The Juggler

Considering that Hollywood never really tackled the Holocaust until Schindler's List and that it only set one other prominent film (Exodus) in Israel, this remarkable movie is amazing on many levels. Douglass shows once again that he was as versatile as any actor, not merely as a juggler and stage-comedian, but also as a rugged but tortured individual on the run from his pursuers. The setting in post war Israel is wonderful, the supporting players all fine, and some of the scenes sublime (the dance sequence at the kibbutz, the couple's tender embrace, the juggling show, etc.). It is one of the few American films that mentions the terrors of the Holocaust in any direct manner, and one of the few that portrays contemporary Israel realistically. Although, as noted by some critics, it has its flaws, including the lack of a German accent by Kirk, it is still an incredible production on so many levels that it deserves to be seen by a greater audience, which may happen, since it was just screened by TCM this afternoon, where I was luck enough to see it.

KIRK DOUGLAS struggles to forget the horrors of a concentration camp in THE JUGGLER, another one of Stanley Kramer's serious socially conscious films of the '50s. Unfortunately, the end result is a film that doesn't really connect with its target audience despite a solid performance by Douglas as the troubled Jew from Israel unable to overcome his fear and bitterness.

Unfortunately, Kramer had a habit of assigning George Antheil to score his films. Antheil contributes another inappropriate score heavily accenting any melodramatic moment that points up Kirk's anguish, much the way he did in Kramer's NOT AS A STRANGER. It didn't work there and it doesn't work here, especially during the "escape" scene where the music reaches a frenzied fever pitch of discordant notes.

It's hard to fully sympathize with Douglas' tormented character and that is the film's chief handicap. As the man tracking down the fugitive, PAUL STEWART does his usual workmanlike job. Trouble is, there's an almost documentary feel to the story and its pivotal character is never fully fleshed out, remaining somewhat of an enigma despite Douglas' good performance. When romance comes into the story with the entrance of MILLY VITALE, Douglas' character softens a little under her compassionate care.

Some vivid glimpses of Israel, circa 1949, and good location photography gives the story an authentic air, but the story values are never more than ordinary and the total effect is bland.

Worthwhile mainly for Kirk Douglas fans, it fails to make the impact intended as a serious study of a man haunted by prison camp memories.

Grew up in Queens, New York and had a wonderful Jewish family as my next door neighbors and one day I noticed the lady of the house had a number stamped on her arm and heard the story of what she experienced and it left a great impression on me all my life. This film directed by a very famous man Edward Dmytryke gave a great portrayal of the mental effects it had on a man named, Hans Muller, (Kirk Doublas) who was a German refugee from Germany relocating to Israel after WW II. Hans Muller was a Juggler who entertained many people and young children and was a wonderful tender hearted man, but he had serious psychological effects from his being confined in the Nazi Concentration camps and witnessed the horrors of what Hitler created for human beings being burned in ovens. Milly Vitale (YaEl) gave a great supporting role and this is truly a great great film that will show many generations what really went on during the Horrors of Nazi Germany.

As the child of a holocaust survivor who joined the Israeli army in 1947, I grew up watching this movie with my father. It had not been on for many years but I got to see it again a few years ago. It is a good movie, I believe filmed on location in Israel. The theme is more about Hans (Kirk Douglas) and his adjustment to a new life while carrying the burden of being in the camps. At the beginning he tries to hide his identity by covering his arm to hide his tattoo. All I can say is watch it, it is worth it.

Sometimes modern audiences get desensitized by Holocaust movies, but in the years following WWII, it was quite shocking to talk about the camps. 1953 audiences may have seen an unknown Czechoslovakian boy talk about his sorrow in The Search, but they hadn't seen an established, incredibly famous movie star roll up his sleeve and show a tattoo on his forearm. Kirk Douglas took a big chance with this movie, the first to be filmed in Israel. He exposed a hidden part of himself in front of the camera, and the rawness is appreciated by those who have since found this forgotten classic.

In the opening sequence, a group of Jewish refugees are being bussed to their new living encampments in the new state of Israel. The children on the bus are understandably frightened; they're asked questions by uniformed officers who claim they're classifying them for their safety-and this time, they're supposed to believe everything's going to be alright. Kirk calms down a little girl by drawing a face on his hand and distracting her with humor, but he's also frightened. Immediately after the audience is lulled into a sense of security, he approaches a woman with her children who he believes is his long-lost family. He cries and begs her to remember him until his friend whispers in his ear, "Your family is dead, Hans. You've seen the certificate." It's an incredible scene, not only because of Kirk's heart-wrenching performance, but because it shows the audience the post-war emotionality of survivors. How can they possibly relax and trust when they've lived through such horrors and are missing their family and friends?

My one comment on this movie is the uneven storyline. The beginning follows Kirk's introduction to his new home, but when he runs away after a violent run-in with a policeman, he takes up with a young boy, Joey Walsh. He and Joey hike the countryside, often acting as though they haven't a care in the world. Kirk even meets up with the beautiful Milly Vitale and strikes up a romance, but this lighter side is far from the true point of the story. Perhaps the filmmakers felt audiences couldn't handle another hour as heavy as the first twenty minutes, which I understand.

Chances are you've never heard of this movie. I hadn't, and I've seen dozens of Kirk Douglas movies. If you can find a copy, you'll get to see an incredible performance in a groundbreaking drama. It might not be one you'll want to watch over and over again, because it is upsetting, but you'll be very glad you found it. Start looking. You owe it to Kirk Douglas to see this movie.