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WOMAN CALLED GOLDA, A, {PART 1 OF 2} (TV)

Summary

Part one of this two-part docudrama starring, in her final performance, Ingrid Bergman as former Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir. The program, which chronicles Meir's life story, begins in 1977 with Golda Meir returning home to Milwaukee. Visiting the school she attended as a child, she tells the youngsters there about her life. She talks about her experiences in Russia as a child during the pogroms and recalls her relationship with her husband, Morris whom she met and married when her family fled the pogroms and emigrated to Milwaukee. During flashbacks, Golda explains to Morris about her need to live on a kibbutz. In 1921, Golda and Morris Meyerson arrive in Palestine where Golda begins to live out her dreams. Working energetically on the kibbutz, she first begins to show her assertiveness and her ability to get things done. She is asked to become a delegate for an important union, but finds that she must leave the kibbutz when Morris becomes ill with malaria. The Meyersons move to Jerusalem where they struggle to support their two children. Then a man from the kibbutz, Ariel, who always held Golda in high regard, offers her a full-time job as secretary of the Woman's Council. The job, however, is in Tel Aviv, which upsets Morris. Golda explains to him that she believes her purpose in life is to help achieve a homeland for the Jews of the world. Against his wishes, she takes the position in Tel Aviv causing the slow dissolution of their marriage. In 1939, the British government releases the White Paper, which states that Palestine is not to become a Jewish State. Golda and others who are working to establish a homeland for all Jews discuss the news. They realize that the Jews must fight the White Paper at the same time they are fighting alongside the British against Hitler. Golda manages to persuade a British captain to train more Jewish soldiers than he is supposed to in order to strengthen the chances of survival for her people. At the same time, Jewish immigrants are smuggled into Palestine. When the war ends, the British continue to intercept Jewish immigrants attempting to get to Palestine, and place them in camps. Knowing that the young children living in the camps have little chance of surviving there, Golda asks that children and their parents be allowed to leave the camps first. Her wish is granted. In November 1947, the members of the United Nations vote to establish a Jewish State. Golda offers friendship to the Arab Nations during a radio broadcast. They respond by opening fire on the Jews and it becomes evident that when the Jewish State is officially declared, the Arab Legion will attack. Golda visits Jordan's King Abdullah, with whom she has had dealings before, in the hopes that he will keep his country out of the war. He states that the only way he could do what she asks is if the Jewish people agree to not establish their own state and live under his protection. When Golda refuses this offer, she realizes that there is no way to stop a major war in which the Jews will be outnumbered four to one. Included during this program is footage of the announcement of the White Paper, the United Nations vote to establish a Jewish State, and battles that occurred in the Middle East after the vote. Also included are scenes from the second part of this docudrama. Commercials deleted. (Ingrid Bergman won a postumous Emmy Award as Outstanding Actress in a Limited Series or Special for this performance.)

Cataloging of this program was made possible by The Hearst Corporation, 1998.

Details

  • NETWORK: Syndicated
  • DATE: April 26, 1982 8:00 PM
  • RUNNING TIME: 1:40:35
  • COLOR/B&W: Color
  • CATALOG ID: T85:0732
  • GENRE: Docudrama
  • SUBJECT HEADING: Biography; Docudrama; Drama, historical; Israel - History; Israel - Politics and government; Palestine - History -- 1929-1948
  • SERIES RUN: Syndicated - TV, 1982
  • COMMERCIALS: N/A

CREDITS

  • Harve Bennett … Executive Producer
  • Gene Corman … Producer
  • Alan Gibson … Director
  • Harold Gast … Writer
  • Steven Gethers … Writer
  • Michel LeGrand … Composer, Conductor, Music composed and conducted by
  • Anne Jackson … Narrator, Cast, Lou Kaddar
  • Ingrid Bergman … Cast, Golda Meir
  • Ned Beatty … Cast, John Durward
  • Franklin Cover … Cast, Hubert Humphrey
  • Judy Davis … Cast, Young Golda
  • Robert Loggia … Cast, Anwar Sadat
  • Leonard Nimoy … Cast, Morris Meyerson
  • Jack Thompson … Cast, Ariel
  • Anthony Bate … Cast, Sir Stuart Ross
  • Ron Berglas … Cast, Stampler
  • Bruce Boa … Cast, Macy
  • de Keyser, David … Cast, David Ben-Gurion
  • Barry Foster … Cast, Maj. Orde Wingate
  • Nigel Hawthorne … Cast, King Abdullah
  • Louis Mahoney … Cast, the Journalist
  • Yossi Graber … Cast, Moshe Dayan
  • Tuvia Tabi … Cast, Yoel
  • Yael Priedman … Cast, Shayna
  • Noa Baniel … Cast, Golda (Age 6)
  • Golda Meir
  • John Durward
  • Hubert Horatio Humphrey
  • Morris Meyerson
  • Abdullah ibn-Husein
  • Orde Wingate
  • Anwar el- Sadat
  • David Ben-Gurion
  • Moshe Dayan