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Drama

Town Without Pity (1961): Cast & Plot

Town Without Pity (1961) movie poster

Town Without Pity is a 1961 drama directed by Gottfried Reinhardt, starring Kirk Douglas as Major Garrett, Christine Kaufmann and Karin Hardt. It runs 1 hour 45 minutes.

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Town Without Pity (1961) movie poster
Released
Runtime
1h 45m (105 min)
Genre
Drama
Original language
English
After the credits
No No extra scene
The story

What Is Town Without Pity About?

The premise of Town Without Pity without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.

Four American soldiers posted near a German village are arrested for raping a local girl. Facing a death sentence, they are defended by Major Steve Grant, an outsider attorney who must confront the town’s desire for retribution and the complexities of justice in a post‑war community.

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Cast & crew

Town Without Pity Cast & Characters

Kirk Douglas leads the cast as Major Garrett, with Christine Kaufmann as Karin Steinhof and Karin Hardt as Frau Steinhof. Directed by Gottfried Reinhardt; 20 actors are credited in all.

Also Starring in Town Without Pity

· 16 more
From the director

More from Gottfried Reinhardt

More films directed by Gottfried Reinhardt: Situation Hopeless — But Not Serious, Betrayed and The Story of Three Loves.

Full filmography
Plot

Town Without Pity Plot Summary

What happens in Town Without Pity from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 15 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 3-minute read.

Spoilers ahead

In occupied West Germany in 1960, four drunk American soldiers leave Florida Bar, where Town Without Pity is playing on the jukebox, and head toward a river that threads the countryside. On the riverbank, Fräulein Karin Steinhof, Christine Kaufmann, has a quarrel with her nineteen-year-old boyfriend, Frank Borgmann, Gerhart Lippert, as the water laps at the shore. She swims back to the starting point, lights a cigarette, and strips out of her wet bikini when she is confronted by Sergeant Chuck Snyder, Frank Sutton, and is gang-raped by Corporal Birdwell Scott, Richard Jaeckel, Private Joey Haines, Mal Sondock, and Corporal Jim Larkin, Robert Blake. Borgmann, hearing her screams, dives across the river to intervene but is knocked out by Snyder.

Full summary

The whole story of Town Without Pity, scene by scene

Read the full summary
Videos

Town Without Pity Trailers & Videos

The trailer of Town Without Pity.

Town Without Pity [Trailer] 1961
Quiz

How Well Do You Know Town Without Pity?

10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.

Question 1 of 10

  1. Question 1: not answered
  2. Question 2: not answered
  3. Question 3: not answered
  4. Question 4: not answered
  5. Question 5: not answered
  6. Question 6: not answered
  7. Question 7: not answered
  8. Question 8: not answered
  9. Question 9: not answered
  10. Question 10: not answered

Which actor portrays Major Steve Garrett, the defense attorney in the film?

Cars

Cars in Town Without Pity

31 cars on screen, including the 1956 Chevrolet Bel Air and the 1955 NSU Super Fox 125.

All 31 cars
  • 1956 Chevrolet Bel Air in Town Without Pity 1956 Chevrolet Bel Air Important role
  • 1955 NSU Super Fox 125 in Town Without Pity 1955 NSU Super Fox 125 Important role
  • 1959 Opel Olympia in Town Without Pity 1959 Opel Olympia Important role
  • 1954 Buick Special in Town Without Pity 1954 Buick Special Minor role
Details

Town Without Pity Also Known As

7 alternative titles, including “Ciudad sin piedad” and “La città spietata”.

Also known as
  • Ciudad sin piedad
  • La città spietata
  • Stadt ohne Mitleid
  • Ville sans pitié
  • Cidade Sem Compaixão
  • 上帝难为
  • Stad utan nåd

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FAQ

Town Without Pity FAQ: Cast, Runtime & Release Date

Runtime, release date, director, cast and post-credit scenes of Town Without Pity, each answered in a sentence.

How long is Town Without Pity?

Town Without Pity runs 1 hour 45 minutes (105 minutes).

When was Town Without Pity released?

Town Without Pity was released on October 10, 1961.

Who directed Town Without Pity?

Town Without Pity was directed by Gottfried Reinhardt.

More films by Gottfried Reinhardt

Who is in the cast of Town Without Pity?

Town Without Pity stars Kirk Douglas as Major Garrett, Christine Kaufmann as Karin Steinhof and Karin Hardt as Frau Steinhof, among 20 credited actors.

Does Town Without Pity have a post-credit scene?

No. Town Without Pity has no extra scene during or after the credits.

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