A dramatization of the incident in 1972 when Arab terrorists broke into the Olympic compound in Munich and murdered eleven Israeli athletes.
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Title: 21 Hours at Munich (TV Movie 1976)
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Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| William Holden | ... | Chief of Police Manfred Schreiber | |
| Shirley Knight | ... | Anneliese Graes | |
| Franco Nero | ... | Issa | |
| Anthony Quayle | ... | General Zvi Zamir | |
| Richard Basehart | ... | Chancellor Willy Brandt | |
| Noel Willman | ... | Interior Minister Bruno Merk | |
 |
Georg Marischka | ... | Genscher |
|
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Else Quecke | ... | Golda Meir |
|
|
Michael Degen | ... | Mohammed Khadif |
|
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Djamchid 'Jim' Soheili | ... | Touny (as Djamchid Soheili) |
|
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Walter Kohut | ... | Feldhaus |
| Jan Niklas | ... | Schreiber's Aide | |
|
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Ernest Lenart | ... | Ben Horin |
|
|
Osman Ragheb | ... | Prime Minister Sedki |
|
|
James Hurley | ... | Avery Brundage |
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Plot Summary
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Storyline
The infamous attack on Isreali athletes and coaches in the Olympic Village during the 1972 Munich Olympics is chronicled in this made-for-television movie and supplemented with archive footage from the actual games. Members of the Palestinian Black September Movement kill two and hold nine others as hostages to exchange for hundreds of Arab prisoners in Isreali jails. The Isreali government adheres to its policy of not negotiating with terrorists, and German Holocaust guilt will not permit West German officials to allow the terrorists to leave the country with the hostages. Therefore, it falls to Chief of Police Manfred Schreiber to delay fulfilling the Palestinian demands through on-going negotiation, but sooner or later he knows that tough decisions will have to be made. Written by duke1029
Plot Keywords:
reference to hermann goring | 1972 | munich 1972 summer olympics | 1972 summer olympics | terrorist |Taglines:
At 4:09 am on September 5, 1972, eleven Olympic athletes were taken hostage by terrorists. For the next 21 hours the world held its breath... See more »Parents Guide:
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Details
Country:
USARelease Date:
7 November 1976 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
Twenty-One Hours at Munich See more »Filming Locations:
Munich, Bavaria, GermanyCompany Credits
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Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
MonoColor:
ColorAspect Ratio:
1.78 : 1
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Avery Brundage: Just so long as it's a firm hand.
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Did You Know?
Trivia
After the massacre, the Isreali security force Mossad used two clandestine operations to track down those who participated in any way with the planning or execution of the hostage operation, including two of the three surviving terrorists, although some sources dispute that. These operations were chronicled in the movies Sword of Gideon (1986) and Munich (2005). See more »Quotes
Chief of Police Manfred Schreiber: We have the building surrounded. We're still waiting word from Israel. Until then we're working with one hand.Avery Brundage: Just so long as it's a firm hand.
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21 Hours at Munich (1976)
*** (out of 4)
Pretty good made for TV movie about the 1972 Olympics in Munich, Germany where Arab terrorists kidnapped and murdered eleven Israeli athletes. I don't know the entire history of the events surrounding this attack but if this film stays true to what really happened then I can't help but blame the German government and their security at the Olympics. I really couldn't believe how stupid some of the decisions made where and I really wonder what this event would do in today's world where God knows there's a lot more media. As for the film itself, it's entertaining throughout but it never gets too dramatic and the direction lacks any real style or flair. William Holden gives a good performance as the head Munich guy trying to get everything done while Franco Nero steals the show as the head terrorist. Nero is downright brilliant in his part with a look that could kill. I liked how Nero played the part of a thinking man and this really comes across well.