Cinema Retro has received the following press release from Sony:
CULVER
CITY, Calif. (May 8, 2014) / PRNewswire — At a ceremony today at the U.S.
National Archives in Washington, D.C., Monuments Men Foundation Founder and
Chairman Robert Edsel donated “Hitler Album No. 6†to the Archive, reuniting it
with 39 other “Hitler Albums†recovered at the end of World War II. Chief
Archivist of the United States, David Ferriero, accepted the album from the
foundation and Monuments Man Harry Ettlinger. Ettlinger represents the historic
group honored most recently in Sony Pictures’
THE MONUMENTS MEN, which is based on Mr. Edsel’s No.1 New York Times’
bestselling book of the same name.
George
Clooney’s action thriller THE MONUMENTS MEN is now available on Digital from
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, starring Clooney, Matt Damon, Bill Murray, John
Goodman, Jean Dujardin, Bob Balaban, Hugh Bonneville and Cate Blanchett.[i]
The Blu-rayâ„¢ Combo Pack and DVD are available on May 20, including bonus features
with Ettlinger and Edsel, who worked closely with Clooney during the production
of the film.
The
brown leather-bound album of photographs donated today was created by the staff
of a special Nazi taskforce, the Einsatzstab Reichsleiter Rosenberg (ERR),
which documented Hitler’s systematic looting of cultural treasures in
Nazi-occupied Europe. The ERR staff catalogued the French collections by
creating leather-bound photo albums, including Album No. 6, with each page
containing a photograph of one stolen item with inventory codes denoting the
family to which it belonged. These albums were specifically created for Hitler
in an effort to keep him apprised of the ERR’s progress in France. In May 1945,
39 original ERR albums, along with records that documented the confiscation of
thousands of looted items, were discovered at the Castle of Neuschwanstein in
Germany by the Monuments Men, including Lt. James Rorimer, who after the war
became the sixth Director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The albums were
subsequently taken to the Munich Central Collecting Point, where they were used
by the Monuments Men, including Harry Ettlinger, to assist in the restitution
process. The albums were also introduced as evidence at the Nuremberg trials to
document the massive Nazi art looting operation.
Today,
the U.S. National Archives has custody of the original 39 albums. It was
believed that additional ERR albums had been destroyed during the latter days
of World War II. However, since 2007, The Monuments Men Foundation discovered three
additional albums, which have since been donated to the U.S. National Archives,
joining the original 39 albums. Album No. 6 was found when an heir of an
American soldier stationed in the Berchtesgaden area of Germany contacted the
Monuments Men Foundation. In the closing days of World War II, the soldier had
entered Hitler’s home in the Bavarian Alps and picked up the album as a
souvenir. The soldier’s nephew, who later inherited the album, was initially
unaware of their historical significance until meeting with Edsel.
“The
Foundation often receives calls on our toll free tip line, 1-866-WWII-ART, from
veterans and their heirs, who don’t know the importance of cultural and
artistic items they brought home after their military service, or aren’t aware
that anyone is looking for the items,†Edsel stated. “This album is just the
tip of the iceberg, and thanks to George Clooney and the success of The
Monuments Men film, global awareness about these heroes of civilization has
increased dramatically. We are delighted, and anticipate that the home
entertainment rollout of the film will continue to help us honor the legacy of
the men and women, and complete their mission by locating and returning works
of art and cultural items to their rightful owners.â€
Bonus
features on THE MONUMENTS MEN include two all-new featurettes that highlight
the making of the film. The first, “George Clooney’s Mission,†features
interviews with Clooney, as well as the rest of the cast, on the elements that
went into completing THE MONUMENTS MEN. The second featurette, “Marshalling the
Troops,†features a cast discussion on the real men and women who inspired the
film. Exclusively available on the Blu-ray Combo Pack are deleted scenes and two
additional exclusive featurettes. “In Their Own Words†is a unique piece that
offers the most comprehensive and direct insight into the hearts and minds of
the heroes, featuring an interview with Ettlinger, one of the last surviving
members of the Monuments Men.
“A Woman Amongst the Monuments Men†features a discussion with Cate Blanchett about
her film character, Claire Simone, who is based on French heroine Rose Valland.
CLICK HERE TO VISIT THE MONUMENTS MEN SONY WEB SITE
[i]Two-time Academy Award® winner Clooney (Argo, Best Motion Picture of the Year,
2012),
Academy Award® winner Matt Damon (Good Will Hunting, Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for
the Screen, 1997), Bill Murray (The Grand
Budapest Hotel), John Goodman (Argo),
Academy Award® winner Jean Dujardin
(The Artist, Best Performance by an Actor
in a Leading Role, 2011), Bob Balaban (The
Grand Budapest Hotel),
Hugh Bonneville (TV’s “Downton Abbeyâ€) & Academy Award® winner
Cate Blanchett (Blue Jasmine, Best
Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role, 2013).