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Playing for Time

Year:

1980

Duration:

150 min

Genres:

Drama | Music

IMDB rate:

8.1

Director:

Daniel Mann

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 5 wins & 2 nominations

Details

Country: USA

Release Date: 1980-09-30

Filming Locations: Fort Indiantown Gap, Annville, Pennsylvania, USA

Cast

Actor

Character

Jane Alexander

Vanessa Redgrave

Fania Fenelon

Maud Adams

Mala

Christine Baranski

Olga

Robin Bartlett

Etalina

Marisa Berenson

Elzvieta

Verna Bloom

Paulette

Donna Haley

Katrina

Lenore Harris

Charlotte

Mady Kaplan

Varya

Will Lee

Shmuel

Anna Levine

Michou

Viveca Lindfors

Frau Schmidt

Melanie Mayron

Marianne

Marcell Rosenblatt

Giselle

Max Wright

Dr. Mengele

Shirley Knight

Frau Lagerfuhrerin Maria Mandel

Elaine Bromka

Tchiakowska

Faith Catlin

Liesle

Clarence Felder

Commandant Kramer

Marta Heflin

Esther

Martha Schlamme

Woman on train

Robert Dannon

SS officer

Thomas Everett

Chessplayer #2

Tom Everett

Young Chess Player

Mary Kay Fager

Polish woman

Huggy-Bear Ferris

The Executioner

John Griesemer

German trooper

Thomas La Fleur

Boy Scout

Lorraine Lucey

Ladislaus' mother

Robert Lucey

Ladislaus

Jeffrey Marcus

Rose's Husband

Mary McGonical

Tattooer

Monica Merriman

Canadian girl

Lee Jay Nelson

Edek

Peter Phillips

British radioman

Sidney Sandness

Asthmatic man

Zvee Scooler

Chessplayer #1

Dennis Michael Sheppard

German NCO

Dorothy Sherwood

Berta

Eoin Stewart

British Radio Operator

Grace Stover

Greta

Phyllis Vanier

Blockawa

Spencer Waldron

SS sergeant

Rick Washburn

Prisoner

Al Butler

Nazi officer (uncredited)

Did you know?

Trivia

Barbra Streisand was originally offered the role of Fania Fenelon. Streisand resembles the real Fenelon much more than Vanessa Redgrave, who ultimately took the part.

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Despite controversy and attempted boycotts, the 3 hour film was the highest viewed program of the week, with 20.4 million American homes watching its debut.

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The real Fania Fenelon was upset over the casting of Vanessa Redgrave due to her support of the Palestine Liberation Organization.

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Goofs

Lagerfuhrerin Maria Mandel is wearing the famous 1930s-era black SS uniform. This is very common mistake in many WW2 films. The Black SS uniforms were discontinued at the start of the war in 1939 and replaced by the Green or Grey uniform. Only Waffen SS tank crews wore black uniforms in combat. This was not, however, the all black uniform worn by the pre-war SS, but rather a short, black waist-cut coat similar in style to that worn by tank crews in the Wehrmacht. She also is wearing the SS Runes patch on her uniform which was not worn in any Camps. SS guards,doctors,officers and personal wore a patch with the Deaths Head (Totenkopf) symbol.

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At the end of the film Auschwitz is liberated by British troops. It was liberated by troops under Marshal Koniev of the 1st Ukrainian Front, Red Army.

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When the group of women are getting off the train at Auschwitz, Several Camp officers, are wearing Wehrmacht Officers hats which are clearly visible by the Crests they have on them. The SS hats have the Deaths Head (Totenkopf) symbol. No Wehrmacht Officer has ever been to known to work in any labor or death camp. Most of the regular Wehrmacht (Army) claimed to have had no knowledge about the Death Camps.

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