The Juggler (1953) User Reviews (26)

The Demons Return

[bkoganbing · 7/10 · 28 May 2008]

The Juggler is the story of a concentration camp survivor in 1949 trying to make a place for himself in the new state of Israel. As the hopes and dreams of so many Jews over many generations are realized, a country where they're not the guests or the barely tolerated minority, Kirk Douglas as Hans Muller can't leave the memory of what he's survived behind in Europe.

Back in the day Douglas was a music hall entertainer, a juggler by trade, and from what I could see Douglas mastered the art himself to make his performance quite believable. As an actor I have never seen anyone better than Kirk Douglas to go from 0 to 120 in emotions in a matter of seconds. Kirk needed that ability to play the psychologically tattered Hans Muller.

A lot of folks who survived questioned the very nature of nature's God to have allowed such a thing to happen. Even more so they questioned the randomness of those who did survive. Douglas lost his wife and children there.

When he wanders away from the settlement camp in Haifa and is questioned by an Israeli policeman, the demons from Europe return and Douglas strikes at the cop. Thinking he's killed him Kirk goes on the run and he teams up with another camp survivor, an orphan played by Joey Walsh.

Their wanderings and eventually settling down in a kibbutz is most of the film. The Juggler was the first American production to be shot in Israel and we see Douglas and Walsh in the real Haifa, the real Nazareth and in the countryside of Israel which had seen its own war for survival at birth the year before.

The Juggler however does stick to the story and it doesn't just become an Israel travelogue. And it's a nice story about a good man who's seen the worst of what his fellow human beings can do just trying to find a place in a promising, but strange new world.

Outstanding Film

[whpratt1 · 7/10 · 28 September 2007]

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.

The hard and tumultuous story of a Jewish refugee from Germany who relocates to Israel after WWII

[ma-cortes · 7/10 · 10 July 2020]

Following World War II, the life of the Jewish nation is uncertain. The United Nations is contemplating taking a vote on creating a Jewish homeland in Palestine . Until then , many Jews are exiled from much of Europe - especially Germany - in hopes of beginning and making a new fruitful life ; however , many of them are sent to detention camps . Set in 1949 , previous years 1946 ,1947 and early 1948 were a years in which Zionist terrorist was at its height and Independent Israel still seemed heartbreaks away . Finally , the state of Israel is created in 1948 , resulting in war with its Arab neighbors . Meanwhile , some immigrants have no where to go , there arrives a former concentration camp inmate and Berlin native named Hans Muller (Kirk Douglas) . After fighting a policeman , Hans turns a fugitive , traveling through Israel with an orphan teenage boy , whom he teaches to juggle while searching for peace of mind ; meantime , being relentless pursued by a police inspector (Paul Stewart) . Regarding his risked odyssey post-war, as he is back to Israel and escapes across the countryside . Subsequently , Hans stays at a kibutz where meets Ya'El (Milly Vitale) , she is initially naive about his sedution and hostile toward Muller's means of achieving his goals . However, she ultimately falls in love with him and with his dream despite their cultural differences and the mental breakdown suffering from his experiences in the Nazi death camps. The drama and the passion of one of the epic events of the twentieth century !

This historic film concerning a deranged Jewish vaudevillian-juggler who immigrates to Israel where and he can't adjust to peacetime life . It is a worthy exercice but results to be slow-moving and boring , at times . Being well produced by the great Stanley Kramer , appropriately photographed in black and white by Roy Hunt , containing a sensitive and moving musical score by George Antheil and professionally directed by Edward Dmytryck , though it has some flaws and gaps . It is a nice and thought-provoking film, but not excellent , about a unsettling man who is a neurotic about authority and confinement , that's why he can not overcome the psychological effects of the war , concerning a thunderous traveling , as well as his slow rediscovery of hope and life . It has the usual trappings of a grand historical fresco about building of Israel state , but it results to be more an introspective drama than an epic movie . To be sure the movie is enjoyable and strong , regarding the plight of the survivors from Auschwitz and other concentration camps . A sensitive and brooding picture dealing with doubts facing the liberated prisoners and psychological dilemmas . Good performances from Kirk Douglas as an obstinate and quick to anger Jew , who due to psychological problems has not to enjoy an easy life . Here a compelling Kirk gives a very fine acting , delivering one of the best interpretations of his long career, as the ex-prisoner attempting to reclaim his humanity later experiencing unimaginable terror and distress . Douglas is assisted by a good cast , such as : the gorgeous Milly Vitale , Paul Stewart , Joey Walsh , Alf Kjellin , Beverly Washburn , Richard Benedict , jay Adler , Charles Lane, among others .

The picture well written by Michael Blankfort was efficiently directed by Edward Dmytriyck providing an introspective look about Nazism consequences with harrowing scenes , though including some brief failures . A veteran filmmaker, Dmytryck is one of Hollywood's most prolific directors who started his career in the early 40s . He was a craftsman whose career was interrupted by the activities of the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), a congressional committee that employed ruthless tactics aimed at rooting out and destroying what it saw as Communist influence in Hollywood . A lifelong political leftist who had been a Communist Party member briefly during World War II, Dmytryk was one of the so-called "Hollywood Ten" who refused to cooperate with HUAC and had their careers disrupted or ruined as a result. The committee threw him in prison for refusing to cooperate, and after having spent several months behind bars , Dmytryk decided to cooperate . Dmytrick's biggest film was ¨The Caine Mutiny¨ , but he also realized another mutiny film titled : ¨Mutiny¨ with Angela Lansbury . Edward was an expert on warlike genre as ¨Back to Batan¨ , ¨Battle of Anzio¨ , ¨Young lions¨ and Western as ¨Broken lance¨ , ¨Alvarez Kelly¨ , ¨Warlock¨ , among others . Rating : 7 , better than average .

A good movie - not shown enough

[gelashe · 30 April 2003]

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.

Just a small toss below perfection.

[mark.waltz · 7/10 · 11 February 2020]

Yes, Kirk Douglas's non-German vocals are a distraction from the realism of the otherwise compelling post war drama about post-traumatic stress syndrome. Kirk is indeed excellent as a famous juggler, and the sympathy is definitely with him as a survivor of the Holocaust who finds himself traveling to Israel as a refugee, trying to hide the fact that he was in a concentration camp yet exposing it every time he lifts his arm up and the number is exposed. Douglas, suffering greatly from fear of authority, attacks an Israeli police officer only seeking to see his papers, and the authorities are on his trail to determine the motive for the attacks and get him the help he desperately needs. It's obvious that nobody is the bad guy, but the psychological ramifications of Nazi cruelty has affected Douglas deeply.

An excellent, touching performance are given by Joseph Walsh as a teen war orphan who desperately wants to become Douglas's traveling companion, having suffered from the loss of his parents and facing the illness that is now referred to as arrested development. Douglas at one point plans to leave with just a simple goodbye, and it's apparent that Walsh's heart is on the verge of breaking. Walsh decides that he wants to be a great juggler too, and is actually quite eat it. Douglas becomes enamored with the pretty Milly Vitale who works at a local border camp aiding refugees through the mine covered countryside, one bomb nearly killing Walsh.

It's obvious that there's only one way out for Douglas that doesn't involve violence, but can Paul Stewart, as the police officer determined to get Douglas treatment and justice he needs, but when the brain is filled with the memories Douglas has, the results could be tragic. Douglas's changing from jovial entertainer to paranoid victim is indeed a gripping performance although I don't quite believe him as German. The photography is superb and the use of traditional Hebrew traditions and cultural ceremonies makes this educational as well as intense entertainment. Producer Stanley Kramer and director Edward Dmytryk deserve additional credit for making this near classic an emotional journey for Douglas, Walsh and that viewer.

Different But Not Daring Enough

[LeonLouisRicci · 6/10 · 10 September 2014]

Not Without Historical Interest, Hollywood and the Jewish "Survivors" Post-War Situation, it is Nonetheless a Less than Engaging Melodrama that doesn't Quite Know how to Handle the Whole Thing. Like Some Excellent Film-Noirs, this is Not that Gripping in its Display of Post War Trauma and the Psychological Impairments that Resulted.

This Film does Try Very Hard but is Ultimately Stagy and Flat and Barely Interesting. Although the First Hollywood Movie to Go to the Newly Formed Country Israel, it is Rather Unremarkable the Way it Portrays the Location. Ironically it's just Bland and Not Very Compelling.

There are Some Fine Moments, Like when a Little Girl is Prodded into Giving Up a Photo of "The Juggler", Kirk Douglas as Hans Muller, She is Told..."Sometime we must give up our friends for the sake of the law."...Yikes...Isn't that what the Nazi's Demanded? Isn't that what the Mccarthy Commie Hunt Demanded?

Overall, the Broad Subject Matter of Concentration Camp Survivors was Rare in the Movies, and for that this One is Special. But it isn't an Especially Good Movie. A Fair Attempt at a Difficult Subject, but the Results are Inconsistent and the Film as a Whole is Less than the Talent In Front of and Behind the Camera in this Noble Mediocrity.

For the Sake of the Law, We Have to Give Up Our Friends?

[wes-connors · 6/10 · 12 September 2014]

The year is 1949 as Jewish refuges arrive in the newly formed country called Israel. Among them is Holocaust survivor Kirk Douglas (as Hans Muller). Once a popular entertainer and expert juggler, Mr. Douglas was used by the Nazis to test drugs. Born in Munich, Germany, he was also tortured in a concentration camp. Less lucky, his wife and children were murdered. Understandably, Douglas is suffering from the horrors he experienced. At one point, he mistakes an Israeli policeman for a Nazi and sends the lawman to the hospital. While the officer wavers between life and death, Douglas goes on the run, believing he will be accused of murder...

Along the way, Douglas befriends teenager Joseph "Joey" Walsh (as Yehoshua "Josh" Bresler). The apparently orphaned boy begins as a guide - but he and Douglas quickly develop a "father-son" relationship. In keeping with the familial theme, Douglas later meets young blonde Milly Vitale (as Ya'El). The beautifully-figured widow lost her husband in the recent Arab-Israeli War - and you'd be safe in predicting a romance between Douglas and Ms. Vitale is in the script. It's brought to you by writer Michael Blankfort, producer Stanley Kramer and director Edward Dmytryk. They've got a good lead with Douglas and nice-looking film, shot party on location...

Douglas makes a very believable juggler, if not a German. The performance by young Walsh is also quite appealing. The subject matter is excellent, but we don't see much beneath the surface; everything is left to Douglas' anguish. We wonder why he is not returned to his home and given back his career and wealth - after all, we won the war. Watch for a startling scene in which adorably cute Beverly Washburn (as Susy) refuses to give her autographed picture of "The Juggler" to the policeman (Paul Stewart) hunting Douglas. Her father tells the girl, "Sometimes, for the sake of the law, we have to give up our friends." That line stands out like a sore thumb.

****** The Juggler (5/5/53) Edward Dmytryk ~ Kirk Douglas, Joseph Walsh, Milly Vitale, Paul Stewart

Has Faded into Relative Obscurity

[JamesHitchcock · 6/10 · 11 January 2022]

War films were ten-a-penny on both sides of the Atlantic in the aftermath of World War II, as there was a great public demand for enlightenment as to "how we won the war". Films about the Holocaust, however, were rare during this period; it is as though the subject seemed to daunt film-makers by its very enormity. "The Juggler" is one of the few exceptions, and even this film is less about the events of the Holocaust itself than with the attempts of a survivor to build a new life for himself. It is also one of the few Hollywood movies from this period to be set in contemporary Israel.

The title character is Hans Müller, once a famous professional juggler in Germany who was persecuted by the Nazis because of his Jewish origins. The film opens with Hans's arrival at Haifa in 1949. Along with other recent arrivals he is placed in a refugee camp, an unfortunate move because, although he is not a prisoner, the camp reminds him of the concentration camps in which he was held in Germany. Hans's ordeal has also left him with an ingrained distrust of any authority figure. He walks out of the camp and goes into the city, where he is questioned by a policeman. Panicking, Hans attacks the man, leaving him seriously injured. Hans flees, and later meets a teenage named Josh and a female kibbutz member named Yael, both of whom help him to come to terms with his traumas.

Hans is played by Kirk Douglas, who was himself Jewish and a supporter of Israel; he was later to make "Cast a Giant Shadow" about an Israeli war hero, General David Marcus. While this is not among Douglas's best films, he does enough to convey something of the psychological anguish which Hans is going through. We never learn exactly what he experienced, although we learn that his wife and children died in the camps. His problems are not due solely to traumatic memories alone. He also suffers from feelings of guilt about the death of his family because he admits that he ignored warnings to flee Germany, believing that his fame as a popular entertainer would protect him. Intellectually he knows that his family are dead, but in his heart he cannot accept this; at one point he tries to greet a woman he has never met before as his wife.

Of the other actors, the best is probably Joseph Walsh as young Josh. Milly Vitale, with her elegantly permed blonde hair and immaculate make-up, never really seemed convincing as a female kibbutznik. The main problem, however, is that we can never really sympathise with the protagonist; on the one hand he is a man who has suffered much, but on the other he is a man who has viciously assaulted, and nearly killed, another man. The injured policeman seems to get forgotten, as though his sufferings are unimportant when compared to Hans's.

In 1953 it was a brave move by director Edward Dmytryk to tackle a drama with a Holocaust theme, but in more recent decades there have been a lot more films on this theme, some of them much better, notably Alan J. Pakula's "Sophie's Choice" and Spielberg's "Schindler's List". Nor can it compare with some of Douglas's great films such as "Young Man with a Horn", "Champion", "Ace in the Hole" or "Lust for Life". It is perhaps therefore not surprising that, notwithstanding the bravery of its director and the presence of a major Hollywood star, "The Juggler" should have faded into relative obscurity. 6/10.

a heroic film

[elfinadrawer · 9/10 · 28 May 2008]

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.

interesting PTSD story

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 14 January 2020]

Holocaust survivor Hans Muller (Kirk Douglas) arrives in the new country of Israel. Before the war, he was a juggler with a family but now he's alone as a refugee. He is terribly troubled and gets into a fight with a policeman. He is hunted by the police and befriends a young boy.

This reminds me of his son's movie Falling Down in that this character is broken. In that sense, Kirk is too powerful. The role needs someone more jittery and more flustered. It only happens in certain times. He's playing it like an on/off switch. It would have been great if his relationship with the boy could slowly return him to normal. He needs to start in a chaotic state and turn into a more steady state by the end. It is interesting to see PTSD being portrayed in an earlier movie. His clown work is very good and this is fairly compelling as a subject matter.

Kirk Douglas in social conscience drama produced by Stanley Kramer...

[Doylenf · 5/10 · 27 September 2007]

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.

A Juggled Life-The Juggler ***1/2

[edwagreen · 9/10 · 18 September 2014]

Stanley Kramer always made successful films dealing with social issues and this 1953 film is no exception to that rule.

As a Holocaust survivor who lost his wife and children, Hans Muller (Douglas) comes to Israel in 1949.

He reminded me somewhat of Rod Steiger in "The Pawnbroker," as he is unable to come to grips with what has occurred in his life and he constantly confuses his current life with what has happened to him in the past. A routine encounter with an Israeli policeman leads to near tragedy and Douglas runs away to a Kibbutz where he finds love and understanding with a woman and a young sabra who he meets along the way.

The final scene where Douglas is trapped in a one- room area is similar to that of his captivity in a concentration camp. The torture expressed on his face was reminiscent of what he would exhibit in "Lust for Life" years later.

Despite having its heart in the right place, this film could have used a re-write.

[planktonrules · 5/10 · 28 May 2008]

This is a film that seems very sincere in wanting to tell an interesting story from a man horribly damaged by the Holocaust, but unfortunately the film had a lot of problems with the plot and casting that interfered with it becoming a better and more memorable film.

Kirk Douglas was cast as a German-Jew who has just immigrated to Israel in 1949. Since WWII, we don't know what he's done or where he's been, but he was horribly abused in a concentration camp, so it isn't at all surprising he is emotionally fragile and suffers from a classic case of Post-traumatic Stress Syndrome. In some ways, Kirk was an excellent choice--he's Jewish and did amazingly well in his juggling routines. However, having him play a German named "Hans Muller" was silly, as he acted about as German as Mickey Mouse. Everyone but Kirk had a strong accent in the film--Kirk sounded like an American. Also, while I love his films, Mr. Douglas is NOT one of the more subtle actors in history and a few of his scenes where he struggles with the effects of PTSD were overdone--and were almost silly. And that is NOT something you want in a serious film about a very serious topic.

Aside from this casting problem (why didn't they just have Kirk play a man who was originally an American and he was living in Europe?), the other smaller problem about the film is that, at times, it tried a little too hard. Scenes from the kibbutz seemed a tad over-idealistic and lacked realism from time to time.

However, despite these serious flaws, the film still was engaging and had one of the earliest and best portrayals of PTSD on film. It's well worth seeing for mental health professionals and people interested in the early history of Israel, but others might find it tough sailing. An earnest and sincere failure that is still a decent time-passer.

My advice? See some other films about the Holocaust first--save this one for later if you are so inclined. Some great films about this era you might want to first watch are THE SHOP ON MAIN STREET (from Czechoslovakia), THE SEARCH, SCHINDLER'S LIST, LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL and the TV mega-miniseries, WAR AND REMEMBRANCE. For early Israeli history (post-1948), try EXODUS--it's not perfect but is still far better than this film.

The juggler and the juggled

[dbdumonteil · 10 September 2006]

One of Kirk Douglas' more intense performances,it is a pity that this movie should remain a buried treasure.

"Surviving the horror" could be another title for "the juggler" .A Jew ,who has lost all his family and who has known the concentration camps comes back to the promised land in 1949.Life during WW2 camps has often been described,but life AFTER the nightmare is a subject which has rarely been told in movies with a few exceptions ("die Morder sind unter uns ":Susanne's character and "Exodus": the young man played by Sal Mineo).But never as successfully as here.

Hans cannot forget.His psyche is shot."I'm the juggler and the juggled" . He tries to find back his dear departed although he knows they were killed.He suffers from claustrophobia and Douglas makes us FEEL his disease (the film owes a great deal to this extraordinary actor),and every time he sees men in uniform ,he thinks of his torturers.

Admirable sequences: Douglas in the desert town ,with all these walls which imprison him ,and those men around who are threats .The minefield where the distraught man and his young pal are rescued by their fellow men who form a human chain.

In his absorbing memoirs,Douglas wrote that he once helped Dmytryk who was one of the Unfriendly Tens .But when they made "the juggler" ,the director acted as if they had never met.Douglas thought he was ashamed for having been an informer.But he did not judge him at all.What would I have done if I had been in his shoes ? he wrote.

Many films might suggest that Dmytryk was suffering from of a strong guilty feeling: "the sniper" with his burned arm,José Ferrer's arm in a sling in "Caine Mutiny" .And in this film ,Douglas "gagging" his arm-mouth ,or covering it to hide his tattooed number.

I agree with all the precedent users.A film which must be restored to favor.

Incredible forgotten classic

[HotToastyRag · 8/10 · 21 August 2020]

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.

Before He Was Shultz

[loreguy · 5/10 · 28 May 2008]

Kirk tries really hard, and has some amazing scenes of non-verbal acting greatness, but quite often he's a two-note nutcase, going from really nice to really angry and violent. There's not much more to the film than this. Seeing it again recently makes me wish they had taken a few more risks with non-formulaic elements.

I enjoyed seeing a young John Banner playing a Dutch tourist who helps the police pursue Kirk. He's far more pleasant than the caricature we all remember him as: the bumbling Sgt. Shultz from "Hogan's Heroes"

The kid from "Hans Christian Anderson" is here too, playing Kirk's sidekick instead of Danny Kaye's. And Paul Stewart, the guy who was Kane's valet in "Citizen Kane" is the cop. He was in a TON of television in the 60s.

Excellent for its time

[angelsunchained · 8/10 · 11 October 2018]

Groundbreaking for its time, but overacted for today. The world had a different outlook on people suffering from psychological disorder back in the early 1950s. Most actors playing those roles had a habit of overplaying the role and Kirk Douglas does the same thing here. However, his overall performance was excellent. Not really too much of a storyplot, but it is entertaining enough.

One-note downbeat chronicle of German Jewish Holocaust survivor coping as a refugee in new state of Israel

[Turfseer · 3/10 · 22 October 2021]

Edward Dymtryk was already an "A" list director having previously churned out the film noir masterpiece Murder, my Sweet when The Juggler was released in 1953. Of the many films he directed during his career, this one was not a film he could or should have been proud of. But given his stature in cinematic history, a clunker here and there can easily be forgiven.

The Juggler has the unusual distinction of being the first American movie filmed in Israel. It's set in 1949 right after Israeli independence and the best part of the film is the solid on-location cinematography.

Kirk Douglas is miscast as Hans Muller, a Holocaust survivor who just gets off the boat and is settled in a refugee camp. Hans was formerly an entertainer in Germany before the war but like anyone of Jewish heritage in that country he was stripped of his rights and sent to a concentration camp.

Later on it's revealed that Hans regretted not listening to his friends back in Germany who warned him of what was happening to the Jews but he ignored them because like many German Jews at the time, he considered himself more German than Jewish. Douglas doesn't attempt a German accent here and using his American accent just doesn't cut it.

When he arrives the refugee camp, Hans immediately mistakes a woman and her two children for his wife and children who were murdered during the Holocaust. He is obviously suffering from what is now called PTSD (Post traumatic Stress Disorder) and often is unable to control his temper. A camp psychologist concludes he's in need of treatment and refers him to a psychiatrist outside the camp for a more formal evaluation.

Hans flees the camp and ends up in the city of Haifa where he assaults a police officer (knocking him out) after mistaking him for a Nazi. He then befriends a 12 year old orphan by the name of Yehoshua (Joseph Walsh) and they end up on a Kibbutz where the boy injures his leg by stepping on a landmine.

Well known character actor Paul Stewart plays Detective Kami who is assigned to track Hans down and either bring him to justice or deliver him to the proper psychiatric authorities. There is a trifle bit of romance when Hans falls for a kind and sympathetic Kibbutz resident Ya'el (Milly Vitale) who convinces Hans to surrender to Detective Kami at the climax.

With good intentions, the narrative highlights the plight of Holocaust survivors who were emotionally damaged due to their experiences at the hands of the Nazis. Nonetheless the character of Hans-with his one note downbeat and troubled demeanor-is difficult to watch for the length of an entire feature film. Sad sacks never make for good drama and perhaps a documentary featuring the true history of German Jewish refugees settling in Israel would have been more appropriate.

If one still wanted to do a feature film, perhaps flashbacks substantially fleshing out what happened to Hans back in Germany would have been much more effective. All that we're left with is a tepid manhunt leading to the forgone conclusion of Han's apprehension.

Douglas appears to have studied assiduously how to perform as a juggler and that's the most impressive aspect of his performance here-otherwise he's saddled with a script that calls for one scene of histrionics after another. The rest of the cast, particularly Vitale as Ya'el does quite well. The Juggler does little to illuminate what the Holocaust was all about and emphasizes the effect on survivors in a superficial way.

A hidden treasure

[myschrec · 10 March 2004]

I haven't seen this movie in years, although I remember seeing it when it was first available in the 50's when I was a child and later in the 90's when it was on TV. I recall that Douglas' acting was not as convincing as it could have been, but then the character was deeply disturbed by the War and resettlement in Israel. I recall that scenes of Israel were very convincing. I have relatives in Israel and some of them visited us in the 50's, so I learned a lot about life in Israel. Finally, I recall a wonderful child actor in this movie who does more than anyone else to draw us into the drama. Fifty years later, this film now takes on even more importance as an historical document. I hope it is released on DVD soon.

Psychological aftermath for holocaust survivors

[camille-05424 · 8/10 · 18 January 2020]

A great deal has been written in favor of this film that I would agree. The only problem I had was with one line of dialogue that a few viewers mentioned as well. The script reads "sometimes for the sake of the law we have to give up our friends." I can, to some extent, understand why this line was kept in the film. In reading what HUAC and the tribulations of director Mr. Dmytryk went through; perhaps he felt strongly about that belief. However, this is a line of dialogue that many in hollywood at the time, especially Kirk Douglas, and viewers today would not agree to that philosophy. Many lives in Europe during WW2 died to hide their friends from the law of the land. Laws change; sometimes all we have are our moral principles. Still I do overall recommend this film.

About filming places

[biraniris · 8/10 · 6 May 2016]

On the Holocaust Eve. 5/4/16, I watched this film on Israeli TV. I love old films,but this time, it had a special meaning for me. It turns out that my mother was staying at a retreat in Kibbutz Hanita in the Upper Galilee in Israel while this film was shot there(1953). She remembers that the guests were sitting and watching the filming, and says that Kirk Douglas was very handsome. I could also recognize places in downtown Haifa, my hometown, where the policeman scene was filmed, and to see Haifa harbor as well. It was very exciting to hear it from my mother and to see familiar places in a film that was made before I was born.

Decent

[Michael_Elliott · 28 February 2008]

Juggler, The (1953)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

Kirk Douglas plays a Holocaust survivor who is still suffering mental illness after ten years in a concentration camp where he also learned that his wife and children were killed by being put in an oven. After the war Douglas goes to Israel to try and start his life over but his mental condition nearly leads to him killing a cop but he heads off and finds new friends in a closed off community but his past is still looking for him. Edward Dymtryk directed this film, which has its heart in the right place but there are a few major flaws that really kills the film. Needless to say, Douglas gives a very strong and heartbreaking performance and I've heard this is one of his favorites. There's a scene towards the start of the film where he sees a woman with two children and thinks that they are his even though he knows they're really dead. The breakdown Douglas shows in this scene is among the best of his career. There are countless dramatic moments like this one and here lies one of the problems. Douglas gives a strong enough of a performance where the director should have let the acting do the talking but instead of doing that he pumps up the music score. Every time something dramatic happens he pumps up the music score and this here killed most of the drama for me. The film also wants to make the viewer cry every few minutes and this doesn't work either.

Traumatized.

[rmax304823 · 8/10 · 9 September 2014]

I don't know why this isn't a better know film because it's generally well acted and thoroughly absorbing.

Kirk Douglas is a famous German juggler who has survived a concentration camp where he lost his wife and children. He winds up a refugee in Haifa but his experiences have left him deranged, mistaking strange women for his wife, claustrophobic, bitterly mistrustful of authority. He runs away from the refugee camp, battering a curious policeman almost to death, and hikes across much of Israel with a boy, Joseph Walsh, that he's picked up along the way. When he reaches a remote kibbutz, they welcome him, and he and one of the staff, Milly Vitale, fall in love. But the police are on his trail because of the assault on the cop. They capture him and take him away for trial and psychiatric treatment.

Describing the tale in a precis like this drains it of all blood. Along with "Champion", it's certainly one of Kirk Douglas' finest performances. The climactic scene in which he's locked all the doors to a tiny cabin and threatens to kill any policeman who tries to break in is indescribable. Milly Vitale, at the door, makes the point that he hasn't locked others out, he's locked himself in. And when Douglas realizes that she's speaking the truth, his eyes roll back and his face is distorted with anguish.

Of course it's overdone. This is Hollywood speaking. And they want to make sure you get each particular point, even if they have to hit you over the head with a crowbar to do it. Thus, when Douglas' shirt sleeve is accidentally rolled back, uncovering his tattoo, someone must remark, "That's a concentration camp number. You must have been in a concentration camp!" The last shot is a disappointment, with Douglas on his knees, begging for help.

At the kibbutz we get the happy peasant cliché. Everyone is kindly and unpretentious. They take pleasure in simple things, like the arrival of two cows, which they decorate with flowers. And after that, there must be a folk dance to George Antheil's frenzied music and Edward Dmytryk's gigantic close ups of wildly happy faces.

The cast look genuine enough in dusty work clothes. Douglas appears only briefly with his hair carefully trimmed, combed, and moussed. But Milly Vitale is always made up and wears a stylish 1953 do. That's a mistake, because Milly Vitale is radiant and doesn't need her face plastered with goo.

But there are moments, sometimes brief, just a line or two of dialog, that stand out as if accompanied by barely perceived fanfares. On a hilltop, Douglas is explaining how he lost his family -- thank God, no flashbacks -- and then he answers all her questions with old jokes or tricks. As for how he was swept up, "The juggler is juggled." Why can't he accept the kibbutz as his home? Douglas is juggling four oranges (he's pretty good) and he repeats, in time with the rotation of the fruit, "Home . . is a place . . you lose."

Like "The Pawn Broker," the film deals not with the suffering of the concentration camps but with the suffering that lives on within us after the horror is "over." It's a difficult movie to forget.

It's been said that "The Hoods die young . . . "

[oscaralbert · 8/10 · 15 January 2020]

. . . which is a powerful message borne out by THE JUGGLER. Filmed in the midst of "Mad Dog McCarthy's" HUAC Witch Hunts, THE JUGGLER (aka, "Kirk") stood virtually alone against the HUAC Hoods. But look at them Today (1/15/2020): Snitch Marion Mitchell "Duke the Dog" Morrison, long gone. Snitch War Bonds, gone West in a distant yesteryear. Directorial snitches Ford, Capra and Kazan: all deceased. Gun-promoting snitches Reagan, Heston and Hopper: nothing but gun-smoke now! Such snitch clans as The Barrymore-s and the Rogers, gone and all but forgotten. However, THE JUGGLER himself is still chugging along at age 103, as his lessons in courage march along in stride. Most important is to "Make Love, Not War!" Though THE JUGGLER hangs around with that kibbutz wench long enough to pop out four or five tykes, she's all blather but no babes! Sure enough, Real Life has followed suit, as this barren broad's nation is about to be swallowed up by its surrounding sea of more prolific people. Perhaps more important is Lesson #2: "Snitches Get Stitches!" THE JUGGLER suffers his tribulations in a Paranoid Police State, in which half of the other characters go out of their way to turn stool pigeon on him. Just as "A house divided against itself cannot stand," Mr. Lennon sang "Hey Jude, you're the dude who can imagine all these lonely people, if they've lied."

Canaan's bosom

[tieman64 · 31 August 2013]

Directed by Edward Dmytryk, "The Juggler" stars Kirk Douglas as Hans Muller, a German Jew who survived a German concentration camp during WW2. Muller is relocated to a temporary camp in Israel, where the newly formed nation state tries to rehabilitate him. As his experiences during WW2 have left Muller confused, emotionally scarred and suffering traumatic flashbacks, this proves a difficult task.

"The Juggler" was produced by Stanley Kramer, and feels more or less like another one of his schmaltzy "socially conscious message movies". It was written by Michael Blanfort, a screenwriter responsible for "The Caine Mutiny" and "Broken Arrow". With "The Juggler", however, Blanfort bites off more than he can chew, the film offering little insight into either Israel's bloody creation (and the philosophical questions it raises), WW2, the nature of concentration camps or the mind of a man ravaged by survivor's guilt.

Incidentally, the 1950s and 60s saw a number of films which were overtly or covertly about Israel's new-found independence. Most of these were written by blacklisted writers and filmed by once blacklisted directors, which is practically a reversal of how the radical left views Israel today (Dalton Trumbo would write "Exodus" some years later, which again starred Douglas).

Most of the films in this wave were also fairly cartoonish pictures, Americanizing the Holocaust and distorting early 20th century history, flattening it into fairly broad, easily digestible movements for Western audiences. We see this with "The Juggler" as well, Israel never rising above the level of a mother who assuages the pain of her brutalised flock. She is a pair of welcoming arms, a necessary haven, and nothing more.

For those interested in history: Edward Dmytryk was once blacklisted for "communist affiliations" (he joined the American Communist Party in 1944) and jailed for six months. He, like many directors (King Vidor et al), then made overtly patriotic flicks to curry favour with those in power, though to no avail. He remained blacklisted by studios and slowly went broke. In 1951 Dmytryk then went before the House of Un-American Activities Committee and provided the names of 26 former members of left-wing groups, all in an attempt to get his name off the blacklist. He succeeded, and immediately directed "The Juggler" and "The Caine Mutiny", the former a love-letter to Israel (perhaps, like his anti, anti-Semitic "Crossfire"), the latter a deliberate reversal of the message found in "Mutiny on the Bounty". Where "Bounty" justified the revolt of oppressed sailors against those in power, "Caine" does the opposite, portraying rebels as an irrational mob of silly, overly educated men. This period of Hollywood history, in which artists were effectively destroyed for their political beliefs, ostracised, blackmailed and forced to comply, is fairly well known. Less well known is how left-wing movements – an extension of Hitler's own paranoia vis a vis "Marxist Jews" - were murderously suppressed by the United States across most of Latin America, the Caribbean, the Middle East, Europe and Asia (even Australia, with what was essentially a 1970's coup).

What's this got to do with "The Juggler"? In a way, Dmytryk's film is all about naming names and its own low-key witch-hunts. Characters must name names to convict Hans Muller, others must name names to prove his innocence, and a little girl is asked to both sell-out and provide photographs of Muller. "Sometimes, you have to give up your friends," one character then essentially says. The message? Stop running, stop hiding, tell the truth, obey, Daddy knows best.

6/10 – Douglas chews scenery well, though his vaudeville routines are at times cringe-worthy. This is surprising, as Dmytryk was the editor of "Duck Soup". See too Dmytryk's "Farewell My Lovely". Worth one viewing.