Voyage Of The Damned (1976)

In 1939, a ship carrying 937 Jews from Germany to Cuba leaves Hamburg. But when it reaches its destination, the Cuban government refuses to honor their visas and after the U.S. government refuses them permission to dock, they have no choice but to return to Germany. Based on an actual incident, that of the MS St. Louis' fateful 1939 voyage, one would have to have a heart of stone not to be affected by its compelling story and the fate of its passengers. But the lengthy (it runs over 2 1/2 hours) film is compromised by one of its key attractions: an all star cast. All the star spotting ("oh, there's Wendy Hiller! Is that Jose Ferrer?"), most of them in small roles, is a distraction that too often yanks us out of the story rather than pulling us in. Some of the dramatic license, like a romance between a German steward (Malcolm McDowell) and a young Jewish girl (Lynne Frederick), feels contrived and takes up too much time when other character's lives are barely addressed (like Julie Harris) and underwritten. Still, there's no denying there are some incredibly affecting moments laced through out the film like Sam Wanamaker's attempted suicide, Lee Grant's (in an Oscar nominated performance) breakdown or Katharine Ross's brief reunion with her parents (Maria Schell, Nehemiah Persoff). Directed by Stuart Rosenberg. Others in the massive cast include Faye Dunaway, Max Von Sydow, Oskar Werner, James Mason, Orson Welles, Ben Gazzara, Jonathan Pryce, Fernando Rey, Denholm Elliott, Janet Suzman, Luther Adler, Helmut Griem, Michael Constantine, Victor Spinetti, Paul Koslo and Georgina Hale.