Judgment at Nuremberg (1961)

Director:

Stanley Kramer

Writer:

Abby Mann (story)
(more)

Release Date:

18 December 1961 (Sweden)

Genre:

Drama | History

Tagline:

More than a motion picture...It is an overwhelming experience in human emotion you will never forget!

Plot:

In 1948, an American court in occupied Germany tries four Nazi judges for war crimes.

Plot Keywords:

Judge | Nazi | Trial | Germany | Cold War

Awards:

Won 2 Oscars. Another 12 wins & 21 nominations

Cast

Spencer Tracy	...	Chief Judge Dan Haywood
Burt Lancaster	...	Dr. Ernst Janning
Richard Widmark	...	Col. Tad Lawson
Marlene Dietrich	...	Mrs. Bertholt
Maximilian Schell	...	Hans Rolfe
Judy Garland	...	Mrs. Irene Hoffman Wallner
Montgomery Clift	...	Rudolph Petersen
Edward Binns	...	Sen. Burkette
Werner Klemperer	...	Emil Hahn
Torben Meyer	...	Werner Lampe
Martin Brandt	...	Friedrich Hofstetter
William Shatner	...	Capt. Harrison Byers
Kenneth MacKenna	...	Judge Kenneth Norris
Alan Baxter	...	Brig. Gen. Matt Merrin
Ray Teal	...	Judge Curtiss Ives
Virginia Christine	...	Mrs. Halbestadt - Haywood's Housekeeper
Ben Wright	...	Halbestadt, Haywood's Butler
Joseph Bernard	...	Maj. Abe Radnitz - Lawson's Assistant
John Wengraf	...	Dr. Karl Wieck - Former Minister of Justice
Karl Swenson	...	Dr. Heinrich Geuter - Feldenstein's Lawyer
Howard Caine	...	Hugo Wallner - Irene's Husband
Otto Waldis	...	Pohl - Nazi Exterminator
Olga Fabian	...	Mrs. Elsa Lindnow - Witness in Feldenstein Case
Paul Busch	...	Schmidt - Haywood's Chauffeur
Bernard Kates	...	Max Perkins - UP Reporter
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Oscar Beregi Jr.	...	Waiter at Court Lounge (uncredited)
Asher Brauner	...	Court officer / Translator (uncredited)
Sheila Bromley	...	Mrs. Ives (uncredited)
Joseph Crehan	...	Courtroom Spectator at Verdict (uncredited)
Sayre Dearing	...	Courtroom Extra (uncredited)
Bess Flowers	...	Concert Attendee (uncredited)
Sam Harris	...	Courtroom Extra (uncredited)
Colin Kenny	...	Courtroom Extra (uncredited)
Harold Miller	...	Courtroom Extra (uncredited)
Ed Nelson	...	Captain at Nightclub Announcing Call-up of Officers (uncredited)
William H. O'Brien	...	German Prisoner (uncredited)
Norbert Schiller	...	Waiter (uncredited)
Rudy Solari	...	Interpreter in Courtroom (uncredited)
Bert Stevens	...	German Prisoner (uncredited)
Hal Taggart	...	German Counsel (uncredited)
Jana Taylor	...	Elsa Scheffler - Byers' Girl (uncredited)

Directed by
Stanley Kramer

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Montgomery Clift		uncredited
Abby Mann		story and screenplay

Produced by
Stanley Kramer	....	producer
Philip Langner	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Ernest Gold

Cinematography by
Ernest Laszlo		(photographed by)

Film Editing by
Frederic Knudtson

Casting by
James Lister

Production Design by
Rudolph Sternad

Set Decoration by
George Milo

Makeup Department
Robert J. Schiffer	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Clem Beauchamp	....	production manager

Art Department
Art Cole	....	property master

Sound Department
Walter Elliott	....	sound editor
Jean L. Speak	....	sound engineer (as James Speak)

Camera and Electrical Department
Don L. Carstensen	....	chief gaffer
Martin Kashuk	....	assistant company grip
Morris Rosen	....	company grip
Charles F. Wheeler	....	camera operator (as Charles Wheeler)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Joe King	....	costumes
Jean Louis	....	gowns: Ms. Dietrich

Music Department
Art Dunham	....	music editor
Robert Tracy	....	music editor (uncredited)

Other crew
Pia Arnold	....	crew: Germany
Richard Eglseder	....	crew: Germany (as R. Eglseder)
Egon Haedler	....	crew: Germany
Lyn Hannes	....	crew: Germany
Albrecht Hennings	....	crew: Germany
Hubert Karl	....	crew: Germany
Stanley Kramer	....	presenter
L. Ostermeier	....	crew: Germany
Richard Richtsfeld	....	crew: Germany (as R. Richtsfeld)
Marshall Schlom	....	script supervisor
Ivan Volkman	....	assistant to director
Laci von Ronay	....	crew: Germany (as Laci Ronay)
Hannelore von Winterfeld	....	crew: Germany (as Hannelore Winterfeld)
Frank Winterstein	....	crew: Germany
Wayne Fitzgerald	....	title designer (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Roxlom Films Inc.

Distributors

• United Artists (1961) (USA) (theatrical)
• United Artists (1961) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1965) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• CBS/Fox Home Video (1986) (USA) (VHS)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2004) (Germany) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• AmaFilms (2008) (Greece) (theatrical) (re-issue)
• United Artists Films (1961) (Finland) (theatrical)
• FS Film Oy (2004) (Finland) (DVD)
• United Artists Europa (Spain)
• Warner Home Vídeo (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (1978) (Finland) (TV)

Other Companies

• Pacific Title  titles and opticals
• Solters & Digney  publicity

Also Known As:

Judgement at Nuremberg

Runtime:

186 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | German

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.75 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Norway:16 | West Germany:16 (f) | Finland:S (1990) | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 (1961) | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:PG

Filming Locations:

Nuremberg, Bavaria, Germany

Company:

Roxlom Films Inc.

Trivia:

Stanley Kramer allowed Marlene Dietrich to write a good deal of her own part, as the actress had personally experienced many of the wartime horrors of her character.

Goofs:

Factual errors: The actual text of the Nuremberg Law ("Law for the Protection of German Blood and German Honor", promulgated September 1935) only prescribes a prison term as punishment for "extramarital intercourse between Jews and subjects of the state of German or related blood", not death as stated in the script. So Mr. Feldenstein could not have been sentenced to death by a German court. Unfortunately, this would not have prevented the Gestapo from arresting such people and sending them without a legal trial to a concentration camp, where death was a very likely outcome. The Nazis rarely bothered with trials in such matters.

Quotes:

[last lines]
Ernst Janning: Judge Haywood... the reason I asked you to come: Those people, those millions of people... I never knew it would come to that. You *must* believe it, *You must* believe it!
Judge Dan Haywood: Herr Janning, it "came to that" the *first time* you sentenced a man to death you *knew* to be innocent.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in In Conversation: Abby Mann and Maximillian Schell (2004) (V)

Soundtrack:

Du, du liegst mir im Herzen

Great acting and Movie

As I see again the old movies of the 40s, 50s and early 60s, I am impressed by the quality of material and acting in those movies. Judgment at Nuremberg is an excellent example. Although Montgomery Cliff had a very brief part, he was, as usual, outstanding. He always was. Clearly the acting and direction were flawless. Can't beat it for a view of the period just after WWII, and its effect on both Europe and the USA. Highly recommend the film -- especially on DVD as a brief scene was omitted in going from Tape 1 to Tape 2 on VHS (running time 3 hours and 7 minutes).