The American Jewish Story through Cinema

1. Introduction: A Century of American Jewish Life

1  chAPTer 1 inTroducTion A cenTury of AmericAn Jewish Life successfuL AssimiLATion Throughout the early years of cinema, the first decades of the twentieth century , Jewish moviemakers focused largely on stories of successful assimilation into American society. As Neal Gabler asserted, “The grand theme of Hollywood, both in terms of films and in terms of the lives of its moguls, is idealized assimilation.”1 Such assimilation was often expressed through the intermarriage of a Jewish child with a child from another immigrant group. The resulting union celebrated the successful melding of different ethnicities and religions, a “melting pot” producing a couple that would turn out “all-American” offspring. Silent film was often the entertainment of choice for immigrants, as language would not be a barrier; thus it was the immigrant to whom these early movies were largely directed. Suggesting the possibility of entrée into American society on-screen, such movies made the argument for assimilation seem reasonable. This view certainly reflected the sensibilities of Jewish moviemakers of that time, who desperately sought their own acceptance into America. Films like Private Izzy Murphy (1926), The Cohens and the Kellys (1926), and Abie’s Irish Rose (1928) were representative of this genre. Each reflected belief in an America that eliminated differences and particularity and fostered acceptance.The road to success that was put forward required integration and Americanization. The multiethnic films of the silent era continued to be made into the early 2 • The AmericAn Jewish sTory Through cinemA 1930s. As the “talkie” replaced silent cinema, success and the possibilities that America could provide continued to be a central theme. Even The Jazz Singer (1927), which represents the pivotal transition into sound, has its protagonist Jakie Rabinowitz, son and descendent of generations of cantors, leave his Jewish home to seek America’s opportunities.The film shows Jakie, now Jack Robin, rejecting the perceived limitations of the cantorate and synagogue for the chance to be “truly” successful as a jazz singer on Broadway . Along with his rejection of Jewish communitycomes Jack’s easy union with the non-Jewish Mary Dale. This thematic thrust reflected the life of Jewish movie moguls, manyof whom found Judaism a burden and intermarriage a way of life. This theme continued to be popular into the early 1930s. The film provides a wonderful vehicle forexamining generational difference and the quest for all that America was believed to be able to offer. Adolf Hitler’s rise to power in 1933 was not lost on American moviemakers . As Judith Doneson questioned, “To what extent did Hollywood, known as a ‘Jewish’ industry, feel the threat to the Jews to be a major concern ?”2 There is little doubt of the effect, as clearly identified Jews abruptly disappeared from American cinema. Hollywood’s Jewish producers were particularly interested in deflecting attention. Gone were the ethnic movies that had been so much a part of earlier American cinema. In addition, with the creation of the Production Code Administration, a film industry watchdog body that scrutinized films looking for, among other things, offensive references to a character’s national origin, it was easy for producers to justify removing a Jewish ethnic presence from movies. Though Jewish producers in Hollywood shied away from tackling Jewish subject matteron the screen, not every movie producer was Jewish. Darryl F. Zanuck, head of production of Twentieth Century Pictures, was a shrewd producer, acutely aware of the commercial possibilities of making contentious pictures. He was attracted to a story about the Rothschild family, a pet project of actor George Arliss. As one of the few gentile production heads in Hollywood, Zanuck was not so sensitive about Jewish visibility on the screen as were his Jewish counterparts, nor was he overtly concerned about whether to produce a film on a Jewish subject. Zanuck had been head of production at Warner Brothers when The Jazz Singer was made in 1927 and was heavily involved in its creation. So when Arliss gave him a book on the Rothschilds, he saw its potential and quickly turned over the project to writer Nunnally Johnson. Soon, the filmThe House of Rothschild was readied for production. Johnson was apparently awed by Zanuck’s willingness to inTroducTion • 3 take on a film that struggled with anti-Semitism—a subject that could, particularly given the climate, be deemed divisive. Zanuck’s Jewish associates , such as Joseph Schenck, the first president of United Artists and later Zanuck...