The Devil’s General

Summary: 1960 BBC production of The Devil’s General by Carl Zuckmayer. Cartier had also produced the play for television five years earlier in 1955 with many of the same cast, including the leads Marius Goring and Margaretta Scott.
Theatre play: The Devil’s General [Des Teufels General] by Carl Zuckmayer (1894-1944) [more information]
Play synopsis: 'The title character of the play, General Harras, is based on the [German flying] ace Ernst Udet. The play is based upon his struggles during the war, simultaneously working under and openly being against the Nazi Party. Despite the serious scenario [...] a comical and satirical tone is often used throughout the play’ (source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Des_Teufels_General_%28play%29). The play, a major success in post-war Germany, was one of the first post-war literary attempts to broach the issue of Nazism.
Production history: Premiered in Zürich on 14 December 1946.
Date of transmission: Sunday 14 August 1960
Time: 8.00-9.30pm
Series: Summer Theatre
Channel: BBC Television
Production company: BBC

Producer

Rudolph Cartier

Playwright

Carl Zuckmayer (1894-1944)

Translator

Robert Gore Brown

Designer

Norman James

Cast

Extant status: No archival copy is known to exist.
Play tags: Germany, as theme or setting; Nazism; Second World War, as theme or setting; wartime, as theme or setting

This record has been viewed 721 times.

British Universities Film & Video Council