Ship of fools

Premiere: Mai 4th, 1965 / Oct 1st (Germany)

after a novel by Katherine Anne Porter

Heinz Rühmann (Löwenthal)

Vivien Leigh (Mary Treadwell)
Simone Signoret (La Condesa)
José Ferrer (Rieber)
Lee Marvin (Bill Tenny)
Oskar Werner (Dr. Wilhelm Schumann)
Elizabeth Ashley (Jenny)
George Segal (David)
José Greco (Pepe)
Michael Dunn (Glocken)
Charles Korvin (Captain Thiele)
Lilia Skala (Mrs. Hutten)
Werner Klemperer (Lieutenant Hübner)
Barbara Luna (Amparo)
Alf Kjellin (Freytag)
Stanley Adams (Hutten)
Eddie Baker
Oscar Beregi Jr. (Lutz)
Anthony Brand (Gitarist)
Henry Calvin (fat man)
Rudy Carrela (Ric)
Paul Daniel (Carlos)
Charles de Vries (Johann)
Olga Fabian (Mrs. Schmidt)
Gila Golan (Elsa)
Peter Mamakos
Silvia Marino (Rat)
David Renard (Schnitzer)
Bert Rumsey (Second Officer)
Christiane Schmidtmer (Lizzi)
Lydia Torea (Pastora)
Kaaren Verne (Mrs. Lutz)
John Wengraf (Graf )

Direction/Production: Stanley Kramer

A German ship on its way from Vera Cruz in Mexico to Bremen in 1933. On board a very diversified society, everyone with another fate, tied together for the 36 days of the trip, going to their own destiny afterwards... There is Mary Treadwell, the bitter woman. La Condesa, who faces imprisonment and develops a relationship with Dr. Schumann. Jenny, which loves the artist David; but for David art is more important than money. There are the Nazis and those who do not know yet which influence they will have on their life. There are boys who become adults. The ship transports also Spanish workers, sent back from Cuba to Europe, and who do not enjoy the comfort of the upper classes. And there is Glocken, the dwarf, who shares his view of the world with the businessman Löwenthal.

A literary film. Many tried in vain to fill titanic movies with such depth. Off the glamour the spectators are taken for a ride in a past and nevertheless still modern world.

Beside the fantastic Michael Dunn, Heinz Rühmann plays here one of his big roles.

On a day in January 1964 there was a letter from Los Angeles in my mail: The producer and director Stanley Kramer would like to talk to me. Why? He said it to me in a nice chat: He offered me the role of the Jew "Löwenthal" in "Ship of fools" and could not be convinced otherwise. Without knowing the story, I tried to argue it that I doubted to be able to embody a Jew. He looked to me surprised "why not? For me, there is only you for the role of Löwenthal."