Looking Back

From the William Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit History

accessible at www.djnfoundation.org

70 | NOVEMBER 17 • 2022 

A Ground-Breaking Film 
T

wo very public instances of antisemi-
tism occurred over the past few weeks. 
High-profile celebrities, the rapper/
songwriter Kanye West — or as he now calls 
himself, “Ye” — and National Basketball star 
Kyrie Irving made international news for their 
promotions of long-debunked tropes and false-
hoods about Jewish people.
Unfortunately, the actions of West and Irving 
are nothing new in this modern era of rising 
antisemitism. It was good to see 
that they were met with wide-
spread criticism as well as eco-
nomic punishment as they lost 
important sponsors.
Antisemitism was also in the 
news 75 years ago. Gentleman’s 
Agreement, the acclaimed book 
by Laura Z. Hobson (1900-1986) 
and the subsequent movie with the same title 
starring Gregory Peck (1916-2003) were both 
released in 1947. But unlike West and Irving, 
Hobson and Peck made significant contribu-
tions to the fight against everyday antisemi-
tism.
Hobson, nee Laura Kean Zametkin, was the 
daughter of Russian Jewish immigrants. Her 
novel, Gentleman’s Agreement, was first pub-
lished as a serial in the magazine Cosmopolitan
in 1946 and released as a book in April 1947. 
It sold 100,000 copies in the first month and 
became a bestseller.
The protagonist in her novel is a New 
York magazine writer, who is asked to write 
about antisemitism. He reluctantly takes the 
assignment, but after a moment of inspiration, 
decides to pretend to be Jewish in order to 
personally experience antisemitism. He soon 
gains a first-hand knowledge of everyday 
antisemitism, both subtle and blatant, in post-
war America.
The movie Gentleman’s Agreement was 
released in November 1947. Now generally rec-
ognized as the best post-World War II film to 
deal with antisemitism, the movie was critically 
acclaimed and a huge success at the box office. 
It was nominated for eight Oscars and won 
three, including Best Film and Best Director 
(Elia Kazan).

Regardless of some tepid critiques 
of the movie years later, its enor-
mous impact on the film industry 
and audiences cannot be denied.
I decided to research the impact 
of Gentleman’s Agreement upon the 
local community in the William 
Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish 
Detroit History. I found 113 men-
tions. Along with references to the 
book and movie, there are also 
some citations of generic “gentle-
man’s agreements,” or unwritten 
non-legally binding yet honored 
deals between nations or people, but many 
pages hold relevant reports about the book and 
movie themselves.
Shortly after the book was released, it was a 
topic of discussion around town. Rabbi Leon 
Fram of Temple Israel discussed the book at 
the Detroit Institute of Arts (May 2, 1947, JN). 
The Golda Myerson group of Detroit Pioneer 
Women reviewed the book in October 1947 
(Oct. 24, 1947).
Gentleman’s Agreement also generated 
controversy. A JN editorial, “Spanish Justice,” 
addressed the Spanish Film Censorship Board’s 
banning of the movie (Oct. 15, 1948, JN). The 
DeWitt High School in New York banned the 
book because “it is offensive to the Roman 
Catholic Church (Feb. 20, 1948, JN).”
There are other reports of book and movie 
discussions, as well as references to the movie’s 
inclusion on lists of best-ever movies. For the 
best read on the subject, see the story in the 
Oct. 18, 1997, issue of the JN: “The Golden 
Anniversary of a Groundbreaking Film.”
It appears that our 
local Jewish community 
recognized the 
importance of Gentleman’s 
Agreement. It was indeed 
pathbreaking. 

Want to learn more? Go to 
the DJN Foundation archives, 
available for free at www.
djnfoundation.org.

Mike Smith
Alene and 
Graham Landau 
Archivist Chair

Anniversary of a Groundbreaking Film.”

Gentleman’s 

A Ground-Breaking Film 

Regardless of some tepid critiques 

I decided to research the impact 

upon the 

Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish 

tions. Along with references to the 

deals between nations or people, but many 

