Coleman), a crusading Irish
Catholic attorney, is the
only lawyer willing take the
case.
Mr. Cox brings the revi-
sionist organization into Los
Angeles Superior Court,
charging breach of contract.
As the trial date ap-
proaches, the Mermelstein
family is harassed. A dead
pig is left on their driveway,
a letter arrives containing
the hair from a supposed
Holocaust victim.
Jane Mermelstein takes
her husband aside and tells
him, "It (the suit) is not just
about you and me. There's
nothing left of you for the
kids. How long are they go-
ing to have to live with your
pain?" -
When Mr. Mermelstein
discusses dropping the suit
with the children, they con-
vince him he can't quit, it's
too important. Bernie, who
has criticized his father's
outspokenness in the past,
makes the most impassioned
plea.
"It's not only your family;
it's my family, too, my
grandfather, my grand-
mother, my aunts, my
uncles," the son says.
"Where's my family, Papa?
You can't quit this case."
Mel Mermelstein v. In-
stitute for Historical Review,
et al, proceeds in Los
Angeles Superior Court.
In a scene taken verbatim
from trial transcripts, the
judge declares the Holocaust
an indisputable fact. It is the
first judicial notice taken by
an American court that the
atrocity occurred. The date
is Oct. 9, 1981, 36 years after
the end of World War II.
A financial settlement was
reached and an apology by
the UM was issued to sur-
vivors of the Holocaust. But
the TER is still peddling the
same lies.
The trial lasted only a
matter of hours, according to.
Robert Radnitz, co-executive
producer of the program.
However, Mr. Mermelstein
gave sworn testimony in a
deposition before trial.
"A prolonged courtroom
scene would have been
dishonest," he said by phone
from New York. "Every sin-
gle word (in the deposition
scenes) came from the depo-
sition."
Writer Ronald Rubin gave
director Joseph Sargent in-
tense scenes taken from Mel
Mermelstein's day-long
deposition to flesh out the
testimony. Leonard Nimoy
plays the pain-filled scenes
with restraint, making them
all the more powerful.
Mr. Nimoy, who is also co-
executive producer, has been

working to get the film pro-
duced since 1984. During a
telephone interview from
New York, Mr. Nimoy em-
phasized the importance of
the film and its message.
"Time is running out," he
said. "There are only a few
survivors left. This film will
be part of the body of work to
validate the Holocaust."
Linda Berman, senior vice
president of original pro-
gramming for TNT, called
the film "important, because
it is really the story of one
man's fight . . . It is impor-
tant to remember that the
Holocaust still affects us to-
day."
Mr. Mermelstein's reac-
tions to the film have been
strong.
"I'm going to level with
you," he said in a telephone
interview from New York.
"The first time I viewed it, I
broke down."
Mr. Mermelstein, who was
17 at the time of the deporta-
tion, plays his father in the
opening sequence. "I'm the
spitting image of him," Mr.
Mermelstein said of his tall,
mustachioed papa.
He said his family was
somewhat reluctant to being
portrayed on film.
"They were not gung ho to
be exposed," Mr. Mermels-
tein said. "They want to live
a • quiet, simple American
life. But it's like what Edie
(his daughter, played by
Juliet Sorcey) says in the
film, 'What you are doing is
important.' "
Mr. Mermelstein hopes
Never Forget will be used as
part of a Holocaust edu-
cation program in the
schools, where it is often ask-
ed if such a horrible thing
could ever happen again.
"I put them at ease, but I
never rule it out," he said. "I
tell them, 'It's in your
hands.' " ❑

NEWS Imm•mm•

Panama Urges
Resolve Repeal

New York (JTA) — The
General Assembly of
Panama has voted
unanimously to call on the
U.N. General Assembly to
repeal its 1975 resolution
denigrating Zionism as a
form of racism.
The vote, taken in March,
is part of larger trend sweep-
ing Latin America. Other
Latin American nations to
have called for repeal of the
infamous resolution are Col-
ombia, Argentina, Ecuador,
Guatemala, Peru, Uruguay
and Venezuela, according to
the Anti-Defamation League.

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THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS 55

