Period piece Genghis Cohn, which was broadcast under the Screen Two banner, had something of a dream cast turning in superb performances in this tale set in post world war two Germany where ex-SS officer Otto Schatz (Robert Lindsay) starts to think he is going mad when he is haunted by the ghost of Genghis Cohn (Antony Sher), a comedian whose death he ordered.
Dazzling stuff with Antony Sher typically shining as Genghis and Robert Lindsay doing his best GBH act as Otto. Watch out too for Diana Rigg getting all saucy as Otto’s lover. A youngish Daniel Craig also pops up in a small role as a soldier.
Cast: ROBERT LINDSAY as Otto Schatz; ANTONY SHER as Genghis Cohn; DIANA RIGG as Frieda Von Stangel; JOHN WELLS as Doctor Eckhardt;
FRANCES DE LA TOUR as Dr Helga Feuchtwanger; ROBERT LANG as Police Chief; PAUL BROOKE as Herr Hans-Dieter Pohl; PATRICK GODFREY as Herr Mueller; ROLAND DAVIES as Otto Kellner; PETER PENRY-JONES as Doctor Brauner; SHAUN DINGWALL as Sergeant Hubsch; JAY BENEDICT as Dr Burkhardt; CARA KONIG as Frau Marthe Kellner; CHERYL FERGISON as Frau Langer; DANIEL CRAIG as Lieutenant Guth; ALWYNE TAYLOR as Frau Inge Heller; HEATHER CANNING as Librarian; CHARLES DALE as Herr Heller; BEN BAZELL as Hans Schumberg; CHRIS JENKINSON as Lieutenant Weiss; PETER JORDAN as Stein – TV Reporter
Writer: Stanley Price / Novel: Romain Gary / Producer: Ruth Caleb / Director: Elijah Moshinsky
UK / BBC Two / 1×80 minute episode / Broadcast 2 March 1994
