His son...
From what I've read, I get the impression that Oskar raised his son. Am I correct in assuming this? What about his son's mother? Did the boy live with her? I'd appreciate it very much if someone could tell me.

It was a bit of both. Felix lived in the US but Oskar visited him frequently and, I believe, he lived with his father in Liechtenstein in the late '70's. Felix visited his father as well when he was old enough to travel. Oskar loved his son very much but Felix's earliest years were spent with his mother in the US with Oskar visiting as often as he could. Felix "grew up" to what we think of as "middle school age" in the US but his father loved him deeply as did his mother. Felix spent some time in college in the US also. His father was never a "stranger" to him. Oskar loved both his children and exulted in being a grandfather. His grandson was born the same year as Felix. Oskar loved the idea of being "a patriarch."

Thank you...
Hi! Pamela, Thank you for your feedback. It is greatly appreciated. It really helps to have kind people like you to answer these questions for me and others. Now I have a couple of other questionsi...I was wondering if he had any grandchildren...Is the grandson the only one now? Also...do you know the grandson's name? Again...Danke!

Hi, I'm always glad to share what I can with others who have come to appreciate Oskar. I was lucky enough to have "known" him through the exchange of letters over his last few years. I never knew how sick he'd become by then so his death was a shock. He was a very private person. We "talked" about things we both held dear; ideals; music and his work, among other topics. But not his private life. So, I only know of the grandson, born in 1966 to his daughter and her husband. There may have been more children for her, I don't know. I do know that Felix has two children. So, there are three grandchildren that we know of. I don't pry into Felix's life either. When we exchange emails it is about his work or his father's. He has made some very interesting films but none of the typical "Hollywood" type which he rejected, and rightly so. He inherited his father's good taste in that regard! He wishes to someday have all his father's film work out but has hit a snag with "Interlude." And, I must email him to see if there's anything that can be done to keep "Voyage of the Damned" more available. That was a tremendously important film but it seems to have become "scarce as hen's teeth" (as we old New Englanders would say) recently. This is very wrong. Oskar was amazing in that role, playing his customary complex but good and decent character, another doctor on another ship. But, this story really happened. If you haven't already, it is worth it to read the book. The title is the same as the film's. There are a few changes of course. Some people may not have wanted their family names used in the film. Or, some of the actors may not have wanted to use the real names out of consideration for the privacy of these same people. In the book the names are there. Also Oskar's character and his wife have two daughters in the book but not in the film, probably for the same reason as the name change. It is simpler, in the film, for there to be just the two little girls we see in the film's beginning scenes. Their plight is enough to indicate that of all the children who shared the fate of the passengers of the "St. Louis". With those two particular ones, however, their luck was much better and they were able to disembark in Havana. Oskar commented when the film came out that he regretted the need to edit the film so much (to make it fit into the 'proper running time') because "some beautiful moments were lost." Hope this is of interest. I'm sorry I can't be more specific with regard to Oskar's own descendents!

Hello Pamela and Ms. Waldron - It seems to me, that OW also had a granddaughter. In the docu:"Ich über mich" made after this death with contribution of his son and with private video clips there are some scenes with children and as I remember, there is also a little girl. - Concerning "Voyage of the Damned": Pamela, you wrote about keeping Voyage of the Damned more available. Indeed, Amazon.com sells copies for more than $ 100,-- I looked for Amazon.de and they have the movie for a very very low price - about $ 10,- with the German title: "Reise der Verdammten". I have such a copy - The sound is both in German and in English and German subtitles if wanted. I believe, the DVD is in Region 0. - It is edited by Classic Selection. - I hope this information can be helpfull. - Thank you for the information about the book, more close to the real story. Greetings from Susanne

Hi, Susanne - yes there was a photo of a young girl playing in the snow in Liechtenstein with Oskar. I think that this youngster was his daughter at about 10 or 12 years old. It is near the funny impression of "Wilhelm Tell" with Oskar pretending to shoot a tennis ball off his dog's nose. (Very, very funny that is too! He used a pick axe for a crossbow! He also screwed up his face to try to resemble the dog - a Boxer - no doubt because there was no way the dog could be brought to resemble Oskar!) Any granddaughter would have been born after 1966. Unless, of course, the baby that Oskar is pictured feeding in "Ein Nacklang" is a girl, not a boy. Felix once mentioned to me that his father's handwriting "could be hard to read" and the notes in that book are, to me, almost completely unreadable except when he is writing Felix's full name under the photo of him with Felix and his mother. That I could make out and I thought that under the photo of him feeding the baby I could make out 'sohn'. Since this photo is accompanied by anther photo with Elizabeth and Eleanor taken at the same time I knew it had to be the long awaited grandchild. It is a photo that shows the bond between Oskar and his first wife, they are holding hands very strongly, so obviously proud in the moment with the baby. I could be wrong of course, you could read it better, I know. The problem with the "Voyage" film lies with the fact that I believe they stopped reprinting both VHS and DVD versions. I have a cousin who works at the bookstore that had, until recently, worked with Amazon. My cousin checked up on this and my information comes from him perhaps as long ago as late last year when the subject first came up. Recently I found another VHS of the film on Amazon. My original store bought tape has damage in the beginning credits. When my cousin checked up on the situation even the used VHS tapes were beyond my budget and the DVDs always lately have been over $100.00! I was very happy to be able to get the VHS tape at a low price. I don't want to lose any of Oskar's films, especially those he felt very strongly about and "Voyage" was one of those. Did you mean that the DVDs are less expensive in Europe? This may well be true. It was made under English auspices. Still, it is sad to limit the access to the film in any way. Oskar once said, "It is a worthwhile preachment against Naziism." I thought maybe he might have thought up the word 'preachment.' I should have known better. It turned up very recently in an entirely different context. Oskar would be quite 'smug', as we say over here, at my doubting his word knowledge. He was really an incredible student of languages! I should have known much better!!! Cosie is whistling his greetings, now he wants to get involved in the Forum!!!! He must know I am sending a message to you among others. You are so special to him!!!! By the way, the book version of "Voyage" came out over here in English, as it must have done in the UK. One would think it would also have been printed "auf Deutsch" but I don't know. It is an interesting read and probably could easily be found on Amazon. One can see where the names etc. were changed and there is a very interesting further history about "Professor Kreisler". I was quite interested to learn that he had told his pet parrot all his secrets, 'for posterity.' The bird could not judge, of course. Also, though, the bird might chose not to relay any information. I think it was probably a good way for the real-life Professor to ease his own mind after a very complex adherance to his Hippocratic Oath. It must have been a great strain but he believed in his ideals and followed them. They cast the role very, very well, don't you think? Now, you will have to find the book to know what I am talking about!!!!

Hi!
Thank you Pamela and Susanne for so much wonderful information. I have a copy of Voyage of the Dammed...most of it, anyway. I caught it on televions one night...it had already started...but I managed to record the rest. I try to keep an eye open in hopes of catching it on television again...For I want the whole thing. But I do have most of it. Thanks to both fo you, again, for your information. It is very much apprecaited.

Hello everybody. My computer doesn´t work any more, so most of the time I have to use the internet at work. I just finished watching Interlude carefully. I have loved that movie so much, in spite of its obvious faults, particular the character of Sally. I enjoyed the movie tonight.......could someone remind me of the name of the outdoor music stage where we had the short scene of Oskar and orchestra playing and Sally running away? Regarding Voyage of the Damned, I too saw the prices on EBay. The versions available on Amazon appear to be the shorter version. Susanne, how long does your version run? There are a lot of new members I see. I am Elizabeth from San Diego, California, and I adore Oskar. I listen to him on CD´s every day, either talking or reciting poetry, for those who don´t know me. Ich kann Deutsch verstehen, aber ich habe viele vergessen. Ich wohnte in Wien vor 43 Jahren. Anyway, hello to all. Pamela, please send my regards to Felix in your next contact with him. Elizabeth

I think the location you are wondering about is Kenwood Lakeside. Not exactly sure where in the UK it is. Kenwood Lakeside is a setting not unlike the Esplanade in Boston, a shell form for the sound to be distributed across, in this case, a lake, to the audience on the other side.

thanks!
Thank you very much, Pamela! That is the scene that I believe was cut a lot. It is a very beautiful setting. We have a similar shell in Los Angeles, the Hollywood Bowl. I´ve actually only seen it in movies, although it is right up the road from San Diego! Last night I listened closely to what Oskar/Stefan said to Sally in the last scenes. Even in the fairly simple story of Interlude, Oskar managed to put a lot of meaning in every word, every move of the hand, every look! I´ll never understand Sally´s position!!!! I watch the movie because I love it............ I need to pull out Shoes of the Fisherman. I know you were really impacted by that movie, Pamela. I also like to listen to the poetry readings on CD.......as I mentioned when I bought them, I have a few of the actual LP´s with their big pictures of Oskar on them. It´s nice to be here again. Hello to everybody! Elizabeth :D

Hi Elizabeth, concerning "Voyage of the Damned": The version I have and still can be bought at Amazon.de is as long as 151 minutes. In English and German, with German subtitles. - Greetings from Susanne

Hi Susanne! and everybody
Thank you very much Susanne for the information! I do not yet have this DVD. I am glad to know it is still available! Greetings to everybody, Elizabeth :lol:

Good day!
Hello, Pamela, Elizabeth, all of you...I, too, enjoy Oskar's CD's...especially the Rilke poetry...I am thankful to Nici for much of what I have... Also, Pamela, I would appreciate you sending my greetings to Felix, as well... I still want to write that biography...but I could use some help...I need to know about rights to photos, etc...as I've mentioned before... Good day! Or Night! Guten Tag!

Hello!
Ms. Waldron, I have been away from the forum and don't know you. I live in San Diego, California. May I ask where you're from? Perhaps there's still a map somewhere of where we all are from. What is your language? It's nice to see all of these people here. Susanne and Nici are old friends, to whom I owe much. Montag helped me a lot also. Pamela is an old friend here. Everyone here is nice, because we have a common love, a love of Oskar. It is really a joy to be with all of you again. Guten Tag! Gute Nacht! Bye for now. Elizabeth G. in San Diego, CA :roll: :lol: 8) :wink:

Hello, :) I am French, Elizabeth. :) And I live in France. Bonjour ou Bonsoir, Bonne journée ou Bonne nuit, A bientôt ! Amicalement, Besos Marie-Jeanne