steve-1338

The Communist prisoners did not lead a revolt to liberate Buchenwald, which was liberated by the United States Army. The movie does not show one American. The German Democratic Republic set up a ceremonial entry to the camp next to the tower that predated the camp. They put up a giant statue showing armed prisoners. After unification, the German government moved the entrance to the main gate (seen often in the movie) and closed off the ceremonial entrance. The tower was closed to the public, ostensibly because it was unsafe. The statues were allowed to rust. In any event, East Germany overlooked another force for revolt, the Canadians. An article I wrote about a stamp showing the monument brought a flood of mail from Canada informing me that the Canadians, not the Communists, were at the core of the revolt.

Because they could not film the movie in Cleveland, the only recognizable landmark in the film is Berkowitz-Kumin funeral home, which is seen for the burial of Alex (Shondor) Birns.

The film gives credit to Paul Sciria, who used to be a radio newsman, and "Cleveland's 'Plain Dealer.' " But since the paper has long had no historical memory, I cannot figure out what the movie could have learned at 1801 Superior. In the movie, the PD reporter who investigated Danny Greens and the Longshoremen's Union is called Steve Marshak, and I can't figure out why it couldn't say Sam Marshall.

When plans are made to kill Mike Frato, Greene voices his objection by saying, "He's got 10 kids." No mention in the film of Frato's three wives. (Full disclosure: I lived two doors down from Beverly Frato and her five children for many years.)

You never get to see the inside of the PD's city room. You never see any PD people. And you are never shown Mairy Jayn Woge's turf, the Cleveland Mafia. You only see one after another of them get killed.

The film ends with a clear indication that Greene was killed at 2000 Brainard Rd. in Lyndhurst, a building I always referred to as the Daniel Greene Memorial Building because it took months to scrape the last of Greene's body from the modern skyscraper.

It's an entertaining movie, but it's not something you need to see to learn about Cleveland history. --

Stephen G. Esrati (Plain Dealer retiree)

Dayton, OH 45410

The note says Kappler was visited in prison only by Msgr. O'Flaherty. Not so. After the wife who was shown in the movie divorced him, he married his nurse. She then carried him out of the prison in a suitcase and took him to Germany, which refused extradition. The movie also omits Kappler's major crime (not the execution of the priest): the massacre of 305 people at the Ardeatine caves. This was the worst war crime committed in Italy. Finally, the movie failed to name the top SS general, Karl Wolff, because he was still alive. My U.S. Army division, the 88th Infantry, stopped Wolff from handing out medals in Bolzano to his men AFTER the Krauts had lost the war.