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Reviews
Wernher von Braun (1960)
entertaining film - don't look for 100% accuracy
First off, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf did NOT "collaborate" with the Nazi party, as claimed by blanche-2 ... she kept her politics entirely separate from her art, and although pressured to join the party by her father, never actively supported it, unless singing is a crime. Also, there are not "many other films" on von Braun (other than documentaries.) Sorry, blanche-2, another error.
Well-acted and entertaining and generally historically interesting. The German military officials are all played well, and the character actors do their jobs solidly. This film badly needs a DVD blu-ray remaster.
IMO, the film accurately captures the drive of some men of science who pretend they are 'pure' and above politics and claim they are not responsible of how their discoveries are used. Oppenheimer and a couple of others tried to disavow their responsibility, to their discredit.
Special mention about the great deceased Herbert Lom, who brought class and talent to anything he was in.
Désirée (1954)
very entertaining if non-historical for this non-great French leader
Recommend the movie highly - nicely acted, beautiful Cinemascope / Technicolor. Of course, Napoleon was short, stout, and far from handsome. He was also a war-monger that brought untold misery on Europe and ruined France for decades. Of course, Hollywood didn't touch on any of this.
The Man (1972)
Excellent work by Serling - whose dialogue was always SUPERB
Additionally, the majority of the ABC Movies of the Week were good - many excellent. "Cheap garbage" to the uneducated, perhaps.
This was originally intended as a TV movie - however, sponsors were nervous - this was 1972 - and the quality was good enough for the big screen.
SO - in conclusion: 1) Serling was always masterful with dialogue 2) ABC Movies of the Week were generally fine 3) the cast and the director and the screenplay should give everyone a very good indication of the quality of this film.
Plan for Destruction (1943)
Interesting but flawed history
This is well-produced, but not based on historical fact. The amount of influence Haushofer had on Hitler's viewpoint is very debatable, although there is no argument that he did have some influence. And there never was am 'Institute of Geopolitics' - that was dreamed up by the scriptwriter. Haushofer had a half-Jewish wife, was never a member of the party, and spent some time in a concentration camp. He is on record as a supporter of Hitler. To what end, no one knows. One of his sons died in the July 20th plot against Hitler. Haushofer and his wife committed suicide in 1946. The idea of Lebensraum that he professed was psychological rather than physical - Hitler's vision was different from that of Professor Haushofer. This film is propaganda, and works well in that genre. This film is propaganda, and works well in that genre.