WHITY

Whity – International title

Whity ging nach Osten – German title

 

A 1971 West German production [Antiteater-X-Film, Atlantis Film (Munich)]

Producers: Uli Lommel, Wilhelm Rabenbauer

Director: Rainer Werner Fassbinder

Story: Rainer Werner Fassbinder

Screenplay: Rainer Werner Fassbinder

Cinematography: Michael Ballhaus [Eastmancolor]

Music: Peer Raben (Wilhelm Rabenbauer)

Song: “I Kill Them” sung by Gunter Kaufmann

Running time: 95 minutes

 

Cast:

Samuel 'Whity' King - Gunter Kaufmann

Benjamin Nicholson/Henderson – Ron Randell (Ronald Randell)

Hanna – Hanna Schygulla

Katherine Nicholson/Henderson – Katrin Schaake

Davy Nicholson/Henderson – Harry Bar (Harald Zöttl)

Frank Nicholson/Henderson – Ulli Lommel

Judge – Stefano Capriati

Marpessa King – Elaine Baker

Sheriff – Mark Salvage

Judge’s wife – Helga Ballhaus (Helga Betten)

Samuel ‘Whity” King – Günther Kaufmann

Bartender – Peter Berling

Saloon guest – Rainer Werner Fassbinder

Pianist – Kurt Raab

Fake Mexican physician - Tomás Blanco (Tomás Garcia)

 

Whity is a mulatto butler of the dysfunctional Nicholson family in the 1878 American southwest. The patriarch, Ben Nicholson, has an attractive young wife Katherine, and two sons by a previous marriage, the homosexual Frank, and the retarded Davy. Whity tries to carry out all their orders, however demeaning, until various family members ask him to kill some of the others.