marta Dorf (4 episodes, 1978)
George Rose	...	Franz Lowy / ... (4 episodes, 1978)
Robert Stephens	...	Uncle Kurt Dorf (4 episodes, 1978)
Sam Wanamaker	...	Moses Weiss (4 episodes, 1978)
David Warner	...	Heydrich / ... (4 episodes, 1978)
Fritz Weaver	...	Dr. Josef Weiss (4 episodes, 1978)
James Woods	...	Karl Weiss (4 episodes, 1978)
Charles Korvin	...	Dr. Kohn (4 episodes, 1978)
Stanley Lebor	...	Zalman (4 episodes, 1978)
Käte Jaenicke	...	Frau Lowy (4 episodes, 1978)
Tom Bell	...	Adolf Eichmann (3 episodes, 1978)
Meryl Streep	...	Inga Helms Weiss (3 episodes, 1978)
John Bailey	...	Hans Frank (3 episodes, 1978)
Michael Beck	...	Hans Helms (3 episodes, 1978)
T.P. McKenna	...	Blobel (3 episodes, 1978)
Cyril Shaps	...	Weinberg (3 episodes, 1978)
Ian Holm	...	Heinrich Himmler (2 episodes, 1978)
Lee Montague	...	Uncle Sasha (2 episodes, 1978)
Isolde Barth	...	Eva (2 episodes, 1978)
Vernon Dobtcheff	...	Karp (2 episodes, 1978)
Peter Garell	...	Yuri (2 episodes, 1978)
Werner Kreindl	...	Herr Helms (2 episodes, 1978)
Martin Brandt	...	Rabbi Karsh (2 episodes, 1978)
Edward Gilkrist	...	Peter Dorf - teen (2 episodes, 1978)
Courtney Hill	...	Laura Dorf - teen (2 episodes, 1978)
Nina Sandt	...	Frau Helms (2 episodes, 1978)
Blanche Baker	...	Anna Weiss (2 episodes, 1978)
Götz von Langheim	...	Berlin Doctor (2 episodes, 1978)
Jeremy Levy	...	Aaron Feldman (2 episodes, 1978)
Miriam Mahler	...	Woman with Infant (2 episodes, 1978)
Walter Scheuer	...	Prague Policeman (2 episodes, 1978)
Irene Prador	...	Maria Kalova (2 episodes, 1978)
George Pravda	...	Otto Felscher (2 episodes, 1978)
Bruno Thost	...	Kapo Melnick / ... (2 episodes, 1978)
Joe Trummer	...	Czech Jew (2 episodes, 1978)
Murray Salem	...	Analavitz (2 episodes, 1978)
Gabor Vernon	...	Rabbi Samuel (2 episodes, 1978)
Peter Vogel	...	Emil Frey (2 episodes, 1978)
Peter Weihs	...	Sacristan (2 episodes, 1978)
Marius Goring	...	Heinrich Palitz (2 episodes, 1978)
Kathina Kaiser	...	Sarah Ohlnick / ... (2 episodes, 1978)

Series Directed by
Marvin J. Chomsky		(4 episodes, 1978)

Series Writing credits
Gerald Green		(4 episodes, 1978)

Series Produced by
Pia Arnold	....	associate producer (4 episodes, 1978)
Robert Berger	....	producer (4 episodes, 1978)
Herbert Brodkin	....	executive producer (4 episodes, 1978)

Series Original Music by
Morton Gould		(4 episodes, 1978)

Series Cinematography by
Brian West		(4 episodes, 1978)

Series Film Editing by
Robert M. Reitano		(3 episodes, 1978)
Stephen A. Rotter		(3 episodes, 1978)
Alan Heim		(2 episodes, 1978)
Craig McKay		(2 episodes, 1978)

Series Casting by
Geoffrey Johnson		(3 episodes, 1978)

Series Production Design by
Wilfred Shingleton		(4 episodes, 1978)
Theodor Harisch		(unknown episodes)

Series Art Direction by
Theodor Harisch		(4 episodes, 1978)
Hans Jürgen Kiebach		(2 episodes, 1978)

Series Set Decoration by
Maxi Hareiter		(4 episodes, 1978)

Series Costume Design by
Edith Almoslino		(4 episodes, 1978)
Peggy Farrell		(4 episodes, 1978)

Series Makeup Department
Hasso von Hugo	....	makeup department head (unknown episodes)

Series Production Management
May Capsaski	....	unit manager (4 episodes, 1978)

Series Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Marijan David Vajda	....	assistant director (4 episodes, 1978)
Bruce S. Pustin	....	first assistant director (unknown episodes)

Series Art Department
Arbit Blatas	....	title drawings (4 episodes, 1978)
Adolf Nurschinger	....	property master (4 episodes, 1978)

Series Sound Department
Stan Bochner	....	sound re-recording mixer (4 episodes, 1978)
Dan Sable	....	sound editor (4 episodes, 1978)
Dick Vorisek	....	sound re-recording mixer (4 episodes, 1978)
Jim Willis	....	sound mixer (4 episodes, 1978)
Bernard Hayden	....	sound editor (3 episodes, 1978)
William S. Scharf	....	assistant sound editor (unknown episodes)

Series Special Effects by
Richard Richtsfeld	....	special effects (4 episodes, 1978)

Series Camera and Electrical Department
Gerhard Ehringer	....	gaffer (4 episodes, 1978)
Helmut Klee	....	gaffer (4 episodes, 1978)
Jimmy Turrell	....	camera operator (4 episodes, 1978)

Series Casting Department
Renate Arbes	....	casting: Europe (1 episode, 1978)
Marilyn Johnson	....	casting: England (1 episode, 1978)

Series Editorial Department
Irving Rathner	....	negative cutter (3 episodes, 1978)

Series Music Department
Richard Wagner	....	composer: stock music (1 episode, 1978)

Series Other crew
Angela Allen	....	continuity (4 episodes, 1978)
Thomas De Wolfe	....	production executive (4 episodes, 1978)
Georg Eisler	....	artist: Karl's artwork (4 episodes, 1978)
Leonhard Gmür	....	location manager (4 episodes, 1978)
Claire Lepselter	....	assistant: producers (4 episodes, 1978)
Judith Mullen	....	production secretary (4 episodes, 1978)
Helga Ploiner	....	auditor (4 episodes, 1978)
Bruce S. Pustin	....	production executive (4 episodes, 1978)
Osman Ragheb	....	dialogue coach (4 episodes, 1978)
Dieter Limbek	....	co-location manager (unknown episodes)

Production Companies

• Titus Productions

Distributors

• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1978) (USA) (TV)
• Revelation Films (2008) (UK) (DVD)
• Image Entertainment (1994) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• RTV (1995) (Estonia) (TV)
• CBS Video (2008) (USA) (DVD)
• Paramount Pictures (2008) (USA) (DVD)
• Dutch FilmWorks (DFW) (2009) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Elephant Films (2009) (France) (all media)
• FS Film Oy (2011) (Finland) (DVD)
• Future Film (2008) (Finland) (DVD)
• GoodTimes Home Video (1991) (USA) (VHS)
• Hitlab (2009) (Russia) (DVD)
• Home Video Hellas (HVH) (1985) (Greece) (VHS)
• Noble Entertainment (2009) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Polyband (2008) (Germany) (DVD)
• Prisvídeo (2009) (Portugal) (DVD)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2008) (Australia) (DVD)

Also Known As:

"Holocaust: The Story of the Family Weiss" - USA (alternative title)

Runtime:

475 min | USA:420 min (DVD) (2008) | Finland:448 min (DVD) (2008)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:M | Finland:K-18 (self applied) (2008) (DVD)

Filming Locations:

Austria

Company:

Titus Productions

Trivia:

Some Holocaust survivors have criticized the portrayal of Dr. Weiss after he becomes a prisoner of Auschwitz, because his character is portrayed as working on road gangs and paving crews. Jewish doctors in Auschwitz were almost always assigned to the camp infirmary and placed in the moral dilemma of serving under German doctors. These Jewish doctors endured an "agony of conscience" as they were ordered to help prevent the spread of disease from Jewish inmates to German captors, and also participate in medical experiments and, in some cases, even selections for the gas chambers.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Erik Dorf leaves his home to go to Heydrich's office on Crystal Night, he is wearing the insignia of an SS 2nd Lieutenant. When he shows up at the office, the insignia has changed to that of an SS 1st Lieutenant.

Quotes:

Rudi Weiss:Do you remember the first time we made love in Prague?
Helena Slomova:Don't embarrass me.
Rudi Weiss:It was beautiful. The best thing I ever knew in my life.
Helena Slomova:For me too.
Rudi Weiss:Now each time we're together. The wonder of it. Two people knowing each other so closely. Not just the bodies, the arms, the lips. It's as if God or nature or someone decided it had to be.
Helena Slomova:Rudi, there's a poet in you.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The 47th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards (1995) (TV)

Outstanding Miniseries

NBC's Holocaust is perhaps the finest miniseries I've seen on television. I purchased the two VHS set several years ago and watch it at least once a year over several nights. Holocaust features a large, excellent cast, which make up for emotion which they lack in depth. Sadly, the stories are all too familiar and have presented in one form or another, but what makes this series stand out is the fact that it was able to compress time and feature some of the best known events of the holocaust, such as Babi Yar, Sobibor and Warsaw Ghetto, seamlessly. The dual story lines tracking the Jewish Weiss family and the German Dorff family intertwine believably, and the graphic violence is appropriate for this production. Michael Moriarty was excellent as the meek lawyer who became a cold calculator and Rosemary Harris was memorable as the proud but stubborn Berta Weiss. Meryl Streep and James Woods also are noteworthy, and it's a delight to see both actors in early roles. I recall when Holocaust debuted it became a media event and school project, with study guides for classroom discussion. I wonder if some of the material was appropriate for some young audiences.