Playing for Time (film) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Playing for Time (film)
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Playing For Time
Directed by
Joseph Sargent
Daniel Mann
Produced by
Linda Yellen
John E. Quill
Written by
Arthur Miller
Fania F¨Śnelon ( autobiography The Musicians of Auschwitz)
Starring
Vanessa Redgrave
Jane Alexander
Release date(s)
September 30, 1980
Running time
150 min.
Language
English
Playing For Time is a 1980 CBS television film, written by Arthur Miller and Fania F¨Śnelon, based on F¨Śnelon's autobiography, The Musicians of Auschwitz. Vanessa Redgrave stars as acclaimed musician Fania F¨Śnelon.
Playing For Time was based on F¨Śnelon's experience as a female prisoner in the Auschwitz concentration camp, where she and a group of classical musicians were spared in return for performing music for their captors. The film was also adapted as a play by Arthur Miller.
Contents
1 Plot
2 Production
2.1 Casting controversy
3 Cast
4 Reception
5 DVD release
6 References
7 External links
[edit] Plot
F¨Śnelon, a Jewish singer-pianist, is sent with other prisoners to the Auschwitz concentration camp in a crowded train during World War II. After having their belongings and clothes taken and their hair cut short, the prisoners are processed and enter the camp. F¨Śnelon is recognized as being a famous musician and she finds that she will be able to avoid hard manual labor and survive longer by becoming a member of the prison's female orchestra.
In the process, she strikes up a close relationship with Alma Ros¨Ś, the musical group's leader, as well as the other members of the band. Realizing that the musicians get better treatment than other prisoners, Fania convinces the guards and members of the orchestra that another prisoner she had befriended, Marianne, is actually a talented singer. Although Marianne performs poorly at her audition, she is allowed to join the orchestra. Playing for the Nazis, however, robs the women of much of their dignity and most of them often questioned whether remaining alive was worth the abuse they constantly suffer.
[edit] Production
The cast rehearsed together in New York and subsequently filmed in Pennsylvania on a six week shooting schedule. During the half-way stage of shooting the producers decided to replace Joseph Sargent with Daniel Mann as director.[1]
It is also notable as one of the first film productions whereby an ensemble of actresses shaved their heads for the sake of their roles.[1]
[edit] Casting controversy
The producer Linda Yellen was determined to cast Redgrave in the lead role at a time when the actress was facing protests from Jewish organizations for her criticism of Zionism and pro-Palestinian position. Subsequently security was required at rehearsals and Yellen's office was broken into. There were further complications when Fenelon herself appeared on CBS's 60 Minutes arguing against Redgrave's casting and suggested Jane Fonda as a replacement. During the production Fenelon continued to criticize Redgrave's politics on her speaking tours across the USA. Actresses on the project had also been contacted with the view of making a statement against Redgrave's casting. They refused and instead released a press release denouncing blacklisting and expressed their desire to work with Redgrave.[1]
As a result of Redgrave's political views, the film was initially banned in Israel. Although Redgrave appealed to Jordan's culture minister to buy the rights to the film to show on Jordanian television. She wished that both Arabs and Israelis should have the opportunity to see the film.[1]
[edit] Cast
Vanessa Redgrave - Fania Fenelon
Jane Alexander - Alma Rose
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
Ron Lamm - First British Soldier
Eoin Stewart -SS Guard, British Radio Operator
[edit] Reception
Playing for Time was praised by critics and garnered several awards and nominations;[2]
Primetime Emmy Award
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Made for Television Movie (won)
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie - Vanessa Redgrave (won)
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie - Jane Alexander (won)
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Dramatic Special - Arthur Miller (won)
Primetime Emmy Award Outstanding Art Direction for a Limited Series or a Special - Robert Gundlach, Gary Jones (nomination)
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie - Shirley Knight (nomination)
Golden Globe Award
Golden Globe Award for Best Miniseries or Television Film (nomination)
Peabody Award
Peabody Award for CBS area of excellence
[edit] DVD release
After its television broadcast, the film was released on VHS. It was DVD released in the United States in 2010.[3]
[edit] References
^ a b c d Redgrave, Vanessa (1991). Vanessa Redgrave: An Autobiography. Hutchinson.
^ Awards for Playing for Time IMDB. Retrieved on 28 August 2010
^ Playing for Time DVD Talk. 2 August 2010
[edit] External links
Playing for Time at the Internet Movie Database
Playing For Time at Yahoo Movies
Playing For Time at Film.com
v
d
e
Films directed by Daniel Mann
1950s
Come Back, Little Sheba (1952)
About Mrs. Leslie (1954)
The Rose Tattoo (1955)
I'll Cry Tomorrow (1955)
The Teahouse of the August Moon (1956)
Hot Spell (1958)
The Last Angry Man (1959)
1960s
The Mountain Road (1960)
BUtterfield 8 (1960)
Ada (1961)
Five Finger Exercise (1962)
Who's Got the Action? (1962)
Who's Been Sleeping in My Bed? (1963)
Our Man Flint (1966)
Judith (1966)
For Love of Ivy (1968)
A Dream of Kings (1969)
1970s
Willard (1971)
The Revengers (1972)
Interval (1973)
Maurie (1973)
Lost in the Stars (1974)
Journey into Fear (1975)
Matilda (1978)
1980s
Playing For Time (1980)
v
d
e
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Made for Television Movie (1980¨C2000)
The Miracle Worker (1980)
Playing for Time (1981)
A Woman Called Golda (1982)
Special Bulletin (1983)
Something About Amelia (1984)
Do You Remember Love (1985)
Love Is Never Silent (1986)
Promise (1987)
Inherit the Wind (1988)
Day One/Roe vs. Wade (1989)
Caroline?/The Incident (1990)
Miss Rose White (1992)
Barbarians at the Gate / Stalin (1993)
And the Band Played On (1994)
Indictment: The McMartin Trial (1995)
Truman (1996)
Miss Evers' Boys (1997)
Don King: Only in America (1998)
A Lesson Before Dying (1999)
Tuesdays with Morrie (2000)
Complete List
(1980¨C2000)
(2001¨Cpresent)
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Playing_for_Time_(film)&oldid=462670851"
Categories:
English-language films
1980 television films
American television films
1980s drama films
Jewish films
Holocaust films
War drama films
Musical films based on actual events
Films based on actual events
Films based on biographies
Nazi Germany
Films set in Poland
Films shot in Pennsylvania
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