Racial Question on Screen
By HERBERT G. LUFTI back." While a Fulbright scholar
(Copyright 1969, JTA, Inc.)
in Norway, Ford became fascinated
Lee J. Cobb is portraying a by what he describes as "wonder-
Southern lawyer in William Wyler's ment at the greatest nation in the
forthcoming movie, "The Libera- world as being a bi-racial com-
tion of Lord Byron Jones," an munity." "The Liberation of Lord
ultra-conservative but not yet a Byron Jones" was published in
bigot, who cannot change his habits 1965 and won the Guggenheim
and attitudes. The picture, says Award.
Cobb, opens up the question of 67-year-old William Wyler, re-
racial equality, it makes us think cipient of the coveted Irving
—yet has no ready-made answer. Thalberg Memorial Award from
In a rather subtle way, "The Lib- the Academy of Motion Picture
eration of Lord Byron Jones" cuts Arts & Sciences, a three-time
through to the innermost thoughts "Oscar" winner, with a score of
of a Southern gentleman who lives nominations to his credit, has been
in the past and cannot change his a liberal all his life. Born in Mul-
deeply rooted prejudices. house, Alsace-Loraine. he saw the
The veteran actor is enthusias- town change hands half a dozen
tic about the role which, from a times during the struggle with
performer's point-of-view, opens Germany in World War I. Starting
new vistas of characterization. "I in the world of motion pictures
have the advantage that nobody under Carl Laemmle at Universal.
has ever played this character be- he scored as the director of such
fore. The story has a human ap- memorable Samuel Goldwyn mov-
preach to an ideological problem. ies as, "Dodsworth," "Dead End,"
He has a conscience and he strug- "The Little Foxes" and "The Chil-
glee with himself rather than with dren's Hour." before World War
the world around him, he struggles H. He had just completed filming
but he cannot come to terms with the stirring anti-Nazi epic, "Mrs.
reality." Miniver" for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
• • •
when 'he enlisted in the Army Air
Ronald Lubin, together with di- Corps in 1942, three months after
rector William Wyler, is producing Pearl Harbor.
While in military service, he con-
the unique picture for Columbia
studios. The latter emphatically ceived, directed and photographed
states that "The Liberation of Lord two documentaries with the 8th Air
Byron Jones" is not meant to be Force in England and with the
a message picture, but rather a re- 12th Air Force in the Mediterra-
portage on the state of mind below nean, which won international
the Mason-Dixon Line, on condi- recognition. He was discharged in
Cons and emotions within the black 1945 with the rank of Lieutenant-
and the white community. The yarn Colonel. having won the Legion of
of love, hate and utter violence. Merit, the Air Medal, the French
from the novel by Jesse Hill Ford, Legion of Honor, and the Italian
with a screenplay by Stirling Silli- Star of Solidarity—quite an honor
phant, takes place in Somerton. for the Jewish immigrant from Eu-
Tennessee. But there is no such rope. The work of William Wyler
town on the map. The location covers a span of 48 years.
• • •
Smalltown, USA. There are a thou- "The Best Years of Our Lives,"
sand communities like it dotting made for Goldwyn in 1946, showed
the map from Maryland to Mexico, the aftermath of World War H
with racial bias on both sides and with no punches pulled; "Ben Hur"
segregated living quarters and dif- (1959) is a tribute to the People of
ferent cemeteries for the races— the Book—the Hebrews of old—the
one for the whites and one for the one people who fought the Romans
Negroes. not for material gain but to defend
Perhaps, it is no accident that their religion. The latter picture
Jews are the artists who share the received a record of 11 Academy
basic responsibility for this film Awards.
Such is the man who - decided at
dealing with the plight of the black
a
man in the South. They are the the zenith of his career to make its
producer, A. Ronald Lubin, the film about the Deep South and
the
anguished
society
of
today.
Most
director, William Wyler and
massive, towering star, Lee J. recently. he had won the admira-
Cobb. That Jewish artists are at tion of the critics' and movie-going
the helm here is not a new trend; public for his filmization of "Funny
Jews have always been the fore- Girl." which won its star, the ca-
front of social evolution and in the pricious Barbra Streisand, an Acad-
fight for the rights of the under- emy Award.
dog, the oppressed and the disen- A. Ronald Lubin. in comparison,
is a rather young man, who has
franchised.
"The Liberation of Lord Byron distinguished himself with the pro-
Jones" is an effective weapon duction of "Billy Budd" and "The
against bigotry because it does not Outrage"—the latter starring Paul
conceal cruelties and injustices Newman and Edward G. Robinson.
committed by both sides. There He served in the Army during
have been films in recent years, World War II and began his career
either idolizing the black intel- in the film industry as script clerk
lectual. such as in Stanley Kram- for Billy Wilder. He first became
er's ill-conceived and badly exe- interested in the dramatic possi-
cuted melodrama, "Guess Who's bilities of Ford's novel when he
Coming to Dinner"; or making him read the volume as a Book of the
the militant leader of artificially Month Club selection. He brought
staged violence, as in Sidney, together author Ford and Oscar
Poitier's current, "The Lost Man." winning screen writer Stirling Silli-
actually a poor remake of James phant. When they developed a
Mason's "Odd Man Out"; Mr. screenplay, Lubin sought out di-
Poitier played both characters to rector Wyler with whom he had
the hilt, the exceptional scientist hoped to make a film for twenty
is the composite of many hamlets.
and the uniquely ruthless gang - years.
Yaphet Kotto, who plays a mis-
ster and black Mafia leader per
haps trying to get the message guided black youth, Sonny Boy
both.
Mosby,
in the current movie,
across that the Negro can be
Poitier's notion is not a new one; claims to be a "third generation
Shakespeare demonstrated similar Jewish Negro." It is Sonny Boy
intentions when sketching the char- Mosby who represents the smolder-
acter of Othello or when develop- ing menace in the dramatic de-
ing the character of Shylock as a velopment of author Ford's story
racial conflict in a small town.
victim of feudal society. The Mir- of
!sett picture "In the Heat of the The characterization is certain to
came
boost
Kotto's stock as an actor of
Night" of two years ago
closer to the truth, yet remained versatility. Born in New York and
too one-sided in its attempt to do reared in Harlem, Kotto graduated
justice to the cause of the blacks. from James Monroe High in the
I Bronx. His father is African, his
• • •
Jesse Hill Ford writes about mother Panamanian. He has
people in the deep South who can- worked off-Broadway and Holly-
not help themselves because they wood in the stage production of
are born into backward society "The Zulu and the Zayda. "He
With prejudices which can only peaks his stage career when he
gradually be overcome by educa- goes into the current Broadway
tion. A native of Alabama, he has show, 'The Great White Hope,'
been described- as a - "blood-and. after completing, 'The, Liberation
bones Southerner' for generations Of 'Loh' Jonet.' " '
American Jewish Novelists' Works Analyzed
American-Jewish novels are de-
fined and their historical develop-
ment is analyzed in a work of
marked research conducted by
Bernard Sherman and published
by Thomas Yoseloff.
Under the title "The Invention
of the Jew," Sherman's work con-
tains a most impressive series of
comments on nearly all of the
novels by Jewish writers, dating
back to Abraham Cahan's "The
Rise of David Levinsky," including
other works of that era, Elias
Tobenkin and others, and proceed-
ing to the present era which pro-
vides the author with an oppor-
tunity to evaluate Bernard Mala-
mud, Philip Roth and others whose
works have become subjects for
controversy.
He devotes considerable space
to a review of the series of
novels by Charles Angoff, who
emerges as one of the most I
dedicated interpreters of Jewish
historical and traditional values.'
Sherman's work assumes a more
complete aspect by his attention to
the Jewish-angled writings of Gen-
tiles, including Hutchins Hapgood,
William Dean Howells, Jacob Riis
and many others.
The influence of Yiddish, the im-
pact of the civil rights movement,
the role of parents in the lives of
the writers discussed here—these
and many other aspects of the
novel by American Jews through
three generations are delineated
here.
Sherman reaches an interest-
ing conclusion, expressing the
view that: "As Jewish books, the
novels have described Jewish
life in America with a degree of
thoroughness, taking up many
of the social concerns of a peo-
ple, scornfully or mockingly de-
manding correction of injustice.
The better novels have trans-
cended ethnic themes and char-
acteristics to achieve an aesthe-
tic universality."
As a further comment, Sherman
declares about the writings he has
analyzed: "The Judaism of the
novels lies in the point of view of
the novelist, which I have assert-
ed, if not proved, is identifiably
Jewish. It is found in the tensions
which contribute to the novels their
sense of yearning. It is found in
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
the moral sense and the heighten-
ed vision of the novelists, express-
ed in wryly oblique terms and giv-
ing the novels whatever unique-
ness may be claimed for them."
This study, therefore, adds valu-
ably to an understanding of the
writers and their works and serves
as a guide in evaluating the Am-
erican Jewish novelists.
The 1949 Truce
The Rhodes Agreement, recog-
nized by the United Nations Secu-
rity Council on Aug. 11, 1949, end-
ed Israel's War of Independence
and resulted in more land for Is-
rael than was allotted to her by
the UN Partition Plan.
Friday, September 12, 1969-23
Sincere Best Wishes
for a Happy New Year
Newman, Steinberger
& Bornstein
May the Lord of hosts bring
blessings on you and your house
on this day and forever.
If we are a little prouder than usual this year in ex-
tending greetings it is because we were awarded
the Silver Trophy, emblematic of outstanding service
to our many friends in Detroit.
This top Company award would not have been pos-
sible had we not enjoyed a fine rapport and associ-
RICHARD H.
LOVE, C.L.U.
Ma nager
ation with many men and women of purpose, con-
viction and deep inner refinement.
We look ahead to a new year dedicating ourselves
once more to bring personal and family security to
more people.
During Rosh Hashana, one of our three holiest of
times, let us pause to count our blessings and ful-
fillments.
Sincerest wishes for a Happy New Year.
MOE LEITER
Associate Manager
Richard H. Love, C.L.U. Manager
Moe Leiter, Associate Manager
DETROIT CENTRE BRANCH
1766 Penobscot Bldg.
Detroit, Michigan
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