Voyage of the Damned (1976)

86% of critics liked it
(7 reviews)
51% of users liked it
(376 ratings)

Often described as "Ship of Fools with a conscience," Voyage of the Damned is based on a true story. In 1939, the Nazis ostentatiously loaded a luxury liner with hundred of Jewish refugees from all walks of life. The ship then tried to drop anchor in Havana, Cuba-only to have its passengers refused… More Often described as "Ship of Fools with a conscience," Voyage of the Damned is based on a true story. In 1939, the Nazis ostentatiously loaded a luxury liner with hundred of Jewish refugees from all walks of life. The ship then tried to drop anchor in Havana, Cuba-only to have its passengers refused entry by the Cuban government, in keeping with its super-stringent immigration policies. This was exactly what the Nazis expected to happen, and indeed wanted to happen. By having the refugees turned away from Havana, the German government could "prove" that the Jews were indeed the most unwanted race on earth, thereby justifying Hitler's extermination policy. The crosssection of humanity on board the ship includes the requisite big-time stars: Faye Dunaway as a monocle-sporting countess and Oscar Werner as Dunaway's society-doctor husband; professor Luther Adler and his wife Wendy Hiller; poverty-stricken Nehemiah Persoff and Maria Schell, who hope to be reunited with their "fallen" daughter Katherine Ross; disbarred attorney Sam Wanamaker and his family (wife Lee Grant, daughter Lynne Frederick); anti-Nazi captain Max Von Sydow; and so on. Representing the Cuban government are president Fernando Rey and bureaucrat Jose Ferrer; other Havana denizens include businessman Orson Welles and minister James Mason. Despite its morbid overtones, Voyage of the Damned ends on a faintly positive note. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: PG, 2 hr. 35 min.
Directed By: Stuart Rosenberg
Written By: David Butler
Genres: Art House & International, Drama

In Theaters: Dec 22, 1976 Wide
On DVD: Jan 4, 2000

Critic Reviews

Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
Based on a shameful true incident that's still not forgotten.
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
Too bad that Voyage of the Damned is done as an all-star, cheap melodrama, fictionlaizing a riveting WWII-Holocaust story

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Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

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Featured Audience Ratings

jay n

Tragic, shameful story of doomed real life trip of almost a thousand Jews refused entry first into Cuba and then many other countries just before the outbreak of WWII. Episodic in nature but with very fine performances especially by Lee Grant and von Sydow.
Naughtia N

A tragic story from WWII where a group German Jews were allowed to sail to Cuba away from all the worries of the Nazi regime in Germany. To their horror the passengers are not allowed to get off the ship once they arrive in Cuban territory, so they are set to return to Europe where… More
A tragic story from WWII where a group German Jews were allowed to sail to Cuba away from all the worries of the Nazi regime in Germany. To their horror the passengers are not allowed to get off the ship once they arrive in Cuban territory, so they are set to return to Europe where death awaits them. This movie is very memorable, I remember watching it many years ago and I still remember the story very clearly. The fact that the movie is based on an actual event is frightening, because it is difficult to imagine that this kind of cruelty against human beings still exists in our world. I believe that this movie must've been a huge hit back in the 70's, it is definetily a classic movie worth watching.

Cast

            Faye Dunaway as Denise Kreisler

            Max von Sydow as Capt. Gustav Schroeder

            Oskar Werner as Dr. Egon Kreisler

            Malcolm McDowell as Max Gunther

            Orson Welles as Estedes

            James Mason as Remos

            Ben Gazzara as Morris Troper

            Katharine Ross as Mira Hauser

            Luther Adler as Prof. Weiler

            Paul Koslo as Aaron Pozner

            Michael Constantine as Clasing

            Nehemiah Persoff as Mr. Hauser

            José Ferrer as Benitez

            Fernando Rey as Cuban President

            Lynne Frederick as Anna Rosen

            Helmut Griem as Otto Schiendick

            Julie Harris as Alice Feinchild

            Janet Suzman as Leni Strauss

            Wendy Hiller as Rebecca Weiler

            Keith Barron as Purser Mueller

            David Daker as First Officer

            Constantin de Goguel as Navigation Officer

            David de Keyser as Joseph Joseph

            Carl Duering as German Ambassador

            Denholm Elliott as Admiral Canaris

            Georgina Hale as Lottie Schulman

            Bernard Hepton as Milton Goldsmith

            Anthony Higgins as Seaman Berg

            Donald Houston as Dr. Hans Glauner

            Frederick Jaeger as Werner Mannheim

            Tom Laughlin as Engineering Officer

            Günter Meisner as Robert Hoffman

            Jonathan Pryce as Joseph Manasse

            Leonard Rossiter as Commander Udo von Bonin

            Maria Schell as Mrs. Hauser

            Milo Sperber as Rabbi

            Victor Spinetti as Dr. Erich Strauss

            Philip Stone as Secretary

            Jack Warden
            
            Brian Gilbert as Laurence Schulman

            Lee Grant as Lili Rosen

            Sam Wanamaker as Carl Rosen

            Marika Rivera as Madame in Bordello
See full cast