The Winds of War 

The trials of the Henry and Jastrow families in the early years of World War II.

Stars:

Robert Mitchum, Ali MacGraw, Jan-Michael Vincent

Nominated for 4 Golden Globes. Another 6 wins & 10 nominations.

Cast

Series cast summary:
Robert Mitchum	...	Victor 'Pug' Henry 7 episodes, 1983
Ali MacGraw	...	Natalie Jastrow 7 episodes, 1983
Jan-Michael Vincent	...	Byron Henry 7 episodes, 1983
John Houseman	...	Aaron Jastrow 7 episodes, 1983
Polly Bergen	...	Rhoda Henry 7 episodes, 1983
Lisa Eilbacher	...	Madeline Henry 7 episodes, 1983
David Dukes	...	Leslie Slote 7 episodes, 1983
Topol	...	Berel Jastrow 7 episodes, 1983
Ben Murphy	...	Warren Henry 7 episodes, 1983
Peter Graves	...	Palmer 'Fred' Kirby 7 episodes, 1983
Jeremy Kemp	...	Brigadier General Armin von Roon 7 episodes, 1983
Ralph Bellamy	...	President Franklin Delano Roosevelt 7 episodes, 1983
Victoria Tennant	...	Pamela Tudsbury 7 episodes, 1983
Wolfgang Preiss	...	Field Marshal Walter von Brauchitsch 7 episodes, 1983
William Woodson	...	Narrator 7 episodes, 1983
Günter Meisner	...	Adolf Hitler 6 episodes, 1983
Reinhard Kolldehoff	...	Hermann Goering 6 episodes, 1983
Werner Kreindl	...	Colonel General Franz Halder 6 episodes, 1983
Rainer Penkert	...	Grand Admiral Erich Raeder 6 episodes, 1983
Alexander Kerst	...	Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel 6 episodes, 1983
Joachim Hansen	...	Field Marshal Alfred Jodl 6 episodes, 1983
Dragomir Stanojevic		5 episodes, 1983
Howard Lang	...	Winston Churchill 4 episodes, 1983
Anton Diffring	...	Joachim von Ribbentrop 4 episodes, 1983
Timothy Stack	...	Yeoman Ryan 4 episodes, 1983
Barry Morse	...	Wolf Stoller 3 episodes, 1983
Michael Logan	...	Alistair Tudsbury 3 episodes, 1983
John Carter	...	Colonel William Forrest 3 episodes, 1983
Tom McFadden	...	Hugh Cleveland 3 episodes, 1983
Roy Poole	...	Harry Hopkins 3 episodes, 1983
Deborah Winters	...	Janice Lacouture Henry 3 episodes, 1983
Joseph Hacker	...	Lt. Carter 'Lady' Aster 3 episodes, 1983
Allan Cuthbertson	...	Major General Tillet 2 episodes, 1983
Scott Brady	...	Captain Red Tully 2 episodes, 1983
Edmund Purdom	...	Luigi Gianelli 2 episodes, 1983
Lawrence Pressman	...	Bunky Thurston 2 episodes, 1983
Lin McCarthy	...	Blinker Vance 2 episodes, 1983
Enzo G. Castellari	...	Benito Mussolini 2 episodes, 1983
Edmund Pegge	...	Air Commodore Burne-Wilke 2 episodes, 1983
Leo Gordon	...	General 'Train' Anderson 2 episodes, 1983
Elizabeth Hoffman	...	Eleanor Roosevelt 2 episodes, 1983
Michael McGuire	...	Fred Fearing 2 episodes, 1983
Ferdy Mayne	...	Ludwig Rosenthal 2 episodes, 1983
Sky du Mont	...	Count Ciano 2 episodes, 1983
Judith Atwell	...	Sally Forrest 2 episodes, 1983
James Ray	...	Chargé Reese Claremont 2 episodes, 1983
Stelio Candelli	...	Scarfaced Gestapo / ... 2 episodes, 1983
Karl-Otto Alberty	...	White-Haired Gestapo / ... 2 episodes, 1983
Dick Armstrong	...	Franz the Butler 2 episodes, 1983
Eloise Hardt	...	Mrs. Lacouture 2 episodes, 1983
Felix Nelson	...	F.D.R. Valet 2 episodes, 1983
Henryk Rajfer	...	Groom at Wedding / ... 2 episodes, 1983

Storyline

In the late 1930s, world politics begin to head in a dangerous direction. In Europe, Germany expands and rearms and proceeds to annex several border countries into the Reich. Meanwhile, Italy attempts to establish a Facist Colonial Empire under Mussolini while the Empire of Japan stands ready for a major war with China. Enter the Henry family, headed by career naval officer Victor "Pug" Henry. "Winds of War" thus follows the exploits of Pug and his children, all of which are set against the backdrop of world events leading up to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941.

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Plot Keywords:

1930s | japan | italy | germany | epic | 

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Taglines:

The first theatrical motion picture made for television

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Genres:

Drama | Romance | War

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English German Italian Polish Portuguese Russian Hebrew

Release Date:

6 February 1983 (USA)

Also Known As:

Herman Wouk's The Winds of War

Filming Locations:

Podolje Mansion, Samobor, Croatia

Box Office

Budget:

$35,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Jadran Film, Paramount Television

Technical Specs

Runtime:

720 min (cut)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Jan-Michael Vincent's alcoholism was a major problem during filming, and may be why he was not cast in War and Remembrance (1988). The official explanation was that he was unavailable for the second series due to prior commitments to Airwolf (1984).

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Goofs

The German General Alfred Jodl is incorrectly given the rank of Field Marshal, a rank he never held. When the sequel War and Remembrance was produced, he was still given the wrong rank, but in that case it's a lower rank than it should have been, and which would have been more correct for the time period of Winds of War.

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Quotes

Wolf Stoller: There are certain conversations that have to be forgotten. And in Germany we have a phrase for such delicate matters. We say, "under four eyes."
Victor 'Pug' Henry: I believe I've heard that phrase.
Wolf Stoller: What transpires next is under four eyes. You and Armin had a conversation about this lend-lease bill. Did he make sense to you? You prefer not to say, eh? Of course. You are a diplomat.
Victor 'Pug' Henry: I'm a gunnery expert, misplaced in diplomacy, and hoping to get the hell out of it.
Wolf Stoller: A man of honor wants to serve on the field.
[...]

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Connections

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

User Reviews

Excellent, well acted & directed, not too long, a must see

This movie gives the viewer a very good basis for understanding the events that led up to WWII. Each character gives a unique perspective on the times, events and conscience of the countries involved. This movie holds your attention from start to finish, is never boring, and leaves an impression that will remain with you for a long time. It is also good for classroom use at all levels, especially if WWII is being covered with students. Personally, I anxiously await its release.