Raymond Pellegrin

The intertwined lives of three generations of musicians and dancers from Russia, Germany, France and the U.S., from before World War II through the war and the Holocaust, to the 1980s. Through fabulous music, this movie tracks three generations of musicians and dancers from Russia, Germany, France and the U.S., from before World War II through the war and the Holocaust, to the 1980s. Their lives become intertwined through historical circumstances, and the culmination is the presence of several of them, including a former Nazi pianist and a French Jewish Holocaust survivor, at an anti-famine concert. —Ed Cannon <ecannon@mail.utexas.edu> Along three generations, the lives of different families in Russia, France, Germany and United States of America, all of them connected to music and dance, are affected by the World War II. In Russia, the Bolshoi ballerina Tatiana Itovitch loses her husband, the musician Boris Itovitch, in the Russian front. She raises alone their son, the professional dancer Sergei, who escapes from Soviet Union and coming to have a daughter, the also ballerina Tania. In France, the Jewish violinist Anne Meyer marries the pianist Simon Meyer, and both are sent to a concentration camp, where Simon dies. On the train travel to the camp, Simon leaves their baby son on the trails and he is raised by a priest, becoming the lawyer Robert Prat, who has a professional singer son. Also in France, in Paris after the war, the singer Evelyne is accused of sleeping with the enemy, and moves to Dijon, where she has a daughter, Edith. In Germany, the pianist and conductor Karl Kremer leaves his wife Magda Kremer and their son to fight in the war. In USA, the famous pop singer Jack Glenn leaves his wife Suzan Glenn to join the army and entertain the troops in London. Their gay son Jason Glenn and daughter, the singer Sara Glenn become important persons in the show business. Their lives are entwined in a Red Cross presentation of the Ravel's Bolero in Paris. —Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

By 1964, it was possible for a major studio to make a film touching upon the Spanish Civil War without having to answer to some senate investigating committee or other. Based on Emeric Pressburger's novel A Mouse on Sunday, Behold a Pale Horse stars Gregory Peck as a Republican war veteran Manuel Artiguez who continues waging a one-man offensive 20 years after hostilities have officially ceased. Pressburger's novel was loosely based on the last raid of real-life anarchist guerrilla Antonio Sabate who was killed in an ambush in 1959. When the young son of an old comrade in arms comes to the French border village where Artiguez is exiled, he asks the old warrior to avenge the death of his father at the hands of vengeful Nationalist police captain Vinolas played by Anthony Quinn. At first Manuel refuses, but when Manuel learns that his aged mother Pilar (Mildred Dunnock) is dying he's determined to return to Spain to bid farewell to her. Pilar dies before Manuel can embark on his journey, but with the aid of traitorous smuggler Carlos (Raymond Pelligrin) Captain Vinolas keeps up the pretence that she still lives so that he can lure Manuel back to Spain and ambush him. Although a sympathetic priest (Omar Sharif) advises Manuel that he's being tricked, Manuel determines to return at all costs. Aware of the trap that's been set for him, Manuel engages the police in a fire fight, wounding Vinolas, killing Carlos and dying himself in the process. In 1966, Behold a Pale Horse was scheduled to be telecast on a major American network, but was cancelled at the last minute, reportedly at the behest of the Spanish government.

A commander receives a citation for an attack on Erwin Rommel's headquarters, which is actually undeserved, as the commander is unfit for his job. On top of that, unbeknownst to him, his wife is having an affair with one of his officers. In North Africa during World War II, Major David Brand is assigned to lead a British commando raid into German-held Benghazi to retrieve whatever documents they can lay their hands on at the German headquarters. His number two will be Capt. Jimmy Leith who speaks Arabic fluently and knows Benghazi well. Brand also learns that his beautiful wife Jane and Leith were lovers before the war, creating tension between the two. Brand is untested in battle and freezes at a critical moment, losing the respect of his men. After the raid, the trek back is arduous and takes its toll on the men. It also results in only one of the two senior officers surviving. —garykmcd Unfit commander receives an undeserved citation for an attack on Rommel's headquarters. Unbeknownst to him, his wife was once in love with one of his officers. —frankfob2@yahoo.com