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UPCOMING

Variety reports that Natalie Portman, 37,
has closed a deal to star in and direct a
yet-unnamed film about the most famous
advice columnists of the 20th century:
Dear Abby and Ann Landers. The two were
identical twins, born (1908) Pauline Esther
Friedman and Esther Pauline Friedman.
It’s often been noted that it’s “odd” that two
Jewish ladies from Sioux City, Iowa, would
become the advice mavens to America
(from the heartland to the coasts). But that’s
what happened.

Natalie Portman

AN ANNIVERSARY

The Big Lebowski has attracted quite a
bit of attention recently because 2018 is
the 20th anniversary of a Coen Brothers’
film that has become a cult classic. It is
ultimately a buddy film, featuring Jeff
Lebowski (“The Dude”) and his “Sancho
Panza,” Walter Sobchak (played by John
Goodman). Walter, a salty combat vet-
eran, is improbably a devout convert to
Orthodox Judaism. There’s one “Walter/
Jewish” scene that always made me laugh.
When told a bowling tournament is set for
Saturday, Walter replies: “I told that kraut
a f-g thousand times that I don’t roll on
Shabbos!”
Sobchak was only referring to rolling a
bowling ball. But the quote could have a
much larger meaning today. Yes, the word
“roll” has long been used to go along with
something. However, in the last five years
or so, it has become much more expansive
and widespread in meaning and use (as in
“rolling with my friends” or “that’s not the
way I roll”).
A cool High Holidays gift could be a
T-shirt or mug that says: “I don’t roll on
Shabbos.”

Ann Landers

Dear Abby

AN ODD CONNECTION

Few remember William Fox (1979-1952), a
major figure in the creation of the American
film industry. But his name lives on via the
Fox media outlets (Fox broadcast network,
Fox Films and Fox News Network). Fox lost
control of his company in 1930, five years
before it merged with the 20th Century film
company. However, when Rupert Murdoch
purchased 20th Century Fox in 1985, only
the “Fox” part of its name was retained for
most uses.
Fox, the son of poor Hungarian
immigrants, is the subject of his first full-
scale biography, The Man Who Made the
Movies (2017) by Vanda Krefft. I learned
from Krefft that Fox produced great silent
and early talkie movies (most haven’t
survived), built great movie palaces and
turned Theda Bara (yes, Jewish) into a
great silent star.
I was also startled to learn that Fox spent
a year in jail (1942-43) for bribing a federal
judge. This (non-Jewish) judge was a broke
gambling addict. He had a Jewish bagman

Theda Bara

lawyer solicit a payment from Fox to rule
in his favor. Fox was arrested and agreed
to plead guilty and testify against the judge
and the lawyer. It’s likely that the jury was
tampered with and the pair was acquitted.
Only Fox went to jail. Government lawyers
were upset at this turn of events and
supported Fox when he applied for and got
a pardon from President Truman in 1947.
(By the way, Fox, who died wealthy, became
a practicing Jew again after his jailing.)
I thought it ironic that the news network
named after Fox has, by any objective mea-
sure, been the most favorable cable news
network toward President Trump’s past
pardons and those he hints might come.
The presence of a Jewish lawyer “fixer” in
Fox’s troubles also makes one think of cur-
rent events. •

