Skokie (film)
| Skokie | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Genre | Drama |
| Written by | Ernest Kinoy |
| Directed by | Herbert Wise |
| Starring |
Danny Kaye Eli Wallach Carl Reiner George Dzundza Brian Dennehy Ed Flanders |
| Theme music composer | Ralph Berliner |
| Country of origin |
 United States
|
| Original language(s) | English language |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) |
Bernard Sofronski Herbert Brodkin |
| Producer(s) | Robert Berger |
| Cinematography | Alex Thomson |
| Editor(s) | Stephen A. Rotter |
| Running time | 125 minutes |
| Production company(s) | Titus Productions |
| Distributor | CBS |
| Release | |
| Original network | CBS |
| Original release | November 17, 1981 |
Skokie is a 1981 television movie directed by Herbert Wise, based on the real life NSPA Controversy of Skokie, Illinois, which involved the National Socialist Party of America.
The film premiered in the US on November 17, 1981. It was shown on the Israeli Educational television in the 1980s and on German television on March 3, 1997.
The peace of Skokie, a comfortable suburban village located just north of Chicago, is threatened when Frank Collin (George Dzundza), a politically astute neo-Nazi organizer, selects the place as the site of his next rally. Close to 40 percent of the village’s population is Jewish, and many of them are survivors of the Holocaust. They see the march as a warning and reminder of their days as concentration camp prisoners.
The Jewish community decides to stand against the rally at all cost to make sure that the Holocaust will never be forgotten or allowed to happen again.
Moderate leaders Bert Silverman (Eli Wallach) and Abbot Rosen (Carl Reiner) advise the Jewish community to ignore the neo-Nazis; the strategy they put forward is "quarantine", isolating the meeting by totally ignoring the neo-Nazi presence and refusing to be provoked. The logic is simple: if the Jewish community refuses to acknowledge the rally and thus refuses to feed the media any publicity, the meeting will be futile and eventually forgotten.
However, one citizen challenges their argument. A Holocaust survivor, Max Feldman (Danny Kaye), says that he was told to ignore the Nazis nearly 40 years ago in Germany, and before he knew it he was in a concentration camp. He says this time he will take action, and he is ready to shed blood if necessary. Led by this de facto spokesman, most members of the community agree to protest. The film spans a year and a half of legal battles and explores the meaning of freedom and First Amendment in the United States of America.
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