They're coming
- Hello?
- Hello
Mr. Ambassador
It's an honor to welcome you
And a very happy birthday
Thank you
I've often said to my wife
that I must show her Budapest
as long as we are still alive and well
He's been promising that for 50 years
How nice that you've kept the name
I knew Mr. Szabo well
I'm afraid that was before my time
I spent many hours in this restaurant
as a young man
Hopefully not waiting for the food...
And here are your beef rolls
Please play the song
You know, the famous one
It's just like it was
Hans!
- Doctor
- Yes
Make way
That song, it's a curse!
Although it was written for love
For her, sixty years ago
Thank you
Every good restaurant needs a piano
The "Gundel" has a Gypsy band
American tourists think a Hungarian
Restaurant must have Gypsy violins
But if fiddling becomes more important
than goulash, you start neglecting the kitchen
The porkolt Gundel serves these days has
the zoo elephants holding their trunks
The carp in the aquarium would
rather drown than smell it
You should have stayed
with your music
So you could have saved on a pianist
Shit!
Hello?
Andras Aradi... I'm here to audition
You're an hour late
We already have a pianist
Let him audition, Laszlo
Please, let him audition.
For me
Thanks
- Can I get you anything else?
- No... thanks very much
Perhaps the gentleman at the piano
could play "Komm Zigan"
When I hear you play,
I regret I stopped singing
You used to sing?
I actually trained
But after two years, I realized
I wasn't good enough for the concert hall
I'm not good enough
for the concert hall either
But you play
I'll play "Komm Zigan" whenever it's requested
I'll get you coffee
A piano should be nice and shiny
But not a suit
Sorry, it's the only one I have
I could start saving for a new one
I can't wait that long
I'll buy you one
If your music makes you rich,
you can pay me back
- Here
- Thank you.
Variation No. 1?
Have you noticed? Our new pianist
has fallen under your spell, too
What do you mean, "too"?
Who else has fallen for me?
I can think of a few...
Variation No. 2...
One who's so enthralled... he'd like it best
If you always bathed in his tub
I like things just the way they are
Come, scrub my back
Is that my back?
I can't help it, it's the soap...
It's so slippery
For the German. Table 7
You know what he calls our
Magyar roulade? "Beef roll."
Him again?
You're a blessing for business
He eats his 'beef roll' here every day
because you bring them
Then let him have them
before they get cold
Look, the new small format camera
from Leica
The newest innovation from Germany
See, the film is only 35mm wide and fits
in this little cartridge
The most amazing thing is the
split-image rangefinder
Right now I see two of you,
Miss llona
Now the images are
moving toward each other
When there's only one image,
you're in focus
Good German craftsmanship
Your beef roll is getting cold
Angels don't get older, but they
have birthdays all the same
So they can sip champagne
All the best to you on your birthday,
my angel
How beautiful!
Because every day with you
is like getting flowers
To llona!
To llona!
To Miss llona!
Thank you!
I don't really have anything,
just a little melody
It's not quite finished yet,
but it's just for you
Hands off the piano!
I only wanted to serenade
Miss lloan, too
Our customers can do as they like...
except enter the kitchen, or touch the piano
The melody is so touching
Is it really your own?
Yes
You actually wrote it yourself?
Yes, Mr. Szabo
Then you must play it every evening
No royalties!
Miss llona, forgive me...
Wieck. Hans-Eberhard Wieck
This is my last night in Budapest
I wouldn't ask,
but for a strange coincidence
Today is my birthday, too!
Since fate binds us to each other
I wonder if I might photograph you
- Of coures
- Here by the piano?
Goodbye, Mr. Wieck,
a safe journey home
Goodbye
- Which way are you headed?
- To the Hotel Duna
Then we'll keep you company a bit
Mr. Aradi, your piece is wonderful
Do you have a title for it?
Yes, it's called "Gloomy Sunday"
What do you think?
A little melancholy, but pretty
We should record it
With the title gold on red on the label
Miss llona,
Would you be my wife?
What, right now?
Come with me to Berlin
It's the most exciting place on Earth
Germany has awoken
And it's time you went off to sleep
I've started my own company I'm going to
export German craftsmanship all over the world
I'll create the biggest import-export
company in Germany... just for you
I'm sorry I laughed
Miss llona, I love you
Please... marry me
No
I go this way...
Good night!
Good night, sleep well
Good night. And thank you
Good night
He wrote you a lovely song
I told you he'd fallen for you
And I for him, a bit
Don't worry about me
I've always said
everyone must be free to decide
I'll just keep walking.
That will make it easier for you to decide
It's a strange song
As if someone were saying something
you don't want to hear
But deep inside you know
it's the truth
I have to go now
Herr wieck! Herr Wieck!
Heartache is a terrible thing. I know
You must try and think
of the good things in life
Our Magyar roulade, for instance!
The beef roll you love so much!
Do you want to know the recipe?
You cut a nice tender fillet into thin slices
then you melt butter in the pan
Just as the butter starts to release
its aroma, add a garlic clove
But whole!
So the butter gets just a mild touch of garlic
Then add the fillets, and saute
Do you remember the filling?
Ham...
Good Hungarian ham and cheese,
sliced very thin
And then, when you cut
a slice from the roulade...
Your tongue is tantalized by
three separate tastes
They are so different,
and go so well together...
that with the next bite, you'll be sure
and have all three on the fork
Ham and cheese. It was good
Budapest-Berlin Express ready
for departure form Track 1
That'll be the right one
Laszlo...
Don't say anything. Come on
You, and your beef rolls
have given me back my life
I'll never forget it
Saving someone else from drowning was the best
thing that could have happened to me last night
I'll get you back for that
An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth
A blind and toothless restaurateur
would be pretty useless
The same goes for import-exporters!
You're right
Survival of the fittest
That's not what I meant. Darwin's animal
theories don't have to apply to us
Animals behave like animals,
people behave like people
Or at least, they should
We'll meet again
Don't tell llona
I jumped into the Danube
Sleep well?
Good morning
I borrowed some sugar
- I thought you'd like some in your coffee
- Yes
The portfolio is from my
conservatory professor
It was a parting gift
"It's a poor pupil who doesn't
overtake his master"
He was convinced that one day
I would be a famous composer
He was wrong
You might still be, one day
Play for me
Only if you'll sing for me
I only sing when I'm alone
I'm not alone now
Just look at this!
Look how thick the peel is
They'll cook up mealy,
only good for mashing
Well then, mush them!
So, what's it going to be?
I'm not paying 20 Filler a pound
for mealy potatoes!
Why don't you open up
I'll be there in a minute
You go ahead
I want to be here if you're going
to be talking about me
We have to talk
Why not?
- It won't help
- What would then?
I don't know
I've known llona for four years,
and I'm slowly realizing...
Everybody would like it all
something for the body,
something for the soul
Something that fills you up,
something that makes you hungry
And llona takes just that
A Laszlo, and an Andras
I'd still rather have a part of llona
than on llona at all
What about the potatoes?
They're from Vienna
They came for a concert
They were talking about making
a record of the violin solo
So?
Ah! Vienna
Bring them coffee and schnapps
I'll do the rest
When llona brings thoes gentlemen
coffee, play your song
Nice suit
There you are
- Your health, gentlemen
- Cheers
Budapest...
That's Budapest...
Would you care for anything else?
Tell me...
what is that music?
Goes straight to the heart, doesn't it?
Our house pianist composed it himself
Really! Does the tune have a name?
It's called "Gloomy Sunday"
I take it you're closed on Sundays?
No, we're never closed
I'm Mr. Novak,
director of the Lindstroem Record Company
We'd be honored if you and the composer
would join us later for a glass of champagne
With pleasure
The fact remains: The composer and
the composition are unknown
We'll have to give the radio directors
something so the record gets played
That could be interpreted as bribery
It's only bribery if it's not enough
One could slip something
to someone at the radio station
But it would have to be deducted
from the composer's royalties
Half of it
Pardon?
Half from him
It's an investment, and investments
should be split honestly
Fair enough, that's do-able
Royalties are 6%% %
I'm sorry, I didn't quite hear you
You said... 12%% %?
Twelve percent!?
Franz Lehar earns that much!
But with an operetta, you have to
pay singers, and the orchestra
If one of those 70 people gets a toothache,
you'd have to postpone the recording
Enough already... eight
Ten
Nine
And it has to say on the label that
"Gloomy Sunday" originated here
- That can be done
- If it fits!
Mr. Schwitz!
So we're agreed
Allow me to go get a very special bottle
of champagne vintage 1928
Permission granted
Mr. Torresz left his portfolio,
with a note
"The song was lovely
Thanks very much, I must go now"
Thanks are fine, paying is better
He was acting so oddly this evening
Excuse me, Mr. Szabo
You're so worldly,
I'm just a pianist...
Don't say things like "just"
A lot of artists have an impresario,
who gets 10%% % for their trouble
Would you be my manager, for 10%% %?
Please
Mr. Aradi, I can't charge a fee
for helping a friend, now can I?
Thank you, Mr. Szabo
Thank you
Good morning
Were you out celebrating
with the music publishers?
Just a liqueur
More than one, it looks like
Are you here to pick us up?
I wanted to ask you something
You and llona
The record will be made in Vienna
Would you like to come along?
You and llona?
Vienna!
Laszlo, let's go to Vienna!
- That's impossible
- Why?
- We'd have to close the restaurant
- Only for a day!
You could do itjust once, Mr. Szabo
Please... Let's go to Vienna
The three of us, For me
No, I won't close the restaurant
Not even for a day
There'd have to be a real reason
If the great Flood were coming, maybe
- That's Mr. Torresz!
- He hanged himself
The song was lovely
Thanks very much, I must go now
The radio!
Our song is on the radio!
Come listen. Please!
That was "Gloomy Sunday". Written
and performed by Andras Aradi
The song got its start in
'Restaurant Szabo' in Budapest
Did you hear that?
Yes
Thanks
So strange!
Nothing can stop it now
My song is travelling the world
And sending home royalties
Yet I feel I can't let go of it yet
As if it still has something
to tell me: A message
But on matter how hard I try,
I don't understand it
Don't try too hard,
or you'll never get it
What does that mean?
It's like trying to sing a high "C"
If you push too hard, you can't reach it
I understand that about as well as
I understand the song's message
You don't want to understand
But you said I shouldn't
try to understand it
Just give up.
A musician's bailiwick
is the heart, not the head
I'll take emotions
over business any time
You Jews are always thinking
about haggling
True.
The question remains whether others
are too refined to haggle or simply too stupid
Stop arguing!
We're supposed to be celebrating
Easy for you, you've got all you need
You have two men,
and each of us only half a woman
Right
Whose fault is it that we argue...
And suffer!
And suffer!
It's about time that was said!
Exactly
What are they doing out so late?
They should be in bed
Hungary withdrew from the
League of Nations today, for Hitler
If that's a reason to celebrate,
there's worse to come
Them and their German masters
They marched right into Austria
Right into Vienna itself
You were in Vienna,
with llona
for three whole days
Yes
You're fired
Your songs are too sad for me anyway
I'll hire a gypsy band,
Aradi, if we're going to sleep
together in one bed
let's drop the "Mister"
Laszlo!
Andras
Andras...
Andras. You're re-hired
The poor gypsies
llona, we're very sorry
No, it's my fault
You're both unhappy
And I am too
I can't do this anymore
We must split up
Both of us. I mean...
all of us
No, no
We're... we're not unhappy
- Only sometimes
- llona...
We need you
and you need us
Both of us.
Something for Miss llona
- From abroa
- For me?
- Goodbye
- Goodbye
It's from Mr. Wieck
He also sends regards
to his dear friend Laszlo
What eles does he have to say?
"Forgive the delay with the photograph
But it turned out beautifully
When I look at it,
I'm reminded of Budapest...
...and especially of you. Can you
remember what I said to you?"
What did he say?
That's personal
"I'm very busy. My company is
expanding with the German Reich
Germany is becoming 'Greater Germany' for
we are a people without enough room of our own"
Other people don't have room,
but they don't start wars
I think he means it
in an economic sense
Mr. Szabo, telephone
I think he means just what he wrote
Szabo here
Yes, "Gloomy Sunday"
was composed here
It's played every evening
At 8 o'clock? Our pleasure
That was the boss's son from Mendel Industries
He reserved a table for six people
Mendel?
Mendel! Steel and textiles
They employ at least 30,000 people
And they have three villas
in Budapest alone
So what about us, the three of us?
I'll give you both another chance
There are a lot more than six
Dear Heaven. Pull up another table
And we need more chairs
Good evening, Mr. Mendel
Mr. Szabo. My sister
It's an honor to welcome you
Please come in
Would you write something,
Professor Tajtelbaum?
You'll be the first
mathematician on our wall.
I can praise the restaurant,
but how could you put pork on the menu?
No one's forcing you to eat it, Uncle.
He's even open on the Sabbath.
I never close, Prof. Tajtelbaum,
not on the Sabbath or on Sundays,
not on christmas or passover
Can I get you anything else?
Perhaps a kosher pear brandy?
On the house, of course.
Yes, thank you.
Was everything satisfactory,
Mr. Mendel?
I must tell you how happy I am
that my sister insisted we come here
Your braised pike was sheer poetry
Maybe even better than Gundel's
My brother is right about the pike
Don't be angry, Mr. Szabo,
but the best thing this eveing
was "Gloomy Sunday"
It has the perfect balance
of bitter and sweet
- Does the song have Iyrics?
- Not yet
It doesn't need words,
it already speaks to me
Would he play it again?
Who could refuse a request
from such perfect lips?
- Mr. Aradi?
- Yes
Excuse me for bothering you,
You are the composer of "Gloomy Sunday"?
Yes
May we take your picture?
Of course
It's a very successful piece of music
on the five suicides in Budapest
in the last three days?
All five had your song playing
All young people from good families,
with their future ahead of them
Can you explain why, after hearing your song
they didn't want to live anymore?
Can you explain it?
Say something!
- What's wrong, llona?
- What's keeping Audras?
He'll get here
But he's never late
In the back on the left, please
Maybe he's read about the suicides
Five deaths, it will upset him
But there are two sides to every coin
What?
The telephone rang all morning
We've been fully booked since eleven
What if he hurts himself?
We must go look for him
We can't... the wine delivery
Is more important, of course!
Where on the left?
Llona!
Llona!
These are rare wines! Not even
Gundel can boast this assortment!
Wines like that don't come cheap
Take your break later
We'll take one later, too
Andras!
Andras!
Do you know where Andras is?
- I think at the bridge
- Thanks
llona! Did you find him?
Llona!
Are you going all the way to Vienna?
Over there!
- Cursed song!
- Andras, no
I'll never write music again
Five people dead,
and it's all my fault
It would be better if I were gone
Don't think like that
You didn't ask them to do it
You just made their
farewell more pleasant
But why do people want to die
listening to my song?
Maybe it has something to do with
the message you talked about
Have you figured out
what the song is trying to say?
No.
You see, you still have something
left to do in this world
If anyone jumps, then all three of us
It's still too cold
What's that?
It stops the heart
But I don't need it anymore
Still, it's safer with me
We need to get going
Our German brothers-in-arms continue their
victorious advance into Western Europe
Fuhrer and Chancellor of the Reich,
Adolf Hitler has praised his troops
And here's another man
with reason to celebrate
the composer of "Gloomy Sunday",
a wildly successful recording
But its magical tones have driven...
...157 people to suicide in the last
The tune's gruesome march
across Europe continues
And the song has conquered the world
New York's smart set has taken
to driving their Studebakers...
...into the Hudson, with a portable
phonograph on the front seat
"Gloomy Sunday" may be
bringing death to many
But it's brought wealth to
one its composer
- Hans!
- Laszlo
Here in Budapest!
It would be better if you called me
'Colonel' in public
Pardon me? Colonel, sir
Not when we're alone, of course
Colonel is for the others
I have been looking forward
to your beef roll
Nobody in Germany
makes them like you
Sit down. I'll put the order in
I know on one is allowed
in your sacred kitchen
butjust once I must see
how my beef roll is made
I see the gigolo's still here
Laszlo, what is it?
Good evening, Miss llona
Good evening, Mr. Wieck
He's now called 'Colonel'
You've changed, Colonel
You haven't not a bit
I've gotten married, by the way
My wife, and my little daughter
So sweet
Both of them
You don't seem to
have supply problems
- Are you in Budapest on business?
- You could say so
- Import-export? - I currently
represent a some what larger organization
Don't believe everything you hear
about us. I'm with the 1st Cavalry
We're horsemen,
sports comrades, you know?
Things look different when
you're high in the saddle
The roulade
Welcome back to Budapest, Hans
One advantage of the delays
in achieving final victory
What about candles?
The candles have all been seized
And what do the ones cost that were
missed during the requisitioning?
Double the price
I'm going to get flowers. Hopefully
they haven't all been requisitioned
You're composing again
What is that?
The Iyrics for "Gloomy Sunday"
Still searching for the message?
"With a last breath I return to my home,
safe in the land of the shadows I roam"
Promise me that you won't do it
Not so long as I have you
I'll order for you, Lieutenant Colonel, sir
Colonel
We'll have two of the meat roll,
and a bottle of good red
After our meal, We'd like to hear the song,
you know which one
- Professor, you're leaving already?
- Yes, good night
Is this a Jewish restaruant?
It's certainly a good one
A death's-head on their caps,
of all things
With good reason
It means they're open for business
Well, every business has some
good apples and some bad apples
The death's-head
becomes them both
You should talk!
You Christians with your cross:
An execution instrument,
and a gruesome one!
Why are they whispering?
That one's a Jew, I can smell it
Forget the Final Solution tonight
Tonight's about beef roll
and nobody makes them like that man
Thank you, no, I've had enough
Good night
Watch your step, Lieutenant Colonel...
Now that's a song
with heart and soul!
Only the Germans have it,
it comes from the north,
not creeping in from the south
We Germans can abandon ourselves to life,
because we have heart and soul
- The Jew pig attacked me
- Get a grip on yourself!
I'll make mincemeat
out of the filthy Jew!
I'll make mincemeat
out of all Hungarian Jews
With paprika sauce!
Take the Lt. Col. To the hotel
Taxi!
I'm sorry, Laszlo
Eichbaum's obsessed
I'm really sorry
- Thanks, Hans
- Don't mention it
Remember
'an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth'
Shouldn't I come along?
Hans, please, make sure
llona gets home
Let's go, drive!
Thank you for helping Laszlo
Of course
That's what friends are for
It's been a long time
Since we walked along here together
And, have you created Germany's
largest import-export company?
Not yet. You wouldn't listen back then
I won't be able to do it until you've
answered my prayers, you know that
And your wife?
I thought German honor
meant being faithful
So much for the deaths-heads
But you saw, there are good and bad
Maybe
A drop of something medicinal
would speed the healing
Thank you for bringing me home
Andras...
...she would have gone home
with you today
What I've told you is in strict confidence
I'm doing it for Laszlo,
and for you
llona,
I love my wife...
I would never... you know with another woman
But with you,
It's not another woman
It's an angel
I'm not quite sure, but I don't think
angels do things like that
Are you sure?
We heavenly ones tend to be
rather conservative
Is it very painful?
Not enough to make us
close the restaurant
I heard the Germans want to kill
all the Jews in Hungary
I've heard something like that, too
But I know it, Laszlo
For a fact. Hans told me
My father was Jewish, and my mother
which makes me a Jew
But who thinks about it?
If my parents had been Iroquois,
then I'd be an Iroquois
And how do they plan to do it?
There are over half a million of us in Hungary
Our German brothers-in-arms
will be thorough
Their attitude is 'apres nous le deluge'
Yes, and we know that, so we can say
"Gentlemen, apres votre deluge, nous"
For argument's sake,
say I put the restaurant in your name
You make me manager,
and apply for a permit which says
I'm part of the war effort. Hans will help
I'll transfer everything to your name
and then nobody coa take it
And after they've all conquered themselves to death,
we go to the notary and put it all back
Exactly
after the Flood...
Apres le deluge, nous'
Good afternoon
My name is llona Varnai
I have an appointment with Mr. Wieck
The Colonel is in a meeting
Please take a seat
Excuse me, isn't this the Mendel villa?
It's now the center for property assessment
We provide whatever the Reich needs
- Have you finished the last pages?
- Yes
Miss Varnai! So nice of you
to come visit me
Good afternoon
I'll be with you right away
The most important thing now is to get
your relatives out of the camps
That wouldn't be necessary
if you hadn't taken us to camps
Cigarette?
By decree of the Reich, all Budapest
Jews must be interned in labor camps
But I can guarantee you and your family
safe passage to a neutral country
Your offer of 600,000 dollars in nothing
The factories alone
are worth at least 60 million
I don't think that demand is in
the best interests of your family
I'm sorry, but I'll have call
Lt. Col. Eichbaum and inform him...
that we were unable to reach
agreement. It's up to him from there
Under these circumstances,
Let's sign it then
I'm sorry you had to wait
A glass of champagne?
No, I have a favor to ask
Anything for you
I Made a very lucrative deal today
Would you get us a permit?
Won't you call me Hans?
Hans, could you get us a permit making
Laszlo necessary to the war effort?
And what do I get in return?
Ajoke! Of course you'll have the permit
Come in
Colonel, your urgent letter
to the Reichsfuhrer SS
Yes?
I typed it exactly as you wrote it
Good
If I may call your attention to the fact
that the Duden dictionary says
there is no hyphen in endorsement obligations
- Frau Haberle...
- Yes, Colonel, sir?
It is I, and not Duden, who will
decide how and what you write
Heil Hitler, Lolonel
Andras. What are you doing here?
And what about you?
You were inside for 57 minutes!
I guess two men isn't enough for you
Is one Aryan better
than two Hungarians?
Hans...
Colonel, sir
I must thank you for all you've done
Yes, yes, enough of that
We'd like the beef roll
Our Magyar roulade, is an outstanding dish
But perhaps you should try something else
For example, Istvan has outdone
himself with a superb Danbe catfish
Very kind, but we'd like the beef roll
Colonel, it pains me deeply
I'm afraid roulade is unavailable today
That's terrible - how will I look now?
Then bring us the best you have
But no fish
At your service
- And that's enough of "at your service"!
- Not at your service, then
- Hans is acting strangely today
- Do you know who the other one is?
I think it's Colonel Schnefke
He does the same thing in Bohemia
and Moravia that Hans does in Hungary
They're colleagues, so to speak
Eichbaum's only thinking about
his Final Solution
But why destroy what you can sell?
He just doesn't understand
So he can't find out about
our little "transactions"
He won't. He has his hands full
trying to win his war
We can make our preparations
for the future undisturbed
But we must be careful
not to stray too far outside the law
Of course. But the beauty and vibrancy of
the law lies in its flexible boundaries
To your health, Colonel
Colonel, sir
- That's quite a woman
- She certainly is
- We still have the transportation problem
- I mightjust have an idea
What's entering Germany
in large quantity at the moment?
Coffins!
Our wives arrange good burial
After all, dear cousin has given his life
for Fatherland and Fuhrer
May I get the gentlemen anything else?
Szabo, you tell ajoke for a change
Even a Jewish joke...
we're very tolerant
There was this commandant in
a concentration camp, named Muller
And he had a glass eye
When the mood struck him,
Commandant Muller would call over an inmate
...to prove to him the quality
of German craftsmanship:
If the prisoner could tell him
which of his eyes was fake, he was spared
If the prisoner guessed wrong,
he'd be shot
Jakob Korngold took a look
at the commandant, and said
'Why, my Commandant,
the left one is the glass eye
'How did you figure it out so quickly? '
Whereupon Jakob Korngold said
'You see, my Commandant,
'it's the one that favors me
with a kindly look'
Good joke, Szabo
Very good joke
And now, you,
play the famous song for us!
The song, please
Didn't you hear me?
What are you waiting for?
Watch what happens now
Play
Gloomy Sunday, not long until evening...
In dark shadows, my loneliness grieving
Eyes closed, and before me you go,
But you sleep, and I wait for morrow
Play it for me
I see figures, and send you this plea
Tell the angels to leave room for me
Gloomy Sunday
So many Sundays, alone in the shadows,
I will go now with night, wherever it goes
Eyes glisten as candles burn bright
Weep not, friends, my burden is light
With a last breath I return to my home,
safe in the land of the shadows I roam
Gloomy Sunday
He used my gun
llona!
That wasn't what I wanted
I'm so sorry
Is there anything I can do to help?
Yes, Hans, there is
Can you get me papers
to leave Hungary?
Of course
But you don't have to leave
I fear I do I'm finally coming to believe
you Germans are in deadly earnest
As long as I'm here,
nothing will happen to you
Don't worry
But...
we could save a few of your people
My people?
I mean Jews
Of coures, getting them out
will cost...
jewelry, silver, gold
Even currency
But only Swiss francs and Dollars
No genguis and No Reichsmarks
to cover expenses
I see
We can keep people
from going up a chimney
Germans have such lovely expressions
blitzkrieg, going up a chimney
So vivid
You picture someone being shoved in
at the bottom and floating out at the top,
with wings on their back
Is that supposed to be funny?
Angels coming out the chimney?
What's happening here is hell!
You're right. And the devils
are increasig in number every day
$1000 per person is the minimum
that's really not much
If a person is 27 when they leave
the country, say, and lives to be 70
Then they've had 43 years,
or 516 months more of life
So it works out to less than
$2 a month for their lives
- What rent alone costs
- We can forget it
Then it won't cost your friends
anything, except their lives
Bring anyone
who's interested to my villa
But not berfore 6 p.m.
And not more than three at one time
Make sure they cover up the yellow star
And you don't need to worry
Your name is at the very top of a list of people
who will not be subjected to special
treatment unless I expressly approve it
"Special treatment"
another one of those words
I think I just understood
the message of "Gloomy Sunday"
That Andras was always seeking?
I think the song says
every person has his dignity
We get hurt. We get insulted
And we can stand it as long as we can
hang on to a last shred of dignity
But if one bucket of shred of dignity
perhaps it's better to depart this world
To leave...
but with dignity
Who says you have to go?
You can stay,
and fight for happiness
There are those who can
Andras wasn't one of them
Mrs. Tajtemlbaum
I'm sorry, excuse me, Colonel
Take them
for a new start in Switzerland
I'm so grateful to you
Calm yourself.
Perhaps you
can return the favor someday
I'd like to
When times change, don't forget
to mention who saved you
I will. I won't forget
Please forgive me,
But I have an uncle,
Professor Moishe Tajtelbaum.
He was a member of the Jewish Council
I'm sure he'd be just
as grateful as I am
Then send him to me
He was rounded up yesterday
I'll see what I can do
Radio London, Radio London
German troops In Poland
are withdrawing along the Vistula
The Red Army
is advancing toward Hungary
Mr. Szabo!
A money order for you, Mr. Szabo,
and for Miss llona
Who would be sending us money?
The Lindstroem Record Company
There's also a letter
Thank you
Dear Miss Varnai, dear Mr. Szabo,
Our dear Mr. Andras Aradi...
...left instructions that, after his death,
royalties from "Gloomy Sunday"...
...be paid to you in equal shares
Enclosed please find the current
semi-annual statement, Yours sincerely
I'm beginning to like it too much
Laszlo!
I want to take all my baths in your tub!
I better check whether
they've delivered the potatoes
Where does Laszlo Szabo live?
Third floor
Where is Laszlo Szabo?
He's not here
I don't know where he is
Open up!
Laszlo Szabo?
Wait! It's a mistake!
I'm the owner here
He's my manager
Mr. Szabo has a special permit,
he's needed
Not anymore
Go!
Esteemed Lieutenant Colonel
Eichbaum, dear comrade,
I here by give approval for special
treatment for the following persons
Hochhauser, Aaron
Jeinmann, Samuel
Mosche, Rea
Friedlander, David...
Schweiger, Aviva and Kaplan, Simon
Heil Hitler, Lolonel.
Strike Kaplan, he paid
Should I re-type it?
Yes
Then perhaps... if you don't mind...
What?
I'm supposed to type just what you wrote but
a few things disagree with the rules in the Duden
Duden, Duden, Duden
Forget the Duden!
It will be our downfall!
Heil Hitler! Of course
Wonderful
Germany must finally be Duden-free
Duden-free and "Juden"- free
No rules, no Jews.
No Jews!
Hurry up
Hans!
Hans!
Hans!
They've taken Laszlo! Just now
What's going on?
- You have to help him!
- Calm down
I'll help, don't worry, I'll help him
You must help him, for me
Of course I'll help him
Naturally I'll help. Anything for you
It's alright
- Lieutenant Colonel, Sir
- Colonel
- How are you?
- Fine, thank you. Have a seat
I don't want to keep you
Has the Auschwitz transport left yet?
No, they're loading right now
I need a special dispensation
Someone was put on the list by mistake
Who is it?
Heil Hitler
Tajtelbaum
Professor Tajtelbaum?
Come with me, hurry
I'm risking my life getting you out
I'll take us to safety
Dear llona,
I now hear clearly what
"Gloomy Sunday" is saying
I won't wait for the last bucket of shit
I will do as Andras did
I never really learned to fight,
and anyway, it's too late
Don't be sad that it didn't
turn out as we'd hoped
Hang on now: 'apres le deluge, tu! '
Grass is growing over you already
You can't imagine
how very much I miss you
I miss you both so much
Laszlo is dead, just like you
He doesn't even have a grave
His friend Wieck
sent him up the chimney
He only saved those who could
help him after the war
He planned it well
He's a businessman Damn him to hell!
I have to go and set the tables
I'm re-opening the restaurant today,
so wish me luck
Wish us luck
'Apres le deluge, nous'
Hans-Eberhard Wieck is dead
The corporate executive died this evening
in Budapest of heart failure
All Germany mourns
the passing of a great man
During the second world war,
he saved more than 1000 Budapest Jews
After the war, he built Germany's largest
Import-export firm from scratch
Gloomy Sunday was played that he liked song
He wished to celebrate
his 80th birthday here,
scene of such fond memories
All the best to you on your birthday, Mama