Mother Night (1996)

Director:

Keith Gordon

Writers (WGA):

Kurt Vonnegut Jr. (novel)
Robert B. Weide (screenplay)

Release Date:

1 November 1996 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance | War

Tagline:

Howard W. Campbell, Jr., is the most patriotic American in the Third Reich.

Plot:

An American spy behind the lines during WWII serves as a Nazi propagandist, a role he cannot escape in his future life as he can never reveal his real role in the war.

Plot Keywords:

American | Spy | Nazi | Germany | Escape

Cast

Nick Nolte	...	Howard Campbell
Sheryl Lee	...	Helga Noth / Resi Noth
Alan Arkin	...	George Kraft
Bernard Behrens	...	Reverend Dr. Lionel Jones
Anna Berger	...	Epstein's Mother
Arye Gross	...	Dr. Abraham Epstein
Norman Rodway	...	Werner Noth
Frankie Faison	...	Robert Sterling Wilson
Gerard Parkes	...	Father Patrick Keeley
Vlasta Vrana	...	August Krapptauer
Zach Grenier	...	Joseph Goebbels
Kirsten Dunst	...	Young Resi Noth
Anthony J. Robinow	...	Prison Warden
Michael McGill	...	Prison Official
Shimon Aviel	...	Guard Bernard Liebman
Bill Corday	...	Howard Campbell's Father
Bronwen Mantel	...	Howard Campbell's Mother
Brawley Nolte	...	Young Howard Campbell
John Goodman	...	Major Frank Wirtanen
Louis Strauss	...	Old Jewish Man
Richard Zeman	...	Rudolph Hoess
Thomas Hauff	...	SS Officer
Jeff Pufah	...	Young German Soldier
David Strathairn	...	Lieutenant Bernard B. O'Hare
Henry Gibson	...	Adolf Eichmann (voice)
Michael P. Moran	...	Violent Man (as Michael Moran)
Bill Haughland	...	TV Reporter (as William Haughland)
Joel Miller	...	Benjamin Golan, Israeli Vice Consul on TV
Kurt Vonnegut Jr.	...	Sad Man on Street (as Kurt Vonnegut)
Richard Jutras	...	G-Man
Don Jordan	...	Cop
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Michael John Fedun	...	Young German Soldier (uncredited)
Adolf Hitler	...	Himself - 'Behind Us Comes Germany' Speech (voice) (archive footage) (uncredited)

Directed by
Keith Gordon

Writing credits (WGA)
Kurt Vonnegut Jr.		(novel) (as Kurt Vonnegut)
Robert B. Weide		(screenplay)

Produced by
Leon Dudevoir	....	associate producer
Keith Gordon	....	producer
Mark Ordesky	....	executive producer
Josette Perrotta	....	line producer
Linda Reisman	....	executive producer
Ruth Vitale	....	executive producer
Robert B. Weide	....	producer

Original Music by
Michael Convertino

Cinematography by
Tom Richmond		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Jay Rabinowitz

Casting by
Valerie McCaffrey

Production Design by
François Séguin

Art Direction by
Zoe Sakellaropoulo

Set Decoration by
Frances Calder
Simon La Haye
Daniéle Rouleau

Costume Design by
Renée April

Makeup Department
Lucille Demers	....	assistant makeup artist
Manon Joly	....	assistant hair stylist
Anne Morgan	....	hair stylist: Ms. Lee
Bob Pritchett	....	key hair stylist
Marie Régimbald	....	assistant makeup artist
Diane Simard	....	key makeup artist

Production Management
Michel Chauvin	....	unit manager
Jean-Yves Dolbec	....	assistant unit manager
Diana Kaufman	....	post-production supervisor
Josette Perrotta	....	production manager
Ted Zachary	....	executive in charge of production

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Pedro Gandol	....	first assistant director
Francine Langlois	....	second assistant director
Marie-Josée Leroux	....	third assistant director (as Marie-Joseé Leroux)
Sébastien Pelland	....	additional assistant director (as Patrick Pelland)
Nathalie Tremblay	....	additional assistant director

Art Department
Claire Alary	....	property buyer
Anthony Bourgouin	....	art department swing gang
Cecile Braemer	....	art department coordinator (as Cécile Braemer)
Rejean Brochu	....	construction supervisor (as Réjean Brochu)
Eric Brunet	....	art department swing gang (as Gabriel Eric Brunet)
François Béland	....	set painter
Alain Clouatre	....	additional art department swing gang
Sylvie Dagenais	....	set dresser
Anthony Dalterio	....	paintings
Cathia Degre	....	painter (as Cathia Degré)
Jean Desroches	....	additional art department swing gang
Martin Gendron	....	draftsman
Denis Hamel	....	set props
Denis Lemire	....	art department swing gang
Carl Lessard	....	graphic designer
Glendon Light	....	art department swing gang (as Glendon Ray Light)
Serge Nadon	....	additional art department swing gang
Collin Niemi	....	assistant art director
Sandrine Rousseau	....	assistant set props
Eric Lafrance	....	carpenter (uncredited)

Sound Department
Gregg Barbanell	....	foley artist
Andrew DeCristofaro	....	supervising sound editor
William Dotson	....	dialogue editor
Elisabeth Flaum	....	assistant sound effects editor
William Freesh	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Bill Freesh)
Marshall Garlington	....	sound re-recording assistant
Tim Gedemer	....	sound effects editor (as Timothy Gedemer)
Brian Geer	....	foley mixer (as Brian J. Geer)
Claude Hazanavicius	....	sound mixer
Tomás Hradcky	....	sound programmer (as Tomas Hart)
Jason King	....	dialogue editor
Jason King	....	sound effects editor
Jason Lezama	....	assistant dialogue editor
Jorge Martinez Jr.	....	sound re-recording assistant
Paul Menichini	....	sound effects editor
Thierry Morlaas-Lurbe	....	boom operator
Mike Moser	....	sound effects editor
Vince Nicastro	....	foley artist
Tina Raskin	....	adr assistant
Tina Raskin	....	assistant sound effects editor
Paul Rodriguez	....	manager of sound services
Ann Scibelli	....	sound designer
Ken Teaney	....	sound re-recording mixer
Eric Thompson	....	adr mixer
Robert Troy	....	dialogue editor
Jeff Vaughn	....	foley editor
Marty Vites	....	adr editor
Brandon Walker	....	adr recordist
Harry Woolway	....	sound effects editor

Special Effects by
Antonio Vidosa	....	special effects

Stunts
Yves Langlois	....	stunts
David McKeown	....	stunt coordinator
Jere Gillis	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Sylvain Bergevin	....	electrician
Mikey Bertrand	....	key grip
Christian Chabot	....	electrician
Rod Crombie	....	Steadicam operator
Attila Dory	....	still photographer
Yves Drapeau	....	first assistant camera
Nathalie Ermont	....	camera trainee
Gilles Fortier	....	best boy electric
Jacques Fortier	....	chief lighting technician
Alain Masse	....	dolly grip
Alain Masse	....	grip (as Alain Massé)
Patrick McLaughlin	....	camera trainee
Jeff Nichol	....	grip
Yves Ouimet	....	generator operator
Dominique Ricard	....	camera operator: "b" camera
Dominique Ricard	....	second assistant camera
Danny Rivard	....	best boy grip
Kenneth MacKenzie	....	grip (uncredited)
Mathieu Price	....	daily grip (uncredited)

Casting Department
Rosina Bucci	....	casting: Canada
Philomena di Michelle	....	extras casting
Amanda Koblin	....	casting assistant
Vera Miller	....	casting: Canada
Nadia Rona	....	casting: Canada
Sandy Holt	....	adr voice casting (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Sophie Beasse	....	key dresser
Mureille Blouin	....	additional wardrobe assistant
Blanche-Danielle Boileau	....	wardrobe supervisor (as Blanche Boileau)
Luc J. Béland	....	extra's wardrobe master
Stéphanie Chagnon	....	wardrobe assistant
Carol Clement	....	extras dresser (as Carol Clément)
Jacinthe Demers	....	assistant wardrobe
Caroline Poirier	....	wardrobe technician
Corinne Verzier	....	additional extras dresser
Agnés Vincent	....	additional extras dresser

Editorial Department
Patrick Bocks	....	negative cutter
Marie Hélène Desbiens	....	negative cutter
Julie Dole	....	additional assistant film editor
Claudette Duff	....	first assistant film editor: Montreal
Liza D. Espinas	....	first assistant editor: Los Angeles
Bob Fredrickson	....	color timer (as Robert Fredrickson)
Brian Gardiner	....	second assistant film editor: Montreal
Rachel Griffin	....	post-production assistant
Johanna Groepl	....	additional assistant film editor
Natalie Hanin	....	negative cutter
Rosa Matesanz	....	negative cutter
Jeremy Milton	....	second assistant film editor: Los Angeles
Brandon Smith	....	post-production assistant
Alton Spencer	....	negative cutter

Music Department
Sandy DeCrescent	....	orchestra manager
Toby Emmerich	....	executive in charge of music
Julie Glaze Houlihan	....	music project manager (as Julie Glaze)
Artie Kane	....	conductor
Mark Kaufman	....	music coordinator
Shawn Murphy	....	score mixer
Bobby Muzingo	....	orchestrator
John Neufeld	....	orchestrator
Conrad Pope	....	orchestrator
Dana Sano	....	music executive
Lori Silfen	....	music business affairs
Kenneth Wannberg	....	music editor (as Ken Wannberg)

Transportation Department
Réjean Bouchard	....	driver
Gilbert Bureau	....	picture car coordinator
Jim Disensi	....	transportation coordinator
Lorne Dosogne	....	driver
Jacques Grenier	....	driver
David Leblanc	....	driver (as David Le Blanc)
Richard Marsan	....	additional driver
James Sanchez	....	additional driver
Nicola Sisto	....	additional driver
Joseph 'Tino' Viscusi	....	driver (as Joseph Viscusi)
Ted Wilson	....	driver (uncredited)

Other crew
Gregory Abel	....	additional production assistant
Julie Adams	....	dialect coach: Ms. Lee
Johanne Baril	....	shop manager
Eric Berg	....	production associate
David Bonsukan	....	post-production accountant
Danielle Boucher	....	production coordinator
Guylaine Boucher	....	production secretary
Andrew Campbell	....	armorer
Pierre Castonguay	....	production assistant
Jean-François Chapadeau	....	additional production assistant (as Jean-Françoise Chapadeau)
Louise Cloutier	....	additional production assistant (as Louis Cloutier)
Brigitte Couture	....	additional production assistant
Julie Cyrenne	....	assistant accountant
Céline Daignault	....	location manager
Walter Diaz	....	office assistant
Benoît Ducharme	....	additional production assistant
Marie-Josée Dupont	....	receptionist
Emily Glatter	....	in-house production coordinator
Laurie Hawes	....	production accountant
Jake Klein	....	assistant: Ms. Lee
Amy Labowitz	....	creative executive: Fine Line
France Lachapelle	....	script supervisor
Pierre Lapointe	....	production assistant
Julien LeBlanc	....	caterer
Louis Legault	....	production assistant
Patrick Legault	....	craft service
Claire LePage	....	additional production assistant (as Claire Lepage)
Angie Lotto	....	computer technician
Donal MacCormack	....	additional production assistant
Andrew Matthews	....	international business consultant
Adrien Morot	....	dummy fabricator
Denis Paquette	....	assistant location manager
Stella Paulin	....	accommodation
Silva Pemmann	....	on set dialect coach
Paul Prokop	....	production controller
Charles Radford	....	stand-in: Mr. Nolte
Suzanne Rosencrans	....	production attorney
Kathya Ruh	....	stand-in: Ms. Lee
Joélle Safadi	....	additional production assistant (as Joèlle Safadi)
Julie Shapiro	....	travel
David Sporn	....	business affairs liaison
Stéphane St-Germain	....	additional craft service (as Stéphane St. Germain)
Jose Uria	....	production assistant (as José Uria)
Mark Urman	....	publicist
Marianne Wisenthal	....	assistant: Mr. Gordon and Mr. Weide

Thanks
Dan Aloni	....	special thanks
David Gersh	....	special thanks
Simon Lewis	....	special thanks
David Marquette	....	special thanks
Kirsten Smith	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Fine Line Features
• New Line Cinema
• Whyaduck Productions

Distributors

• Audio Visual Enterprises (1997) (Greece) (VHS)
• Fine Line Features
• Líder Films (Spain)
• New Line Home Video (USA) (DVD)
• RCV Home Entertainment (1998) (Netherlands) (VHS) (rental)
• RCV Home Entertainment (1999) (Netherlands) (VHS) (retail)
• RCV Home Entertainment (2006) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Sandrew Film & Teater (1997) (Sweden) (VHS)

Special Effects

• Intrigue (special effects)

Other Companies

• Beau Blaireau inc.  set painting
• DDA Public Relations (DDA)  publicity
• EFX Systems  digital sound
• EFX Systems  re-recording
• Entertainment Brokers International  insurance
• Hotel Intercontinental Montréal  accomodations
• Howard Anderson Company, The  titles and opticals
• Les Productions Mikey Inc.  grip equipment
• Location Michel Trudel Inc.  camera dollies
• Location Michel Trudel Inc.  electrical equipment
• LoopEase  loop group
• Magic Film and Video Works  negative conforming services
• Media Services Payments Plus  payroll services
• Panavision  camera equipment provided by
• Plasschaert & Associates  risk management
• Todd-AO Studios  sound recording and mixing
• Travelcorps International  travel services

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated R for a scene of sexuality

Runtime:

114 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | German | Yiddish

Color:

Black and White | Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Finland:K-14 | Portugal:M/12 (video premiere) | Spain:18 | UK:15 | USA:R | Iceland:12

Filming Locations:

Montréal, Québec, Canada

Company:

Fine Line Features

Trivia:

"Frank Wirtanen" is the name of the man who used to sell Christmas trees to the Vonnegut family.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Prison Warden:Do you prefer German of English?
Howard W. Campbell Jr.:English.
Prison Warden:You are to write down your memoirs for the Haifa Institute. for the documentation of war criminals. You have three weeks to complete your memoirs before your trial begins. Do you have a any questions?
Howard W. Campbell Jr.:No, this is great. Thanks for everything.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Be Kind Rewind (2008)

Soundtrack:

Fratres

A beautifully rendered movie, a credit to its star

Seldom do I see a movie in which the star performs so well you can hardly believe he is an actor, but he comes across as the real guy he is portraying. I believed Nick Nolte was an American spy who seemed to renounce his American citizenship in World War II--when in fact he should have been rewarded for having served America so well after the war was over and he returned to civilian life. I have seen Nick Nolte in other movies, but never have I been so impressed with his depth of characterization as he manifests in this film.