Before Winter Comes (1969): Cast & Plot
Before Winter Comes is a 1969 comedy drama directed by J. Lee Thompson, starring Gertan Klauber as Russian Major, Constantine Gregory and David Niven. It runs 1 hour 43 minutes.
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 43m (103 min)
- Director
- J. Lee Thompson
- Original language
-
English - Studio
- Windward
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is Before Winter Comes About?
The premise of Before Winter Comes without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
A drama‑comedy set in a post‑World II refugee camp in occupied Austria. A clever, multilingual interpreter negotiates between Russian and British military leaders and develops a friendly rivalry with British Major Giles Burnside, the officer responsible for allocating displaced persons to the American or Russian zones.
Before Winter Comes Themes & Keywords
· 21 tags- interpreter
- refugee camp
- austria
- russian army
- post world war two
- british army
- british army officer
- army major
- army lieutenant
- brigadier
- army sergeant
- nobility
+9 more Show fewer
- refugee
- motorcycle
- leg wound
- military officer
- jeep
- inspection
- deserter
- deception
- british soldier
Before Winter Comes Cast & Characters
Gertan Klauber leads the cast as Russian Major, with Constantine Gregory as Russian Corporal and David Niven as Major Burnside. Directed by J. Lee Thompson; 29 actors are credited in all.
-
Director J. Lee Thompson
- Gertan Klauber as Russian Major
- Constantine Gregory as Russian Corporal
-
David Niven as Major Burnside - Topol as Janovic
Also Starring in Before Winter Comes
· 25 more- Anna Karina Maria
- John Hurt Lieutenant Pilkington
- Anthony Quayle Brigadier Bewley
- Karl Stepanek Count Kerassy
- Guy Deghy Kovacs
- Tony Selby Ted
- George Innes Bill
- Hugh Futcher Joe
- John Savident
- Eduard Linkers
- Ori Levy Captain Kamenev
- John Collin Sergeant Woody
- Jeffry Wickham
- Christopher Sandford Johnny
- Bruno W. Pantel
- Larry Dann
Show all 29 cast members Show fewer cast members
Before Winter Comes Plot Summary
What happens in Before Winter Comes from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 12 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 2-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
After World War II ends, a British Major Giles Burnside, David Niven, is assigned to a refugee camp in occupied Austria. His task is clear but fraught: sort the displaced civilians into the Russian or American zones. He is a by-the-book officer, precise and orderly, yet the camp’s multi-lingual chaos creates constant friction.
Language barriers push him to rely on Janovic, Topol, a multilingual refugee who can translate Burnside’s orders and help the camp run more smoothly. With his skill, the camp begins to operate with greater efficiency, though tensions simmer just beneath the surface.
Full summary
The whole story of Before Winter Comes, scene by scene
Before Winter Comes Also Known As
8 alternative titles, including “Cadenas de libertad” and “Prima che venga l'inverno”.
- Also known as
-
- Cadenas de libertad
- Prima che venga l'inverno
- Avant que vienne l'hiver
- 秋尽冬来
- Antes do Inverno Chegar
- Bevor der Winter kommt
- Quan arribi l’hivern
- Flyktingläger 4B
Seen Before Winter Comes?
Movies Like Before Winter Comes
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including Before the Thaw, Winter War and If Winter Comes.
Before Winter Comes FAQ: Cast, Runtime & Release Date
Runtime, release date, director, cast and post-credit scenes of Before Winter Comes, each answered in a sentence.
How long is Before Winter Comes?
Before Winter Comes runs 1 hour 43 minutes (103 minutes).
When was Before Winter Comes released?
Before Winter Comes was released on January 17, 1969.
Who directed Before Winter Comes?
Before Winter Comes was directed by J. Lee Thompson.
More films by J. Lee Thompson Who is in the cast of Before Winter Comes?
Before Winter Comes stars Gertan Klauber as Russian Major, Constantine Gregory as Russian Corporal and David Niven as Major Burnside, among 29 credited actors.
Does Before Winter Comes have a post-credit scene?
No. Before Winter Comes has no extra scene during or after the credits.
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