Varian's War (TV 2001)Varian Fry rescues more than 2,000 artists from Nazi persecution during World War II. Director:Lionel ChetwyndWriter:Lionel Chetwynd |
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Varian's War (TV 2001)Varian Fry rescues more than 2,000 artists from Nazi persecution during World War II. Director:Lionel ChetwyndWriter:Lionel Chetwynd |
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| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| William Hurt | ... | ||
| Julia Ormond | ... |
Miriam Davenport
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| Matt Craven | ... |
Beamish
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| Maury Chaykin | ... |
Marcello
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| Alan Arkin | ... |
Freier
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| Lynn Redgrave | ... | ||
| Rémy Girard | ... |
Colonel Joubert
(as Remy Girard)
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| Christopher Heyerdahl | ... |
Marius Franken
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Gloria Carlin | ... |
Bella Chagall
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Joel Miller | ... | |
| Vlasta Vrana | ... | ||
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John Dunn-Hill | ... | |
| Ted Whittall | ... |
Harry Bingham
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Dorothée Berryman | ... |
Mme Fanny
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Howard Ryshpan | ... |
Konditorei Owner
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After witnessing the treatment of Jews in Nazi territory made him physically sick, cultured American gentleman Varian Fry starts en emergency rescue commission to raise funds and lobby to help intellectuals and artists, especially Jews, escape from Vichy France -where the Pétain government avoid occupation only by utter collaboration- to the US, and for lack of a better volunteer personally sets out in search of them. First lady Eleanor Roosevelt personally overcomes the reticence of the State Department. In Marseille he finds the people he specifically looked for, such as Marc Chagall, already housed by Harry Bingham, a Jewish US consulate official so he starts screening less obvious candidates and examines with Miriam Davenport and a German social democrat they pass for US clergyman Beamish how some can be rescued legally, others via a clandestine route, while colonel Joubert's State Police is at their trace... Written by KGF Vissers
Varian was not known to me before this movie and I was disappointed that the movie didn't bring out more about him and his motivations. However, both Hurt and Ormond gave fabulous performances. He had that strange "Roosevelt" gait that you see so much in the 40's and was very understated. This had the look of pretty standard Made-for-TV fare. Usually Showtime kicks it up a notch, but not this time.