Kojak: The Belarus File

As a young man in the 1970's I watched the occasional episode of Kojak. While I have always liked Telly Savalis as an actor, I was not a regular viewer of the Kojak series; thinking it just another of the ubiquitous "cops and detectives" shows that were so common at the time.

In this movie, viewers get a history lesson in one of the little-known aspects of World War II. Specifically the fact that many in the Nazi-conquered countries collaborated with the Germans.

The most notorious of these collaborators were among the "White Russians" (today the country of Belarus--hence the title of the movie) and the Ukrainians. Both countries have a long history of anti-Semitism, and when the Nazis began the "Final Solution to the Jewish Problem" there were plenty of locals who participated enthusiastically in the rounding-up and killing of Jews.

After a series of murders of elderly Russian men in New York, Kojak discovers that the victims were actually Nazi collaborators who were living under assumed identities. But the plot thickens as Kojak uncovers further evidence that the U.S. government was involved in helping these Russian Nazis get into the country in the first place. And there is a surprise at the end when the murderer is revealed.

This movie makes great use of its New York locations, especially emphasizing the various ethnic enclaves in the city. Savalis steps effortlessly back into the role he left 8 years previously. It's great to see George Savalis in a good supporting role. Susan Pleshette as government-employee-turned-Kojak's-partner is always good. Swedish actor Max Von Sydow as a Jewish witness to the "Russian Holocaust" and Herbert Berghoff as a German Nazi round out the cast with great performances.

Hopefully this move comes out on DVD. So far there has only been a limited release on VHS in the 1990s. It's gripping, moves at a fast pace, and tells about a bit of WWII history that few people know about.

A great story! Kojak investigates a series of recent killings that involve Russian Jews that worked with the Germans 40 years earlier to help imprison Jews in Hitler's concentration camps. Kojak is tied closely to the case by friends that are in the middle of the case. Susan Pleshette gives a great performance as Kojak's unofficial assistant and possible love interest. Max Von Sydow is, as always, great.

Perhaps now that the first season of KOJAK is now on DVD we can look forward to a DVD release for this film, as well as the several other KOJAK movies made in the late 80's and early 90's.

This was a full-length movie featuring the television series star "Kojak," played by Telly Savalas. He made the fictional New York city detective a pretty famous person. This movie came later but the lollipop-sucking "who loves ya, baby?" wise-cracking cop was not that in this movie. His partner, "Crocker" wasn't in here, either, and his boss "Frank" only made an appearance at the end. All of that didn't make this as attractive a film as it should have been. Also, at least for me, I didn't find the deep raspy-voiced overdone eye make-upped Suzanne Pleshette to be an attractive female lead. Almost any other woman would have been this more tolerable to watch.

Despite all of the above, Salavas and the story were still pretty entertaining and the movie was filmed nicely, meaning nice photography, better than the TV series and a big cut above most made-for-TV movies. That, and some dramatic music, helped make this worth watching. However, it's not worth keeping. If you like Kojak, you're better off waiting for the TV series to come out on DVD. The first season was issued, but where's the rest?

Probably pro-Kojak sentiments coupled with the courageous story line led to my exaggerating a "fair" rating for this movie. Probably a fair rating of this movie should be 8. But the inexplicable weighted average by others of 5.3 is neither fair nor understandable.

The action and style is classic Kojak; even "Styros" (Terry Salvalas' real life brother) acts in this movie. I think Salvalas and Susan Pleshet did a good job of carrying the story of a Nazi concentration camp survivor tracking down aging Nazis to execute them by taking justice into his own hands. The one glaring flaw is that Pleshet's character (an ambitious State Department attorney on her way up ... who is supposed to derail Kojak's murder investigation) is not likely to have faced a lifetime prison term by handing over to Kojak "Top Secret" files ... just to prove to Kojak that she can be trusted. But otherwise, I think the movie made its point that mass murderous Nazis were (and continue to be) protected by various branches of the United States government. So making an action-adventure "crimmie" about it takes some guts and deserves some glory.

This movie is worth seeing for entertainment and for educational values.

One fine day elderly concentration camp survivor Max Von Sydow spots Herbert Berghof in Manhattan. With what Berghof did to Von Sydow back in the day you don't forget that face. In fact Berghof leads Von Sydow to a lot of other familiar faces from those bad old days in a concentration camp run by White Russian collaborators with the Nazis.

When several elderly men start getting abruptly dead that brings Lt. Theo Kojak on the scene. He's got a new young detective to take the place of Crocker in Alan Rosenberg. And in checking immigration files he has to deal with the State Department in the person of Suzanne Pleshette.

Nice work if you can get it, but Pleshette is to misdirect Kojak and she makes a good try. But Telly Savalas has been around the block a few times.

It all has to do with a scheme hatched in the minds of some fervent anti-Communists in the beginning days of the Cold War. When Berghof and Von Sydow meet with Savalas and Rosenberg it's quite the climax.

Just who gets to fulfill his mission.

With the exception of Kevin Dobson all the other detectives from Manhattan South are there along with Dan Frazer as Captain McNeill. But that would be it for them.

It's a good made for TV movie about the most passionate law and order cop that television ever invented.