Wednesday, April 16, 2014

April 16 - QB VII

Today’s movie is a courtroom drama with  scenes that happen on April 16. I hope you will enjoy this film and watch it tonight.  

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 h marries his gentile nurse and moves to California to write screenplays. After twenty years os 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 and his son becomes an Israeli citizen and joins the Israeli airforce. 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 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 the 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 2014.







No comments:

Post a Comment