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Director:
Jerry London
Writers: J.P. Gallagher (book), David
Butler
Stars: Gregory Peck, Christopher Plummer,
John Gielgud
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Cast
(in credits order)
Gregory Peck
... Monsignor Hugh O'Flaherty
Christopher
Plummer ... Col. Herbert Kappler
John Gielgud
... Pope Pius XII (as Sir John Gielgud)
Raf Vallone
... Father Vittorio
Kenneth Colley ... Capt. Hirsch (as Ken Colley)
Walter Gotell
... Gen. Max Helm
Barbara Bouchet
... Minna Kappler
Julian Holloway
... Alfred West
Angelo Infanti ... Father Morosini
Olga Karlatos ... Francesca Lombardo
Michael Byrne
... Reinhard Beck
T.P. McKenna
... Reichsführer Heinrich Himmler
Vernon Dobtcheff
... Count Langenthal
John Terry
... Lt. Jack Manning
Peter Burton
... Sir D'Arcy Osborne
Phillip Hatton ... Lt. Harry Barnett
Mark Lewis ... Cpl. Les Tate
Fabiana Udenio
... Guila Lombardo
Marne Maitland ... Papal Secretary
Remo Remotti ... Rabbi Leoni
Giovanni Crippa ... Simon Weiss
Billy Boyle ... Paddy Doyle
Itaco Nardulli
... Franz Kappler
Cariddi Nardulli
... Liesel Kappler (as Carridi Nardulli)
Alessandra Cozzo ... Emilia Lombardo
William Berger ... U.S. Intelligence Officer (as Bill Berger)
Edmund Purdom ... British Intelligence Officer / Epilogue Narrator
(as Edmond Purdom)
Gabriella D'Olive ... Mother Superior
Cesarina Tacconi ... Pregnant Woman
David Brandon ... SS Officer
Sergio Nicolai ... Firing Squad Officer
Bruno Corazzari ... Coalman
Stelio Candelli ... O'Flaherty's Secretary
Francesco Carnelutti ... Cameriere Segreto
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Gabriele Ferzetti
... Prince Mataeo (uncredited)
Giovanni Lombardo Radice ... Nazi Soldier (uncredited)
|
| Genres:
Drama | History | War |
|
Produced
Howard P. Alston .... executive producer in charge of production
Bill McCutchen .... producer
Alfio Sugaroni .... associate producer
|
| Contry
USA | UK | Italy |
| Language:
English | German | Italian |
| Original
Music by Ennio
Morricone |
| Cinematography
by Giuseppe Rotunno |
Production
Companies Production Co:
ITC, Radiotelevisione Italiana, Bill McCutchen Productions |
Filming Locations:
Rome, Lazio, Italy
Vatican City
|
Runtime:
143 min
Sound Mix:Mono
Color:Color |
| Release
Date: 2
February 1983 (USA) |
| Budget: |
Second
Unit Director or Assistant Director Gianni Cozzo
.... first assistant director
Allan Elledge .... second assistant director (as Alan Elledge) |
|
Also
Known As (AKA)
Escarlata
y negro Spain / Venezuela
Im Wendekreis des Kreuzes West Germany
La pourpre et le noir France (DVD box title)
Le pourpre et le noir France
Mies
punaisissa ja mies mustissa Finland
O Escarlate e o Negro Brazil
Scarlatto e nero Italy
The Vatican Pimpernel (undefined)
|
| Storyline-1
Fr. Hugh O'Flaherty is a Vatican official in
1943-45 who has been hiding downed pilots, escaped prisoners of war,
and Italian Resistance families. His diplomatic status in a Catholic
country prevents Colonel Kappler from openly arresting him, but O'Flaherty's
activities become so large that the Nazis decide to assassinate him
the next time he leaves the Vatican. O'Flaherty continues his work
in a variety of disguises. Based on a true story. (Here)
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|
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|
|
The Scarlet
and the Black is a 1983 made for TV movie starring Gregory
Peck and Christopher Plummer. This production should not be
confused with the 1993 British television miniseries Scarlet
and Black, which starred Ewan McGregor and Rachel Weisz.
Based
on J. P. Gallagher's book The Scarlet Pimpernel of the Vatican
(published in 1967), this movie tells the story of Monsignor
Hugh O'Flaherty, a real life Irish Catholic priest who saved
thousands of Jews and Allied refugee POWs in Nazi-occupied
Rome. It was directed by Jerry London.
|
|
Plot
synopsis
|
| In
1943, Nazi Germany completely occupies Rome. The Pope (John
Gielgud) is approached by General Max Helm and SS Head of Police
for Rome Colonel Herbert Kappler (Christopher Plummer). The
Colonel expresses concern that escaped Allied prisoners may
attempt to seek refuge in the Vatican, and requests permission
to paint a white line across St. Peter's Square in order to
mark the extent of Vatican sovereignty. The Pope grants his
permission, but upon the departure of the SS officers, looks
out the window to see the white line had already begun being
painted. Kappler's
main rival is Monsignor O'Flaherty (Gregory Peck), an Irish
clergyman who runs an underground organization which provides
safe haven and eventual escape to Jews, escaped PoWs,and refugees
in Nazi-occupied Rome. He is assisted in this enterprise by
several other patriots such as Ms. Francesca Lombardo. Kappler
attempts to end their activities and destroy the group, but
is increasingly frustrated by O'Flaherty's repeated successes,
due to a combination of his clever plans, numerous disguises,
and stressing the very limits of international law. Met with
continuous failure, Kappler begins to develop a personal vendetta
against O'Flaherty. Despite O'Flaherty's efforts, Kappler manages
to recapture many escaped PoWs, deport many Jews to death camps,
and exploit and oppress the general population; a number of
O'Flaherty's friends are also arrested or killed.As the war
progresses, the Allies succeed in landing in Italy and begin
to overcome German resistance, eventually breaking through and
heading towards Rome itself. Kappler worries for his family's
safety from vengeful partisans, and, in a one-to-one meeting
with O'Flaherty, asks him to save his family, appealing to the
same values that motivated O'Flaherty to save so many others.
The Monsignor, however, refuses, disbelieving that after all
the Colonel has done and all the atrocities he is responsible
for, he would expect mercy and forgiveness automatically, simply
because he asked for it, and departs in disgust. As the Allies
enter Rome, Monsignor O'Flaherty joins in the celebrations of
the liberation, and somberly toasts those who did not live to
see it. Kappler
is eventually captured and questioned by the Allies. In the
course of his interrogation, he is informed that his wife and
children were smuggled out of Italy and escaped unharmed into
Switzerland. Upon being asked who helped them, Kappler realizes
that it must be O'Flaherty, but responds simply that he does
not know. The film epilogue states that Kappler was sentenced
to life imprisonment, but was frequently visited in prison by
O'Flaherty, eventually becoming a Catholic and being baptized
at his hands in 1959. |
|
Historical
Accuracy
|
|
The character
of General Max Helm was based entirely on the real life of
SS-Obergruppenführer Karl Wolff, who served in 1944 as the
Supreme SS and Police Leader of Italy. The film was unable
to use Wolff's real name, since the SS General was still living
when the film was in production; he died in 1984.
|
| Actor
Christopher Plummer was 53 years old during the production of
the film. Herbert Kappler was only 36 when he served as SS Security
Chief in Rome. |
| Monsignor
Hugh O'Flaherty was a real Irish priest and Vatican official,
credited with saving 6,500 Jews and Allied war prisoners. |
|
Herbert
Kappler was sentenced to life imprisonment, and did convert
to Catholicism after several years, partly under the influence
of his war-time opponent Hugh O'Flaherty, who often visited
Kappler in prison, discussing religion and literature with
him. He was eventually transferred to a prison hospital on
account of poor health. It was there that he escaped imprisonment
by being smuggled out in a suitcase by his wife (Kappler weighed
less than 105 pounds at the time). He escaped to West Germany,
where he eventually died at age 70 in 1978.
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|
The
movie title
|
| The
Scarlet and the Black is a reference not only to the black cassock
and scarlet sash worn by Monsignores and bishops in the Catholic
Church, but also to the dominant colors of Nazi Party regalia. |
|
Awards
for the movie
|
| In
1983 The Scarlet and the Black was nominated for an Emmy in
the category Outstanding Film Editing for a Limited Series or
a Special. |
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