Jugglers

The Juggler
Theatrical poster
Directed by	Edward Dmytryk
Written by	Michael Blankfort (novel and screenplay)
Produced by	Stanley Kramer
Starring	Kirk Douglas
Cinematography	J. Roy Hunt
Edited by	Aaron Stell
Music by	George Antheil
Production company	Stanley Kramer Productions
Distributed by	Columbia Pictures
Release dates	May 5, 1953 (New York City) September 11, 1953 (United States)
Running time	86 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

The Juggler is a 1953 drama film starring Kirk Douglas as a survivor of the Holocaust.^[1][2] The screenplay was adapted by Michael Blankfort from his novel of the same name.^[3][4] It was the first American feature film that was made in Israel.^[5][6]

After World War II, German Hans Müller is one of a shipload of Jewish refugees who disembark at Haifa in 1949 and are placed in a refugee camp. Like many other concentration camp survivors, Hans has psychological problems, including survivor guilt. At one point, he mistakes a woman and some children for his murdered family.

At the first opportunity, he sneaks out of the refugee camp and goes into the city. When he spots a policeman, Hans panics and reacts by fleeing. The policeman chases him down and begins questioning him. Hans becomes very agitated and attacks, leaving the man unconscious in the street. Hans flees and ends up sleeping in the countryside, where he is found by a teenage orphan Sabra, Yehoshua “Josh” Bresler. Hans pretends to be an eccentric American, out to see Israel firsthand. Josh offers to be his guide. During their journey, Hans reveals that he was a professional juggler; Josh persuades him to pass on his knowledge. Meanwhile, police detective Karni sets out to track the fugitive down.

On their journey, Josh is injured when they wander into a minefield near the kibbutz. He is taken to the medical centre in the kibbutz; he has only broken his leg. While Josh recovers, Hans becomes acquainted with Ya’el, one of the residents. They are attracted to each other, but he at first strongly resists her attempt to persuade him to remain at the kibbutz. He reveals to her that he had ignored warnings from friends to flee Nazi Germany before it was too late, making the fatal mistake of counting on his fame and popularity to protect his family. Gradually, however, he begins to settle in.

Karni finally tracks Hans down and tries to take him into custody. Hans panics again and barricades himself in Ya’el’s room with her rifle, but Ya’el and Karni get him to admit he needs help and to give himself up.

• Kirk Douglas as Hans Müller
• Milly Vitale as Ya’el
• Paul Stewart as Detective Karni
• Joseph Walsh as Yehoshua Bresler
• Alf Kjellin as Daniel
• Beverly Washburn as Susy, a young refugee girl Hans befriends in Haifa
• Charles Lane as Rosenberg
• John Banner as Emile Halevy, the sole witness to Hans’ assault on the policeman
• Richard Benedict as Police Officer Kogan
• Oskar Karlweis as Willy Schmidt