The Scarlet and the Black DVD 1983 Bíbor és Fekete - a Vatikán Vörös Pimpernelje / Directed by Jerry London / Starring: Gregory Peck, Christopher Plummer, Raf Vallone, John Gielgud, Barbara Bouchet

UPC 5999886090135

REGION 2 PAL DVD  

MADE IN Hungary

AUDIO: English 2.0, Hungarian 2.0

SUBTITLES: Hungarian

Runtime: 137 minutes

English Summary:

The Scarlet and the Black is a 1983 American made-for-television historical war drama film directed by Jerry London and starring Gregory Peck and Christopher Plummer.

Based on J. P. Gallagher's book The Scarlet Pimpernel of the Vatican (published in 1967), the film tells the story of Monsignor Hugh O'Flaherty, a real-life Irish Roman Catholic priest who saved thousands of Jews and escaped Allied POWs in Rome. It was directed by Jerry London. CBS distributed more than 500,000 scripts of The Scarlet and the Black to students in elementary and high schools throughout the country, to be read aloud in class to stimulate student interest in English and history.

The 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 Roman Catholic Church, but also to the dominant colors of Nazi Party regalia.

In 1943, the Nazi military occupies Rome. Pope Pius XII (John Gielgud) is approached by General Max Helm and SS Head of Police for Rome Lieutenant 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 doesn't grant his permission, but when the SS officers leave, he sees out of the window that the white line had already begun to be painted.

Kappler's main antagonist is Monsignor O'Flaherty (Gregory Peck), an Irish-born Vatican priest who runs an underground organization which provides safe haven and escape to escaped POWs, Jews, and refugees in Rome. O'Flaherty is assisted in this enterprise by others, including locals, clergy and the diplomatic corps. The Nazis attempt to destroy the group, but Kappler is frustrated by O'Flaherty's successes, due to his cleverness, disguises, and his straining the limits of the Vatican's neutrality.

Hungarian Summary:

1943-ban a nácik bevonulnak Rómába. Monsignore O'Flaherty mindent megtesz, hogy a szövetséges hadifoglyokat megmentse. A Gestapo főnöke azonban a nyomában van, és csak vatikáni diplomáciai védettsége menti meg a letartóztatástól.

Cast / Szereplők:

Vatican Officials

• Gregory Peck as Monsignor Hugh O'Flaherty
• John Gielgud as Pope Pius XII
• Raf Vallone as Father Vittorio
• Angelo Infanti as Father Morosini
• Marne Maitland as Papal Secretary
• Stelio Candelli as O'Flaherty's Secretary
• Gabriella D'Olive as Mother Superior

SS Personnel

• Christopher Plummer as SS-Obersturmbannführer Herbert Kappler
• Kenneth Colley as SS-Hauptsturmführer Hirsch (representing Erich Priebke) (as Ken Colley)
• Walter Gotell as SS-Obergruppenführer Max Helm (representing Karl Wolff)
• Michael Byrne as Reinhard Beck
• T. P. McKenna as Reichsführer Heinrich Himmler
• David Brandon as SS officer

Allied Personnel

• John Terry as Lt. Jack Manning
• Phillip Hatton as Lt. Harry Barnett
• Mark Lewis as Cpl. Les Tate
• William Berger as U.S. Intelligence Officer (as Bill Berger)
• Edmund Purdom as British Intelligence Officer / Epilogue Narrator (as Edmond Purdom)

Civilians

• Barbara Bouchet as Minna Kappler
• Julian Holloway as Alfred West (John May)
• Olga Karlatos as Francesca Lombardo (representing Chetta Chevalier)
• Vernon Dobtcheff as Count Langenthal (representing Count Demetris Sarsfield Salazar)
• Peter Burton as Sir D'Arcy Osborne
• Fabiana Udenio as Guila Lombardo
• Remo Remotti as Rabbi Leoni
• Giovanni Crippa as Simon Weiss
• Billy Boyle as Paddy Doyle
• Itaco Nardulli as Franz Kappler
• Cariddi Nardulli as Liesel Kappler (as Carridi Nardulli)
• Alessandra Cozzo as Emilia Lombardo
• Cesarina Tacconi as Pregnant Woman
• Sergio Nicolai as Firing Squad Officer
• Bruno Corazzari as Coalman
• Francesco Carnelutti as Cameriere Segreto