Gentleman’s Agreement (1947): Kazan’s Oscar-Winning Drama about Anti-Semitism, Starring Gregory Peck, Dorothy McGuire, John Garfield, Celeste Holm, Anne Revere

Gentleman's_Agreement_garfield_posterAs a genre, the political crusading drama reappeared in the late 1940s, when Hollywood devoted its efforts to exploring racial discrimination, first against Jews, then against blacks and Indians.

The 1947 Oscar-winning film was Elia Kazan’s Gentleman’s Agreement, based on Laura Z. Hobson’s novel and adapted to the screen by Moss Hart, which illustrated the cruelties and injustices of anti-Semitism.

Although “Gentleman’s Agreement” seems tame and naïve by today’s standards, it was definitely a big step in the maturation of Hollywood. Leonard Quart and Albert Auster have correctly noted that the political crusading dramas of the late 1940s and early 1950s conveyed “an optimism which refused to see any problem as insoluble,” but at least these films were directly confronting problems. Amazingly, “Gentleman’s Agreement” was the first time the word “Jew” was used explicitly in a mainstream film.

Kazan’s film was Hollywood’s first major attack on anti-Semitism. The director once said that the film was saying to the audience: “You are an average American and you are anti-Semitic. Anti-Semitism is in you.”

Gentleman's_Agreement_garfield_4This film is supposed to have changed many people’s ideas about the treatment of Jews. Although the narrative examined anti-Semitism as it prevailed in the upper classes and professional worlds, thus entertaining the late 1940s “station-wagon-set,” “Gentleman’s Agreement” did bring the fundamental issue of anti-Semitism to the screen for the first time.

“Gentleman’s Agreement” set off a cycle of social problem films about racial issues, which included “Pinky” (1949), “Home of the Brave” (1949), “Intruder in the Dust” (1949), “Devil’s Doorway” (1949), “Broken Arrow” (1950), “Apache” (1954), “The Lawless” (1950), and “Viva Zapata!” (1952).

Gentleman’s_Agreement_Celeste_Holm_5In the film, Gregory Peck plays a crusading journalist who decides to pose as a Jew in order to experience racial prejudice first-hand. All for the sake of a magazine article. Like most social consciousness films of the time, “Gentleman’s Agreement” also has a romance, here between the daughter (Dorothy McGuire) of Peck’s publisher and journalist Peck. McGuire turns out to be bigoted enough herself to nearly nix the affair; despite her intelligence, she just cannot shake her prejudices. In one of the film’s best lines, she tells Peck, “Don’t treat me to anymore lessons in tolerance. I’m sick of it!”

Two years after Gentleman’s Agreement, another message-political movie won Best Picture: All the King’s Men (1949).  Read review below.

All the King’s Men (1949): Starring Broderick Crawford as Corrupt Politician

Detailed Plot 

Gregory Peck stars as Philip Schuyler Green, a young widower journalist, has just moved to New York with his bright young son Tommy (Dean Stockwell) and kind mother (Anne Revere).

Green meets with magazine publisher John Minify (Albert Dekker), who asks Green–a gentile–to write an article on anti-semitism.  He’s not very enthusiastic at first, but after initially struggling with how to approach the topic in a fresh way, Green is inspired to adopt a Jewish identity (“Phil Greenberg”) and writes about his first-hand experiences, just as he pretended to be a miner when he wrote about them. Green and Minify agree to keep it secret that Phil is not Jewish—as he is new to New York, it is easy to hide.

At a dinner party, Phil meets Minify’s divorced and rich niece Kathy Lacey (Dorothy McGuire), who is the person to originally suggest the story idea. Minify provides her with a large apartment and money, and she works as a pre-school teacher.

Phil tries to explain anti-Jewish prejudice to his precocious son – directly after displaying some anti-female prejudice of his own: “Some people don’t like other people just because they’re Jews.” Green is struck that the idea for the article came from “a girl” at the magazine. His mother replies, “Why, women will be thinking next.”

Phil has difficulty getting started, and it is only when his mother has heart pain one night, and he must summon a doctor, that he realizes he can never feel what another person feels unless he experiences it himself. He recalls having “lived as an Okie on Route 66 or as a coal miner for previous writing jobs. He decides to write a piece titled, “I Was Jewish for Six Months”.

Though Kathy seems to be liberal, but when he reveals his intentions, she is taken aback and asks if he actually is Jewish. There is a strain on their relationship due to Kathy’s subtle acquiescence to bigotry.

At the magazine, Phil is assigned a secretary, Elaine Wales (June Havoc), who reveals that she too is Jewish. She changed her name in order to get the job (her application under her real, Jewish-sounding name, Estelle Wilovsky, was rejected). After Phil informs Minify about Wales’ experience, Minify orders the magazine to adopt new hiring policies. Wales has reservations, fearing that the “wrong Jews” will be hired and ruin things for the few Jews working there. Phil then meets fashion editor Anne Dettrey (Celeste Holm), who becomes a good friend, particularly as strains develop between Phil and Kathy.

Phil’s childhood friend, Dave Goldman (John Garfield), who is Jewish, moves to New York for a job and lives with the Greens while looking for a home for his family. Housing is scarce in the city, but it is particularly difficult for Goldman, since some landlords will not rent to a Jews. When Phil tells Dave about his project, Dave is supportive but concerned.

Kathy’s attitudes are revealed further when she and Phil announce their engagement. Her sister Jane (Jane Wyatt) invites them to her home in Darien, Connecticut, a “restricted” community where Jews are not welcome. Fearing an awkward scene, Kathy wants to tell her friends that Phil is only pretending to be a Jew, but Phil asks Kathy to tell only Jane. At the party, everyone is friendly to Phil, though many people are “unable” to attend at the last minute.

Dave feels that he will have to quit his job because he cannot find a residence. Kathy owns a vacant cottage in Darien, but though Phil sees it as the obvious solution to Dave’s problem, Kathy is unwilling to offend her neighbors by renting it to a Jew. She and Phil break their engagement, and Phil plans to move out of New York when his article is published. When it comes out, it is well received by the magazine staff.

Kathy meets with Dave and tells him how sick she felt when a party guest told a bigoted joke. However, she has no answer when Dave asks her what she did about it. She is forced to realize that her silence condones prejudice.

Dave tells Phil that he and his family will be moving into the cottage in Darien, and Kathy will be moving in with her sister next door to make sure they are treated well by neighbors. When Phil hears this, he reconciles with Kathy.

“Gentleman’s Agreement” was praised by most critics, with one finding it to be “more savagely arresting and properly resolved as a picture than it was as a book,” and describing its script as “electric with honest reportage.” Its major competitor for the Oscars of 1947 was Edward Dmytryk’s “Crossfire,” which lost in each of its five nominated categories. “Crossfire”‘s nominated screenplay, by John Paxton, was based on Richard Brooks’s novel The Brick Foxhole, though in a typically Hollywood manner it changed the book’s homosexual hero into a Jew.

In retrospect, many critics feel that “Crossfire” is a better film than “Gentleman’s Agreement” in every aspect: theme, characterization, acting, and visual style. Also dealing with racial bigotry, although more disguised, it was directed by Dmytryk as a tense noir thriller about an obsessive, psychopathic sergeant (Robert Ryan, who specialized in this kind of role), who beats a Jewish ex-sergeant to death. Detective Finlay (Robert Young), helped by sergeant Keely (Robert Mitchum), sets out to trap the killer. Like Gentleman’s Agreement, it is a heavy message film, with many speeches against prejudice, but it boasts great acting by Ryan and Gloria Grahame, as a floozy dance hall girl, who were both nominated for supporting awards.

That “Gentleman’s Agreement” was voted Best Picture more for ideological than considerations is clear not only from its win over “Crossfire, but also in its win over David Lean’s masterpiece, “Great Expectations.” The Academy proved that when weighing a film’s contents against its style, the former counts more. “Gentleman’s Agreement” won two other awards, for Director Kazan, and for Supporting Actress Celeste Holm, who had all the biting dialogue.

Memorable Lines:

Anne (Celeste Holm): “Tell me, why is it that every man who seems attractive these days is either married or barred on a technicality?”

Cast

Gregory Peck as Philip Schuyler Green

Dorothy McGuire as Kathy Lacey

John Garfield as Dave Goldman

Celeste Holm as Anne Dettrey

Anne Revere as Mrs. Green

June Havoc as Elaine Wales

Albert Dekker as John Minify

Jane Wyatt as Jane

Dean Stockwell as Tommy Green

Sam Jaffe as Professor Fred Lieberman

Nicholas Joy as Doctor Craigie

 

 

 

 

xosotin chelseathông tin chuyển nhượngcâu lạc bộ bóng đá arsenalbóng đá atalantabundesligacầu thủ haalandUEFAevertonxosokeonhacaiketquabongdalichthidau7m.newskqbdtysokeobongdabongdalufutebol ao vivofutemaxmulticanaisonbetbsport.fitonbet88.oooi9bet.bizhi88.ooookvip.atf8bet.atfb88.cashvn88.cashshbet.atbóng đá world cupbóng đá inter milantin juventusbenzemala ligaclb leicester cityMUman citymessi lionelsalahnapolineymarpsgronaldoserie atottenhamvalenciaAS ROMALeverkusenac milanmbappenapolinewcastleaston villaliverpoolfa cupreal madridpremier leagueAjaxbao bong da247EPLbarcelonabournemouthaff cupasean footballbên lề sân cỏbáo bóng đá mớibóng đá cúp thế giớitin bóng đá ViệtUEFAbáo bóng đá việt namHuyền thoại bóng đágiải ngoại hạng anhSeagametap chi bong da the gioitin bong da lutrận đấu hôm nayviệt nam bóng đátin nong bong daBóng đá nữthể thao 7m24h bóng đábóng đá hôm naythe thao ngoai hang anhtin nhanh bóng đáphòng thay đồ bóng đábóng đá phủikèo nhà cái onbetbóng đá lu 2thông tin phòng thay đồthe thao vuaapp đánh lô đềdudoanxosoxổ số giải đặc biệthôm nay xổ sốkèo đẹp hôm nayketquaxosokq xskqxsmnsoi cầu ba miềnsoi cau thong kesxkt hôm naythế giới xổ sốxổ số 24hxo.soxoso3mienxo so ba mienxoso dac bietxosodientoanxổ số dự đoánvé số chiều xổxoso ket quaxosokienthietxoso kq hôm nayxoso ktxổ số megaxổ số mới nhất hôm nayxoso truc tiepxoso ViệtSX3MIENxs dự đoánxs mien bac hom nayxs miên namxsmientrungxsmn thu 7con số may mắn hôm nayKQXS 3 miền Bắc Trung Nam Nhanhdự đoán xổ số 3 miềndò vé sốdu doan xo so hom nayket qua xo xoket qua xo so.vntrúng thưởng xo sokq xoso trực tiếpket qua xskqxs 247số miền nams0x0 mienbacxosobamien hôm naysố đẹp hôm naysố đẹp trực tuyếnnuôi số đẹpxo so hom quaxoso ketquaxstruc tiep hom nayxổ số kiến thiết trực tiếpxổ số kq hôm nayso xo kq trực tuyenkết quả xổ số miền bắc trực tiếpxo so miền namxổ số miền nam trực tiếptrực tiếp xổ số hôm nayket wa xsKQ XOSOxoso onlinexo so truc tiep hom nayxsttso mien bac trong ngàyKQXS3Msố so mien bacdu doan xo so onlinedu doan cau loxổ số kenokqxs vnKQXOSOKQXS hôm naytrực tiếp kết quả xổ số ba miềncap lo dep nhat hom naysoi cầu chuẩn hôm nayso ket qua xo soXem kết quả xổ số nhanh nhấtSX3MIENXSMB chủ nhậtKQXSMNkết quả mở giải trực tuyếnGiờ vàng chốt số OnlineĐánh Đề Con Gìdò số miền namdò vé số hôm nayso mo so debach thủ lô đẹp nhất hôm naycầu đề hôm naykết quả xổ số kiến thiết toàn quốccau dep 88xsmb rong bach kimket qua xs 2023dự đoán xổ số hàng ngàyBạch thủ đề miền BắcSoi Cầu MB thần tàisoi cau vip 247soi cầu tốtsoi cầu miễn phísoi cau mb vipxsmb hom nayxs vietlottxsmn hôm naycầu lô đẹpthống kê lô kép xổ số miền Bắcquay thử xsmnxổ số thần tàiQuay thử XSMTxổ số chiều nayxo so mien nam hom nayweb đánh lô đề trực tuyến uy tínKQXS hôm nayxsmb ngày hôm nayXSMT chủ nhậtxổ số Power 6/55KQXS A trúng roycao thủ chốt sốbảng xổ số đặc biệtsoi cầu 247 vipsoi cầu wap 666Soi cầu miễn phí 888 VIPSoi Cau Chuan MBđộc thủ desố miền bắcthần tài cho sốKết quả xổ số thần tàiXem trực tiếp xổ sốXIN SỐ THẦN TÀI THỔ ĐỊACầu lô số đẹplô đẹp vip 24hsoi cầu miễn phí 888xổ số kiến thiết chiều nayXSMN thứ 7 hàng tuầnKết quả Xổ số Hồ Chí Minhnhà cái xổ số Việt NamXổ Số Đại PhátXổ số mới nhất Hôm Nayso xo mb hom nayxxmb88quay thu mbXo so Minh ChinhXS Minh Ngọc trực tiếp hôm nayXSMN 88XSTDxs than taixổ số UY TIN NHẤTxs vietlott 88SOI CẦU SIÊU CHUẨNSoiCauVietlô đẹp hôm nay vipket qua so xo hom naykqxsmb 30 ngàydự đoán xổ số 3 miềnSoi cầu 3 càng chuẩn xácbạch thủ lônuoi lo chuanbắt lô chuẩn theo ngàykq xo-solô 3 càngnuôi lô đề siêu vipcầu Lô Xiên XSMBđề về bao nhiêuSoi cầu x3xổ số kiến thiết ngày hôm nayquay thử xsmttruc tiep kết quả sxmntrực tiếp miền bắckết quả xổ số chấm vnbảng xs đặc biệt năm 2023soi cau xsmbxổ số hà nội hôm naysxmtxsmt hôm nayxs truc tiep mbketqua xo so onlinekqxs onlinexo số hôm nayXS3MTin xs hôm nayxsmn thu2XSMN hom nayxổ số miền bắc trực tiếp hôm naySO XOxsmbsxmn hôm nay188betlink188 xo sosoi cầu vip 88lô tô việtsoi lô việtXS247xs ba miềnchốt lô đẹp nhất hôm naychốt số xsmbCHƠI LÔ TÔsoi cau mn hom naychốt lô chuẩndu doan sxmtdự đoán xổ số onlinerồng bạch kim chốt 3 càng miễn phí hôm naythống kê lô gan miền bắcdàn đề lôCầu Kèo Đặc Biệtchốt cầu may mắnkết quả xổ số miền bắc hômSoi cầu vàng 777thẻ bài onlinedu doan mn 888soi cầu miền nam vipsoi cầu mt vipdàn de hôm nay7 cao thủ chốt sốsoi cau mien phi 7777 cao thủ chốt số nức tiếng3 càng miền bắcrồng bạch kim 777dàn de bất bạion newsddxsmn188betw88w88789bettf88sin88suvipsunwintf88five8812betsv88vn88Top 10 nhà cái uy tínsky88iwinlucky88nhacaisin88oxbetm88vn88w88789betiwinf8betrio66rio66lucky88oxbetvn88188bet789betMay-88five88one88sin88bk88xbetoxbetMU88188BETSV88RIO66ONBET88188betM88M88SV88Jun-68Jun-88one88iwinv9betw388OXBETw388w388onbetonbetonbetonbet88onbet88onbet88onbet88onbetonbetonbetonbetqh88mu88Nhà cái uy tínpog79vp777vp777vipbetvipbetuk88uk88typhu88typhu88tk88tk88sm66sm66me88me888live8live8livesm66me88win798livesm66me88win79pog79pog79vp777vp777uk88uk88tk88tk88luck8luck8kingbet86kingbet86k188k188hr99hr99123b8xbetvnvipbetsv66zbettaisunwin-vntyphu88vn138vwinvwinvi68ee881xbetrio66zbetvn138i9betvipfi88clubcf68onbet88ee88typhu88onbetonbetkhuyenmai12bet-moblie12betmoblietaimienphi247vi68clupcf68clupvipbeti9betqh88onb123onbefsoi cầunổ hũbắn cáđá gàđá gàgame bàicasinosoi cầuxóc đĩagame bàigiải mã giấc mơbầu cuaslot gamecasinonổ hủdàn đềBắn cácasinodàn đềnổ hũtài xỉuslot gamecasinobắn cáđá gàgame bàithể thaogame bàisoi cầukqsssoi cầucờ tướngbắn cágame bàixóc đĩa开云体育开云体育开云体育乐鱼体育乐鱼体育乐鱼体育亚新体育亚新体育亚新体育爱游戏爱游戏爱游戏华体会华体会华体会IM体育IM体育沙巴体育沙巴体育PM体育PM体育AG尊龙AG尊龙AG尊龙AG百家乐AG百家乐AG百家乐AG真人AG真人<AG真人<皇冠体育皇冠体育PG电子PG电子万博体育万博体育KOK体育KOK体育欧宝体育江南体育江南体育江南体育半岛体育半岛体育半岛体育凯发娱乐凯发娱乐杏彩体育杏彩体育杏彩体育FB体育PM真人PM真人<米乐娱乐米乐娱乐天博体育天博体育开元棋牌开元棋牌j9九游会j9九游会开云体育AG百家乐AG百家乐AG真人AG真人爱游戏华体会华体会im体育kok体育开云体育开云体育开云体育乐鱼体育乐鱼体育欧宝体育ob体育亚博体育亚博体育亚博体育亚博体育亚博体育亚博体育开云体育开云体育棋牌棋牌沙巴体育买球平台新葡京娱乐开云体育mu88qh88