Maximillian Schell

[Subdeacon Joe]

Marlon Brando wanted to play the role of Hans Rolfe, the German lawyer who defends the German judges, in the film version of "Judgment at Nuremberg" (1961). Brando, in a rare attempt to garner the part, actually approached director Stanley Kramer about it. Although Kramer and screenwriter Abby Mann were very intrigued with the idea of having an actor of Brando's talent and stature in the role, both were so impressed with Maximilian Schell's portrayal of the same part in the original 1959 television broadcast "Playhouse 90: Judgment at Nuremberg" that they had decided to stick with the relatively unknown Schell.

Watching Schell shoot a scene one day, Spencer Tracy said to Richard Widmark, "We've got to watch out for that young man. He's very good. He's going to walk away with the Oscar for this picture." This is exactly what happened. Schell's Oscar for Best Actor makes him the lowest-billed lead category winner in history. He is billed fifth, after Tracy, Burt Lancaster, Widmark, and Marlene Dietrich.

Tracy dropped his "no work after 5:00" rule for Schell, staying on the set during shooting of Schell's big summation speech so that he could deliver his lines to Tracy as the presiding judge.

"When asked by journalists in Vienna (his family's home) what I enjoy most about living and working in North America, I answered, 'Freedom."' The reporters told me, 'We're sorry, Mr. Schell; but it needs to be something else, because we can't print that.' So I rest my case." (IMDb)

Happy Birthday, Maximillian Schell!