Today’s movie is a
dramatic mini-series with a scene that happens on April 16. Watch it tonight
and enjoy.
QB VII
On April 16, 1972 [00:03 to 3:50]
the plaintiff, Sir Adam Kelno and the defendant Abe Cady arrive at the
courtroom. We flashback to Kelno’s story. In 1945 he escaped from eastern
Europe and made it to England. He starts a medical practice and gets married.
The Polish government tries to get him extradited as a war criminal. Their
agent Zaminski, learns that Zbotnik kept a log of the operations at Jadwiga
Concentration Camp where Kelno was a prisoner doctor, but Zabotnik says the log
was burned. The effort fails because an eyewitness fails to identity Kelno as
the doctor who castrated him. After his release Kelno, his wife and child move
to Kuwait, where his medical activities eventually result in him being
knighted. The defendant, Abe Cady was
an American Jew and a volunteer pilot
in the RAF. When he was injured, he
started writing. After the war he marries his gentile nurse and moves to
California to write screenplays. After twenty years of success, he becomes a
jackass and starts committing adultery with other women. Cady separates from
his wife. When he travels to Israel to see his dying father, and visits the Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum,
this brings about a crisis with his disinclination to confront his Jewish
identiry. Cady decides to write a book about the Holocaust while living in
Israel. The book is a worldwide success. His son becomes an Israeli citizen and
joins the Israeli air force. Then Adam Kelno finds out he is named in Cady’s
book as a war criminal. Kelno decides to sue Cady for libel and gets Sir Robert
Highsmith to represent him again. Cady refuses to retract and renews his
relationship with Lady Margaret Wydman, who had previously been his lover. She persuades Tom Bannister to defend Cady.
On April 16, 1972 [2:58:35 to 3:16:55] the trial begins, with the parties
trading barbs. Sir Adam Kelno is the
first witness. He says he was ordered by the Germans to remove sexual organs
that had been destroyed by x-rays and that Dr. Tessler never saw him operate.
He says he always used anesthesia.
However, on cross-exam he is pressed that he knew the purpose of the use
of x-rays on the prisoners and willingly cooperated with the Germans. Dr.
Lotaki comes from Poland and supports Kelno’s testimony in all regards. Dr. Parmentier and other survivors of the
experiments testify that Kelno operated on them without anesthesia, made racist
comments and operated in the presence of Dr. Tessler. She testifies that she refused to cooperate with the
Germans. Then word arrives that Dr.Tesslar
is dead. Cady, who has gone to Poland, with the help of Zaminski, tracks down
Zbotnik and takes him to Jadwiga. The Poles are going to expel Zbotnik, but
agree to let him return if he produces the register. The parties rest, but then
Zbotnik appears in the courtroom. The judge, over objection, allows the
register to be introduced. Dr. Kelno is recalled and his examination
establishes that he is a liar and that he collaborated with the Germans. His own
son turns against Kelno. When returning to court to hear the verdict Cady
learns his son was killed in battle. The jury finds for Kelno, but award him
only one half penny.
A very good adaptation of Uris’s novel. It does add some
melodramatic touches, but only
adequately presents this powerful story. Hopkins is very good as Kelno.
QB VII by Leon Uris (Doubleday & Company, Inc.,
Garden City, NY, 1970) at page 273 gives the trial’s start date
Director – Tom Gries Producer – Douglas S. Cramer
Awards – This movie won the
Outstanding Single Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Comedy or Drama
Special (Anthony Quayle), Outstanding Single Performance by a Supporting
Actress in a Comedy or Drama Special(Juliet Mills), Outstanding Film Editing
for Entertainment Programming for a Special, Outstanding Achievement in Graphic
Design, Outstanding Achievement in Music Composition for a Special and
Outstanding Achievement in Film Sound Editing Emmys. It was also nominated for
the Outstanding Special - Drama or Comedy, Outstanding Single Performance by a
Supporting Actor in a Comedy or Drama Special(Jack Hawkins), Outstanding Single
Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Comedy or Drama Special(Lee Remick),
Outstanding Directing in a Special Program - Drama or Comedy, Outstanding
Writing in a Special Program - Drama or Comedy – Adaptation, Outstanding
Achievement in Cinematography for Entertainment Programming for a Special and
Outstanding Individual Achievement in Art Direction or Scenic Design - For a
Single Episode of a Comedy, Drama or Limited Series Emmys at the 27th
Primetime Emmy Awards.
Screenplay – Edward Anhalt Runtime –
6 hours 30 minutes
Released – April 29, 1974
Starring –
Ben Gazzara as Abe Cady
Anthony Hopkins as Dr. Adam Kelno
Leslie Caron as Angela Kelno
Lee Remick as Lady Margaret Alexander Wydman
Juliet Mills as Samantha Cady
Dan O'Herlihy as David Shawcross
Robert Stephens as Robert Highsmith
Anthony Quayle as Tom Banniester
Milo O'Shea as Dr. Stanislaus Lotaki
John Gielgud as Clinton-Meek
Edith Evans as Dr. Parmentier
Jack Hawkins as Justice Gilray
Kristoffer Tabori as Ben Cady
Joseph Wiseman as Morris Cady
Anthony Andrews as Stephen Kelno
Signe Hasso as Lena Kronska
Sam Jaffe as Dr. Mark Tessler
Julian Glover as Zaminski
Vladek Sheybal as Egon Sobotnik
Lana Wood as Sue Scanlon
Copyright by Ivan Walters in 2015
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