Bagdad Cafe (1987) Out of Rosenheim (original title)

Director:

Percy Adlon

Writers:

Percy Adlon (screenplay)
Percy Adlon (story)
(more)

Release Date:

22 April 1988 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

Stuck between a rock and a hot plate.

Plot:

A lonely German woman ends up in the most desolated motel on earth and decides to make it brighter.

Plot Keywords:

Desert | Motel | Magic | Painting | Restaurant

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 13 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Marianne Sägebrecht	...	Jasmin Münchgstettner
CCH Pounder	...	Brenda
Jack Palance	...	Rudi Cox
Christine Kaufmann	...	Debby
Monica Calhoun	...	Phyllis
Darron Flagg	...	Salomo
George Aguilar	...	Cahuenga
G. Smokey Campbell	...	Sal
Hans Stadlbauer	...	Münchgstettner
Alan S. Craig	...	Eric
Apesanahkwat	...	Sheriff Arnie
Ronald Lee Jarvis	...	Trucker Ron
Mark Daneri	...	Trucker Mark
Ray Young	...	Trucker Ray
Gary Lee Davis	...	Trucker Gary

Directed by
Percy Adlon

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Eleonore Adlon		screenplay
Percy Adlon		screenplay
Percy Adlon		story
Christopher Doherty		screenplay

Produced by
Eleonore Adlon	....	line producer
Eleonore Adlon	....	producer
Percy Adlon	....	producer
Dietrich von Watzdorf	....	producer: BR

Original Music by
Bob Telson

Cinematography by
Bernd Heinl		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Norbert Herzner

Casting by
Jerold Franks
Al Onorato

Art Direction by
Bernt Amadeus Capra

Set Decoration by
Byrnadette DiSanto

Costume Design by
Regine Bätz
Elizabeth Warner Nankin		(as Elizabeth Warner)

Makeup Department
Lizbeth Williamson	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Bastian Clevé	....	production manager
Llewellyn Wells	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Helenka Hummel	....	first assistant director (as Helenka Hummel-Hinderks)
Marc Pickett	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Aram Allan	....	set carpenter
Christian Bachet	....	construction foreman
Johnna Butler	....	lead man (as Joanna Butler)
Robert Campbell	....	painter
Bob Hickson	....	painter
Ollie Olausson	....	property master

Sound Department
Manfred Arbter	....	studio sound mixer
Heiko Hinderks	....	production sound mixer
Martin Langer	....	boom operator
Martin Peglau	....	boom operator

Camera and Electrical Department
Felix O. Adlon	....	second assistant camera
Rick Barham	....	electrician
Dieter Bockmeier	....	key grip
Peter Iovino	....	still photographer
Wolfram Kratz	....	gaffer
Gerd Zimmermann	....	grip

Editorial Department
Bob Kaiser	....	color timer
Evelyn Lukas	....	assistant film editor

Music Department
Darron Flagg	....	soloist
William Galison	....	musician: harmonica
Tiberio Nascimento	....	musician: guitar solo
Jearlyn Steele	....	soloist
Jevetta Steele	....	soloist
Bob Telson	....	musician: keyboard
Tommy Joe White	....	soloist

Other crew
Doug Connett	....	production secretary
Mickey Cottrell	....	unit publicist
Michael Donaldson	....	legal service
Walter Kruska	....	magic coach
George Lakes	....	location auditor
Abby Logan	....	location manager
Abby Logan	....	location teacher
Gabriele Rettermayer	....	administration staff
Gabriele Rettermayer	....	production staff
Cynthia Rolfe	....	script supervisor
Lalarry Smith	....	production runner
Inge Topp	....	administration staff
Inge Topp	....	travel service
Harold Voit	....	magic service

Thanks
Bill Davis	....	acknowledgment
Jerry Kaplan	....	acknowledgment
Jerry Kaplan	....	special thanks
Elizabeth Masely	....	acknowledgment
Elizabeth Masely	....	special thanks
Carl Mon	....	acknowledgment
Carl Mon	....	special thanks
Cherie Myers	....	acknowledgment
Cherie Myers	....	special thanks
Rich Stock	....	acknowledgment
Rich Stock	....	special thanks
Robert Waltman	....	acknowledgment
Robert Waltman	....	special thanks
Randy Wanner	....	acknowledgment
Randy Wanner	....	special thanks
John Wells	....	acknowledgment
John Wells	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Bayerischer Rundfunk (BR)
• Hessischer Rundfunk (HR)
• Pelemele Film
• Pro-ject Filmproduktion

Distributors

• Filmverlag der Autoren (1987) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Kinowelt Home Entertainment (2000) (Germany) (VHS)
• Kinowelt Home Entertainment (2002) (Germany) (DVD)
• Kinowelt Home Entertainment (2007) (Germany) (DVD)
• Kinowelt Home Entertainment (2009) (Germany) (DVD)
• Cineplex Odeon Films (1988) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Imagica TV (2009) (Japan) (theatrical) (director's cut)
• Island Pictures (1988) (USA) (theatrical) (dubbed)
• Kuzui Enterprises (1989) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Mainline Pictures (1988) (UK) (theatrical)
• Arrow Films (2002) (UK) (DVD)
• Cineplex-Odeon Home Video (1988) (Canada) (video)
• Emerald (2007) (Argentina) (DVD) (special edition)
• MCA (1988) (Canada) (video)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
• Shout! Factory (2013) (USA) (DVD)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2002) (Australia) (DVD)
• Virgin Vision (1988) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)

Other Companies

• Great Jones Records  soundtrack
• Otto Nemenz International  furniture

Also Known As:

"Out of Rosenheim" - West Germany (original title)

Runtime:

95 min | Germany:108 min

Country:

West Germany | USA

Language:

English | German

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

Finland:S | France:U | Spain:T | Sweden:Btl | UK:PG | USA:PG | West Germany:12 (f) | Iceland:L | Argentina:Atp | Australia:PG | Brazil:Livre | Netherlands:AL (DVD rating) | Germany:12 (DVD rating) | Portugal:M/12 (Qualidade)

Filming Locations:

Bagdad, California, USA

Company:

Bayerischer Rundfunk (BR)

Trivia:

When Brenda is on a rant in the parking lot of the motel, she exits the scene to the left and then reenters to the right having walked through the fourth wall behind the camera.

Quotes:

Brenda:Now why would you want to leave?
Debby:Too much harmony.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Sun King (2005)

Soundtrack:

Brenda Brenda

Magic in the desert and music by Bach

"Out of Rosenheim" is a film about how the kind Jasmin touches the lives of other people that at first disdain her. In fact, Jasmin is an angel that happens to come to the help of the poor people at the seedy motel and cafe because she perceives beauty where there is ugliness, hope where there was despair and turns everyone around to appreciate her for what she contributes to enhance their lives.

Percy Adlon, who is an original filmmaker, scored a big success with this simple film that, judging by some negative responses to this forum, can either make the viewer love it for its subtle charm, or just be perplexed because there is no action. Yet, Mr. Adlon, writing with his wife, Eleonor and Christopher Doherty, created a film that will stay in the viewer's mind for some time to come.

As the film opens, we watch Jasmin and her husband taking a break in their journey through the desert. As they quarrel, Jasmin decides to leave him and gets her suitcase out of the trunk to walk along the solitary highway to find a place where to rest. Before that, we have seen a strange sort of mirage in the desert horizon where two surreal lights are seen through some mist. Those lights seem to guide Jasmin as to what route to take in order to continue her journey, or maybe she is just an angel with a mission, as the film continues.

As Jasmin arrives at the seedy cafe that is next to the motel, she encounters a hostile Brenda, a black woman who is struggling to make the cafe and motel work with little success. Jasmin is given a room, but being suspicious, Brenda calls the local sheriff to investigate what is she doing at her place, but since there is nothing wrong, Brenda can't do anything.

Jasmin upon discovering the cleaning tools in her room gets an inspiration to continue to straighten the rest of the place. She goes and cleans Brenda's office, which is in a state of chaos. When Brenda gets back, she is horrified watching the confusion she left behind has been turned into a neater place where to conduct business. She can't concede the fact to Jasmin, who she still considers an unwelcome guest that has overstayed and has committed the ultimate sin of making Brenda aware of the messy state of her place and her life.

When Jasmin discovers in her husband's suitcase a kit about learning magic, she begins to practice the different tricks that she shows the others in the cafe. Rudi Cox, the strange man living in a trailer in the property, is a painter; he decides he wants to paint Jasmin and little by little he discovers the beauty of his subject who seems to radiate it from inside her soul.

The film owes a great deal of gratitude to Marianne Sagebrecht, one of the most accomplished actresses from Germany who is an asset to anything where she is cast. Ms. Sagebrecht steals the film because of the luminosity she projects; she seems to cast an aura that others see and are instantly won over by her kindness and her generosity.

CCH Pounder, makes a good contribution to the film. Her Brenda is at the beginning harsh, curt and just plain nasty because the way life has treated her. Jack Palance doesn't have much of a role to play, but his chemistry with Ms. Sagebrecht makes a sweet distraction for the movie.

"Out of Rosenheim" is a film in which nothing seems to happen, yet it is packed with a powerful message that comes across as one watches it. Percy Adlon and his star, Marianne Sagebrecht, made a timeless film that will survive the passage of time.