Which Werner Movie?
-
Archived from the IMDb Discussion Forums — Oskar Werner
kcor1953 — 21 years ago(August 01, 2004 10:49 AM)
He takes to the streets to escape from somewhere to somewhere (East Berlin to West Berlin?), to avoid being spotted he changes clothes to sort of worker clothes, gets a leather cap and puts on wire-rimmed glasses. I was just a kid when I saw this but do not remember it having been dubbed, yet no English-lanquage productions seem likely. I have not re-checked Spy from Cold but I seem to remember Werner played the main character.
kcor1953 -
ranmalein — 21 years ago(August 06, 2004 08:15 AM)
MAYBE it's "ein gewisser judas" http://www.imdb.com/board/10336502/ cause it's a west german movie
but i don't know whats the movie about, so i'm really not sure -
pamhw — 21 years ago(September 19, 2004 01:14 PM)
"A Man Called Judas" was about the Biblical Judas. It was written and directed by Oskar and broadcast on German TV. One of the very rare times he appeared on television in Europe. It wasn't a film. He used a pseudonym and the dress/costume was "biblical" as well. There is a very remote possibility in "Angel With A Trumpet" he plays the brother who is the "black sheep" of the family and gets involved in the Nazi movement. I saw the film in the early '80's and don't recall any such incidents but that doesn't mean that it didn't happen. In this film, shot in the UK by Alexander Korda, Oskar is dubbed.
At this point, I think the most possible is that it might have been "Decision Before Dawn" based on a novel by George Howe, "Call It Treason". It was Oskar's first American role ("Fox'), shot it in post war Germany in all the ruin and rubble in about 1950. He isn't dubbed; he learned his lines phonetically. He plays a young German army 'medic' who's not a "Nazi" at all but was drafted (as was Oskar himself-they didn't burn their draft cards in those days- but he was a Pacifist to his very soul and managed, by some very good off-stage "acting" to convince his superiors he was too stupid for officer matterial - thus avoiding taking a human life) but back to the film plot. The young medic, picked up with his unit by the Americans as they advanced into Germany, sees some summary executions of German army prisoners by the Nazi army prisoners -(conducted in secret at night, without, one supposes, the knowledge of the Americans in charge of the prison facility) and it is "the last straw". He gets taken to the American officers in charge and offers to " do something" to help them. There is another German who also offers but he is out for himself, just to save his own skin and doesn't care about ideals or causes - if the situation were reversed he'd do the same for the Nazis. Oskar's character is nicknamed "Happy" the other man is called "Tiger". They are sent off on their mission to gather information behind the German lines, by then in retreat. I find this film very difficult to watch as my father met his death at this time in Germany. And, Oskar's character the only bright candle of idealism in the whole film is executed. However, as he is trying to escape capture by the German forces and get his information back to the Americans he does some pretty desparate "runnning" and, in this sequence, might have gone through the processes that you remember. In fact, I just recalled a very "hazy" memory when "Happy" is caught at a German checkpoint and, I seem to remember, gets hold of some glasses to get through without being identified. I know that 1354he is, in the end captured by the Germans while trying to swim across a river to the American lines with his information. He is taken and shot. Which, believe me, keeps me from watching this film very thoroughly. There is a scathing, if sublte,indictment of the Amerian attitude toward the conveniently de-humanized Germans. When Tiger, far from "good citizen" material, shows up with the information and the news that "Happy" has been caught and executed, the Americans say to each other "So what, just another "beep" and shrug it all off. So, as I said, the sequences you remember could very well have been in this film. Oskar wasn't dubbed, though he was in most of his early films which required him to speak in English. He, in private life, very quickly taught himself the language since his ideal in drama/literature was Shakespeare.
Another possiblity, though I think he was dubbed in this film might be "Wonder Boy" filmed in the UK in the 50's. He played a taxi driver who kidnaps a young boy who is a virtuoso pianist. I haven't seen anything but a very few stills of this. Oskar looked very young a the time.
It definitely was not "The Spy Who ame In From The Cold." Fiedler, Oskar's character is "trapped" by the British "mole", Mundt, in the "court room" scene. He never does any running, never gets the chance. Leamas and Nan do but are shot trying to get over the Wall after Mundt promises them safe conduct. It is an ugly movie, evil is everywhere. The only one true to his avowed ideals is Oskar's character, Fiedler. -
kcor1953 — 19 years ago(February 04, 2007 08:50 AM)
After making my OP and before checking back here I've had the chance to see "Spy Who.." a couple times and you are right.
Thanks again.
kcor1953
That's the beauty of it:
http://kcor1953beauty.tripod.com/blog/