A “Gentleman’s Agreement” Exposed: Unmasking the Polite Facade of American Anti-Semitism

Gentleman’s Agreement (1947) is a groundbreaking social drama that follows Philip Schuyler Green (Gregory Peck), a distinguished, widowed journalist who relocates to New York City with his young son and mother after accepting a high-profile assignment from a prestigious magazine. The publication’s liberal editor tasks Green with writing an in-depth, undercover exposé on anti-Semitism in America. Initially struggling to find a fresh, impactful angle on a subject many citizens comfortably ignore, Green realizes that the only way to truly understand the depth of this prejudice is to experience it firsthand. He decides to adopt a Jewish identity, telling the world that his real name is Phil Greenberg.

The core of the film explores the swift and jarring shift in how society treats him. Almost immediately, Green is subjected to a spectrum of bigotry that ranges from overt, hostile discrimination to subtle, insidious social snubbing. He is abruptly turned away from exclusive resorts, condescended to by doctors, and frozen out of elite social circles. More painfully, his social experiment strains his burgeoning romance with Kathy Lacey (Dorothy McGuire), the progressive woman who originally suggested the magazine article, as her own deeply ingrained, passive prejudices and fear of societal disapproval begin to surface. Through these tense interactions, Green uncovers the quiet hypocrisy of affluent, polite society.

Directed by Elia Kazan and adapted by Moss Hart from Laura Z. Hobson’s bestselling novel, the film acts as a powerful psychological study of institutionalized bigotry and the complicity of silence. The narrative shines a sharp light on the casual, everyday biases of ordinary people who look the other way to maintain their social standing. Gentleman's Agreement remains a definitive masterpiece of Golden Age cinema, brilliantly illustrating how unspoken societal contracts—the gentleman's agreements of the title—can perpetuate discrimination just as effectively as formal laws.

 

Elia Kazan (1909 – 2003) was an American director, producer, writer, and actor. He is one of the co-founders of the Actors Studio in 1947 with Robert Lewis and Cheryl Crawford. Kazan is also one of the most celebrated directors in theater and film. Kazan won two Best Director Academy Awards, in 1947 for Gentleman’s Agreement and 1954 for On the Waterfront, and a Lifetime Achievement Academy Award in 1998. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (1945) was Kazan’s feature film debut as a director.

Gregory Peck and Dean Stockwell

Gregory Peck (1916 – 2003) was a towering icon of Golden Age Hollywood, universally revered for his deep, resonant voice, commanding presence, and on-screen embodiment of moral integrity. After studying at UC Berkeley and honing his craft under Sanford Meisner in New York, Peck burst onto the cinematic scene, earning a Best Actor Academy Award nomination for his second film, The Keys of the Kingdom (1944). Fiercely independent, he bucked the studio system by refusing exclusive contracts, allowing him to seamlessly traverse genres in masterpieces like Alfred Hitchcock’s Spellbound (1945), Elia Kazan’s Gentleman’s Agreement (1947), and the romantic classic Roman Holiday (1953). His career reached its zenith with his Oscar-winning portrayal of the principled Southern lawyer Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)—a performance that came to define his legacy as Hollywood’s ultimate archetype of honor and decency. Beyond his acting, Peck was a passionate humanitarian and industry leader, serving as President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1969 before passing away peacefully at his Los Angeles home at the age of 87.

Dorothy McGuire (1916–2001) was a distinguished American actress who brought a rare, luminous sincerity and quiet intelligence to the screen during Hollywood’s Golden Age. Born in Omaha, Nebraska, where she cut her teeth acting alongside a young Henry Fonda at the local community playhouse, McGuire rocketed to stardom after winning the titular role in the 1941 Broadway smash Claudia—a performance so captivating that producer David O. Selznick brought her to Hollywood to recreate it for her 1943 film debut. Eschewing the traditional glamour-girl studio mold, she consistently chose deeply felt, complex roles, delivering back-to-back masterpieces in 1945 as the resilient mother in Elia Kazan’s A Tree Grows in Brooklyn and a mute domestic servant in the thriller The Spiral Staircase. Her artistic high point came with the groundbreaking social drama Gentleman’s Agreement (1947), in which her nuanced portrayal of a progressive woman confronting her own passive biases earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. In the 1950s and '60s, McGuire seamlessly transitioned into one of cinema's most beloved maternal figures, anchoring timeless Disney classics like Old Yeller (1957) and Swiss Family Robinson (1960), and portraying the Virgin Mary in the epic The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965). She continued to grace the stage and television in her later years, earning an Emmy nomination for Rich Man, Poor Man (1976), before passing away in 2001 at the age of 85, leaving a legacy defined by profound dignity and understated grace.

Dorothy McGuire and Gregory Peck

John Garfield (1913–1952), born Jacob Julius Garfinkle, was a fiercely talented American actor who revolutionized Hollywood screen acting by pioneering the gritty, raw, and rebellious working-class antihero. Raised in the rough neighborhoods of New York’s Lower East Side, he found his footing in the theater, eventually becoming a leading light of the politically conscious Group Theatre, where he mastered the immersive “Method” style of acting. He exploded into Hollywood with Warner Bros.’ Four Daughters (1938), earning an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor and instantly establishing his trademark persona: the cynical, streetwise outsider with a hidden vulnerability. Garfield became a definitive star of 1940s film noir, delivering electrifying performances as the doomed lover in The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946) and an uncompromising boxer in Body and Soul (1947), which earned him a Best Actor Oscar nomination. His intense, naturalistic style left an indelible blueprint for future legends like Marlon Brando, James Dean, and Montgomery Clift.

Gentleman’s Agreement trivia

• The production of Gentleman's Agreement faced immense resistance long before a single frame was shot, as several powerful, high-ranking Jewish studio executives in Hollywood actively pressured twentieth Century-Fox studio head Darryl F. Zanuck to shelve the project entirely out of fear that confronting anti-Semitism so directly on screen would provoke a public backlash and increase hostility.
• Director Elia Kazan deliberately weaponized the film's casting to make a point about the subtle nature of prejudice, specifically choosing the elegantly poised, patrician Dorothy McGuire to play Kathy Lacey so audiences could see that passive bias wasn't just held by loud extremists, but also by cultured, polite, and well-meaning members of high society.
• To capture the genuine, unvarnished reactions of regular citizens for the undercover sequence, Gregory Peck and the crew utilized a hidden camera setup across the street from a real, highly exclusive resort in Connecticut, allowing them to capture authentic footage of the actor being turned away by a clerk who believed he was actually Jewish.
• Despite her character’s name and background being synonymous with the affluent, old-money elite of Connecticut, actress Dorothy McGuire was actually heavily pregnant during the final weeks of filming, forcing director Elia Kazan and the cinematography team to utilize creative camera angles, oversized coats, and carefully placed foreground props to completely hide her growing maternity from the audience.

Click HERE to watch the movie on the Internet Archive.

Click HERE to join the online discussion on Monday, June 1, 2026, at 6:30 p.m. Central Time. Once you RSVP, you will receive an invitation with a link to join the discussion on Zoom.

 

Discussion questions

1. How does Phil Green’s decision to mask his own identity to uncover prejudice highlight the difference between intellectual empathy and lived experience? Think about whether a reporter can ever truly capture the systemic weight of bigotry if they have an escape hatch that allows them to return to privilege at any moment.
2. The film sharply critiques “polite” society and passive bystanders who claim they aren’t prejudiced but remain silent to maintain social harmony. Looking at characters like Kathy, what does the movie suggest about the moral responsibility of liberals who oppose bigotry in theory but tolerate it in their everyday social circles?
3. Dave Goldman serves as a crucial point of contrast to Phil because his experience with antisemitism isn't a temporary assignment—it is his reality. How does Dave’s perspective challenge or deepen Phil’s idealistic, almost naive approach to fighting discrimination, especially regarding the psychological toll it takes?
4. When we look at the ending, does the film offer a truly hopeful resolution, or does it leave us with a sense that the systemic and structural roots of prejudice remain largely untouched? Consider how the story balances individual moral awakening with the institutional barriers—like restricted housing and exclusive clubs—that defined the era.

 

 

Richard Widmark, Paul Douglas, and Barbara Bel Geddes star in Elia Kazan’s “Panic in the Streets”

Panic in the Streets (1950) is an American film noir directed by Elia Kazan and starring Richard Widmark, Paul Douglas, and Barbara Bel Geddes. The film expertly blends elements of crime thriller and medical drama. Set in the gritty, bustling port of New Orleans, the story begins when a mysterious man is found dead with a lethal, highly contagious plague. Dr. Clint Reed, a dedicated and tenacious Public Health Service officer, is tasked with identifying the victim and finding anyone he may have infected. He’s given a mere 48 hours to prevent a city-wide epidemic, a ticking clock that intensifies the film's suspense. Despite his medical authority, Dr. Reed faces skepticism and outright hostility from the police and the city’s underbelly, who are more concerned with their criminal activities than public health.

The film’s tension escalates as Dr. Reed, with the reluctant help of police Captain Warren, delves into the city's seedy criminal world to find the two men who were with the victim before he died. They navigate through a labyrinth of dock workers, shady characters, and back-alley dealings. The main antagonists, a cruel and paranoid gangster named Blackie and his dim-witted accomplice, find themselves on the run, oblivious to the fact that they are carriers of the deadly disease. Their desperation and fear, combined with Dr. Reed’s frantic search, create a thrilling and nail-biting chase through the city.

Panic in the Streets stands out for its realistic, on-location shooting in New Orleans, which lends an authentic, documentary-like feel to the film. Its blend of a high-stakes medical mystery with the classic noir aesthetic makes it a compelling and timeless thriller.

 

Elia Kazan (1909 – 2003) was an American director, producer, writer, and actor. He is one of the co-founders of the Actors Studio in 1947 with Robert Lewis and Cheryl Crawford. Kazan is also one of the most celebrated directors of the theater and movies. Kazan won two Best Director Academy Awards, in 1947 for Gentleman’s Agreement and 1954 for On the Waterfront, and a Lifetime Achievement Academy Award in 1998. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (1945) was Kazan’s feature film debut as a director.

Richard Widmark (1914- 2008) had a sensational movie debut playing the crazy villain Tommy Udo in director Henry Hathaway’s Kiss of Death (1947). His performance won him a Golden Globe Award for New Star Of The Year – Actor. He was also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance as Udo. Widmark was under contract to Twentieth Century-Fox, where he played mostly villains. Later in his career, he started playing more heroic roles in films like Slattery’s Hurricane and Down to the Sea in Ships (both 1949).

Paul Douglas (1907 – 1959) was an American actor. Douglas starred on Broadway and in film. He is mostly known for his comedic performances in films like It Happens Every Spring (1949), Angels in the Outfield (1951), and Never Wave at a WAC (1953). Other Douglas films include A Letter to Three Wives (1949), The Big Lift (1950), Love That Brute (1951), and Clash by Night (1952). Douglas was set to play the role of Mr. Sheldrake in The Apartment (1960), but died of a heart attack right before production was to start. He was replaced by Fred MacMurray.

Barbara Bel Geddes (1922 – 2005) was an American stage and screen actress. She starred as Maggie in the original Broadway production of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1955). She played Irene Dunne’s daughter in I Remember Mama (1948), and was Midge, James Stewart’s on-again-off-again girlfriend in Vertigo (1958). Bel Geddes also worked on television during the 1950s and 1960s. In 1978, she starred as Miss Ellie Ewing Farlow on Dallas (1978 – 1990), the role for which she is most famous.

 

Panic in the Streets trivia

• The feature film debut of Jack Palance.
• The on-location filming in New Orleans impacted the film’s success at the box office.
• According to a press report in 1949, Dana Andrews and Linda Darnell were originally cast in the film.
• Director Elia Kazan has a cameo as a mortuary assistant.
• Won an Academy Award for Best Writing, Motion Picture Story (1951).

 

Click HERE to join the online discussion on September 22, 2025, at 6:30 p.m. Central Time. Once you RSVP, you’ll receive an invitation with a link to join the discussion on Zoom.

Click HERE to watch the movie on the Internet Archive.

 

Richard Widmark and Paul Douglas

Discussion questions

1. The Role of Public Health and Law Enforcement: How does the film portray the dynamic and often conflicting relationship between Dr. Reed, representing public health, and Captain Warren, representing law enforcement? In a real-world scenario, what are the ethical and practical challenges of this collaboration, especially when a crisis requires them to work together?
2. Fear, Panic, and the Public: The film’s title, Panic in the Streets, points to a central theme. How do the various characters—from the criminals to the ordinary citizens—react to the threat of a plague? What does the film suggest about the human response to an unseen danger and the role of fear in a public crisis?
3. Filming Location and Atmosphere: Elia Kazan chose to film on location in the gritty, real-life streets of New Orleans. How does this decision impact the film’s tone and sense of urgency compared to if it had been shot on a soundstage? What specific elements of the city’s environment contribute to the film’s noir aesthetic and overall atmosphere?
4. Moral Responsibility vs. Self-Preservation: The film features characters who are either unaware of or choose to ignore the public health threat for their own benefit. What is the film’s commentary on individual moral responsibility versus the instinct for self-preservation? How do the actions of the film’s antagonists, Blackie and his accomplice, serve as a cautionary tale about the consequences of prioritizing personal gain over the collective good?
5. Moral Responsibility vs. Self-Preservation: The film features characters who are either unaware of or choose to ignore the public health threat for their own benefit. What is the film's commentary on individual moral responsibility versus the instinct for self-preservation? How do the actions of the film's antagonists, Blackie and his accomplice, serve as a cautionary tale about the consequences of prioritizing personal gain over the collective good?

Dana Andrews leads the cast of "Boomerang!"

Boomerang! (1947) is based on a true crime. A minister is murdered in a small town in Connecticut and John Waldron (Arthur Kennedy), a young drifter, is arrested and charged with the crime.

Arthur Kennedy and Dana Andrews

The prosecuting attorney Henry Harvey (Dana Andrews) is under pressure from local politicians to convict Waldron. The evidence points toward Waldron’s guilt, but Harvey has his doubts. Directed in a semidocumentary style by Elia Kazan, the movie features an impressive supporting cast that includes Jane Wyatt, Lee J. Cobb, Karl Malden, and Sam Levine.

Elia Kazan (1909 – 2003) was an American director, producer, writer, and actor. He is one of the co-founders of the Actors Studio in 1947 with Robert Lewis and Cheryl Crawford. Kazan is also one of the most celebrated directors of the theater and movies. Kazan won two Best Director Academy Awards-1947 for Gentleman’s Agreement and 1954 for On the Waterfront—a Lifetime Achievement Academy Award in 1998. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (1945) was Kazan’s feature film debut as a director.

Dana Andrews (1909 – 1992) was an American stage, film, and television actor. During the 1940s, Andrews was a major star and leading man starring in Laura (1944), State Fair (1945), A Walk in the Sun (1945), The Best Years of Our Lives (1946), Canyon Passage (1946), Boomerang! (1947), and Daisy Kenyon (1947), the latter co-starring Joan Crawford and Henry Fonda. During the 1950s, film roles were harder to come by, but he had success in Elephant Walk (1954) co-starring Elizabeth Taylor and Peter Finch, While the City Sleeps (1956), and Curse of the Demon (1957). In 1958 he replaced Henry Fonda on Broadway in Two for the Seesaw. Andrews worked a lot on television guest-starring on shows like The Twilight Zone, Checkmate, The Barbara Stanwyck Show, Ben Casey, The Love Boat, Ironside, and Falcon Crest. He also starred in the daytime soap opera Bright Promise (1969 - 1971).

Boomerang! trivia

• Boomerang! was Kazan's fourth feature film.
• Ed Begley's film debut.
• After Lee J. Cobb and Arthur Kennedy appeared in Boomerang!, Kazan cast them both in Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman.
• Speaking of Arthur Miller, he has a cameo as one of the men in the police lineup.
• First of four films, Kazan directed Karl Malden.
• Walter Huston, Fredric March, and Joseph Cotten were considered for the role of Henry Harvey. John Payne was also considered for the role at one time.
• First of two films starring Dana Andrews where the plot concerns the murder of a priest. The second is Edge of Doom (1950).

Click HERE to watch the film on the Internet Archive.

Click HERE to join the online discussion on August 26, 2014, at 6:30 p.m. Central Time. Once you RSVP, you will receive an invitation with a link to join us on Zoom.

Discussion questions

1. Did the film shot on location add authenticity to the narrative?
2. What did you think about the politics of the film? Did it seem realistic? 
3. The film has an impressive cast, but the film rests primarily on the shoulders of Dana Andrews's character. Was he successful in the role of Henry Harvey?
4. Why do you think there was a rush to judgment in convicting the Arthur Kennedy character?
5. As mentioned, the supporting cast is impressive; did anyone stand out to you?

 

Betty Smith’s “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn” glows on the screen

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (1945) is an American drama directed by Elia Kazan and starring Dorothy McGuire, Joan Blondell, James Dunn, Lloyd Nolan, Ted Donaldson, and Peggy Ann Garner as Francie. The film is based on the best-selling novel by Betty Smith.

James Dunn and Peggy Ann Garner

The film centers around an impoverished Irish-American family living in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, New York. The film’s main focus is on 13-year-old Francie Nolan (Garner) who dreams of a life away from her drab existence and her desire to improve herself through reading all the books in her local library.

Francie’s parents Katie (McGuire) and Johnny (James Dunn) are struggling to make ends meet and raise their children. Johnny is a singing waiter who struggles with alcoholism which is a strain emotionally and financially on the family. Francie is especially affected because she loves her father dearly and yearns for a time when he won’t be “sick” anymore.

Lloyd Nolan, Joan Blondell, Ted Donaldson, Dorothy McGuire,
Peggy Ann Garner, and James Dunn

Elia Kazan (1909 – 2003) was an American director, producer, writer, and actor. He is one of the co-founders of the Actors Studio in 1947 with Robert Lewis and Cheryl Crawford. Kazan is also one of the most celebrated directors of the theater as well as the movies. Kazan won two Best Director Academy Awards-1947 for Gentleman’s Agreement and 1954 for On the Waterfront—as well as a Lifetime Achievement Academy Award in 1998. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn was Kazan’s feature film debut as a director.

Dorothy McGuire (1916 – 2001) was an American theater and film actress. McGuire developed an interest in acting at a young age. At 13, she made her stage debut in A Kiss for Cinderella in Omaha, Nebraska, her hometown. Henry Fonda, also from Omaha, was her costar. As an adult, she achieved fame on Broadway in Claudia (1941 to 1943). In 1943, she starred in the film version with Robert Young that was a huge success. She reunited with Young for The Enchanted Cottage (1945) and replaced Gene Tierney in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (1945). She was nominated for Best Actress in Gentleman’s Agreement (1947). Some of her other films include Three Coins in the Fountain (1954), Trial (1955), and Friendly Persuasion (1956). McGuire made several popular films for Walt Disney including Old Yeller (1957), Swiss Family Robinson (1960), and Summer Magic (1963).

Joan Blondell (1906 – 1979) was an American actress who was a top movie star during the 1930s and early 1940s. Later in her career, she became a popular character actress. Some of Blondell’s early films include The Public Enemy (1931), Gold Diggers of 1933, Dames (1934), and Stand-In (1937). Later in her career, she gave notable supporting performances in The Blue Veil (1951), The Cincinnati Kid (1965), Support Your Local Gunfighter (1971), and Grease (1978).

James Dunn (1901 – 1967) was an American stage, film, and television actor. He achieved his greatest success early in his career when he signed a contract with Fox. In 1934, Dunn co-starred with Shirley Temple in three films, the most famous of which is probably Bright Eyes. Dunn broke his contract with Fox before it expired and worked as a freelance artist without much success. Like his character Johnny in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Dunn had a drinking problem which impacted his acting career. For his role as the alcoholic father in that film, Dunn won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.

Peggy Ann Garner (1932 – 1984) was an American child film actress who achieved great fame during the mid-1940s. Garner entered films at age six. By age twelve, she had reached her peak playing the role of Francie Nolan in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. For her performance in that film, Garner won an Academy Juvenile Award. Garner was memorable as the title character as a young girl in Jane Eyre (1943). After her success in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Garner had starring roles in Nob Hill (1945), Junior Miss (1945), and Home Sweet Homicide (1946). Soon thereafter, Garner was relegated to a supporting player, never able to successfully transition to adult roles. In spite of the lack of film roles, Garner had success on Broadway and appeared on popular television shows including Perry Mason, Combat!, Batman, The Big Valley, and Lou Grant.

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn trivia:

• 20th Century-Fox paid $55,000 dollars for the rights to Betty Smith’s novel before publication.
• Director Kazan and author Smith were classmates at Yale School of Drama.
• Alice Faye, Gene Tierney, Mary Anderson, and Jeanne Crain were all considered for the role of Katie Nolan. Tierney actually was set to play Katie but had to drop out due to pregnancy. Tierney and McGuire were best friends in real life.
• Fred MacMurray campaigned for the role of Johnny Nolan.
• Nicholas Ray is credited as dialogue director.

To watch the film on YouTube, click on the link below.

To join us on Zoom for a discussion on December 22, at 6:30 p.m. Central Time, click the link for details and invitation. When you RSVP you will receive an email and link to the discussion.

Questions for discussion:

1. What was your overall impression of the film?
2. Did any of you read the novel? How does the film compare?
3. Did Katie’s love for her husband get in the way of her ability to protect her family from the effects of his alcoholism?
4. Did Francie have a realistic view of her father?
5. How did you feel about the way the film concluded?

Screening of "Boomerang!" at Daystar Center October 13

Boomerang! (1947)

Where: Daystar Center, 1550 S. State Street, Room 102

When: October 13, 2018

Time: 6:45 p.m

Hosted by Stephen Reginald

Boomerang! (1947) is based on a true crime. A minister is murdered in a small town in Connecticut and John Waldron (Arthur Kennedy), a young drifter, is arrested and charged with the crime.

The prosecuting attorney Henry Harvey (Dana Andrews) is under pressure from local politicians to convict Waldron. The evidence points toward Waldrons’ guilt, but Harvey has his doubts. Directed in a semidocumentary-style by Elia Kazan, the movie features an impressive supporting cast that includes Jane Wyatt, Lee J. Cobb, Karl Malden, and Sam Levine.

General Admission: $5, Students and Senior Citizens: $3.

Join the Chicago Film club; join the discussion

Twice a month we screen classic films and have a brief discussion afterward. For more information, including how to join (it’s free), click here. The Venue 1550 is easily accessible by the CTA. Please visit Transit Chicago for more information on transportation options.

Stephen Reginald is a freelance writer and editor. He has worked at various positions within the publishing industry for over 25 years. Most recently he was executive editor for McGraw-Hill’s The Learning Group Division. A long-time amateur student of film, Reginald hosts “Chicago Film Club,” a monthly movie event held in the South Loop, for the past two years. Reginald has also taught several adult education film classes at Facets Film School, Chicago.

2016 #TCMFF: The Festival Begins

The air temperature during this year’s Turner Classic Movies Film Festival may have been cool, but there was plenty of warmth in the air when classic movie fans gathered at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel Thursday afternoon. Meeting fellow movie bloggers and other social media friends was like a high school reunion. And just like a high school reunion, we all picked up where we left off at last year’s fest.

While we were all catching up at the Roosevelt Hotel, we had the pleasure of meeting Monika Henreid, actor Paul Henreid’s daughter. I spent a few pleasant moments chatting with her and sharing one of my favorites of her father’s films, Devotion (1946). Monika is preparing a documentary about her famous dad, Paul Henreid…Beyond Victor Laszlo. The 90-minute documentary and companion book are set for a 2017 release.

Thursday’s film choices were easy ones for me: A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (1945) and Brief Encounter (1945). It’s been over 25 years since I saw A Tree Grows in Brooklyn and I’d never seen Brief Encounter before.

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Elia Kazan’s first directorial effort, was beautifully restored. Ted Donaldson who played Neely in the film introduced it. His recollections of the film’s production and the other cast members was enlightening and entertaining. He also told a funny story about Joan Blondell who he had a crush on.

Brief Encounter was completely new to me, although I was familiar with its reputation as one of the great films to come out of Britain during the 1940s. Beautifully directed by David Lean, Brief Encounter was a simple love story set in Britain as WWII was winding down. It has wonderful performances from Celia Johnson (a Best Actress nominee) and Trevor Howard. I was glad I finally saw it and on the big screen too!

Last year the festival was almost a month earlier and it was hot! This year, figuring it would be the same, I packed mostly shorts and t-shirts. I even brought a bathing suit to go swimming. The temperature barely reached the 50s and this Chicago boy was freezing most of the time. I ended up wearing the jeans and hoodie I wore to the airport the entire time. It was the same hoodie I brought last year, that I only wore in the theaters which seemed to get colder the longer the movie ran. Tip: If you go to the festival, bring a sweater or a hoodie because the theaters do get chilly. This year I watched several movies with my hood on.

Jean Arthur, Joel McCrea and Charles Coburn in The More The Merrier

I had a good idea what I wanted to see this year, but Monday morning’s screenings were all good. I wanted to see The More the Merrier (1943), Shanghai Express (1932), and Love Me Or Leave Me (1955), all starting at roughly the same time. But I had a strategy. Check back later to see if my strategy worked!

2016 #TCMFF: The First Full Day
2016 #TCMFF: Saturday, The Second Full Day
2016 #TCMFF: Sunday, The Third Full (and Last) Day

Chicago Film Club field trip: “On the Waterfront” April 24 at ShowPlace ICON at Roosevelt Road

Where: ShowPlace ICON, 150 W Roosevelt Road, Chicago, IL 60605

When: April 24

Time: 2:00 p.m. 
Hosted by Stephen Reginald
Run Time: 2 hours (approximate)

Ticketing: Tickets are available by clicking here. If online ticketing is not available for your location, you can purchase your tickets by visiting the box office at your local participating cinema or check back often as updates are being made daily.

Special Fathom Feature: Go behind the scenes with exclusive commentary from Turner Classic Movies host Ben Mankiewicz that will illustrate how this movie, which was filmed in only 36 days, made such a long-lasting cultural impact.

“You don’t understand! I coulda had class. I coulda been a contender. I could’ve been somebody, instead of a bum, which is what I am.” Watch Marlon Brando deliver those famous lines on the big screen when Fathom Events, Turner Classic Movies and Sony Pictures Entertainment bring On the Waterfront (1954) back to select cinemas nationwide for a special two-day event on Sunday, April 24 and Wednesday, April 27.

Karl Malden, Marlon Brando, and Eva Marie Saint

Marlon Brando stars as Terry Malloy, a washed up prizefighter who, through the influence of his brother, Charley (Rod Steiger), a lawyer for a corrupt waterfront union, is employed as an errand boy for the mob. After luring a fellow dockworker and friend to his death to keep him from testifying against labor boss Johnny Friendly (Lee J. Cobb), the appeals of the dead man's sister (Eva Marie Saint) and a crusading priest (Karl Malden) awaken Terry’s guilty conscience and love prompts Terry to seek redemption.

Do not miss the opportunity to see this classic, winner of eight Academy Awards® including Best Picture in 1954, as it was meant to be seen – on the big screen.

If you come they’ll be stinkin’ badges.

Classic Films in Context: “Pinky” 1949

In 1947, producer Darryl F. Zanuck tackled the subject of anti-semitism with Gentlemen’s Agreement. The movie, directed by Elia Kazan, won the Academy Award for Best Picture of the Year. In 1949, Zanuck produced the first Hollywood film to address racial prejudice. The movie was Pinky. When viewed today, it seems dated and filled with stereotypes, but for its time, it was groundbreaking cinema.

Made when Jim Crow laws ruled the South, Pinky tells the tale of a young, light-skinned black women who passes for white. Patricia “Pinky” Johnson (Jeanne Crain) leaves her home in Mississippi to be educated as a nurse up North. On the train ride to college, the ticket-taker assumes she is white and she doesn’t correct him. So begins her deception. While in nursing school, she meets a young doctor (William Lundigan) who falls in love with her. Fearing her secret will be discovered, she returns home to the grandmother who raised her. Up North she was treated with dignity and respect. Down South, she’s treated with cruelty and suspicion. Dicey Johnson (Ethel Waters), Pinky’s illiterate grandmother, worked as a laundress to send Pinky to nursing school. She hoped her granddaughter would return home and help her own people. But Pinky wants no part of this. She’s had a taste of a better life.

Jeanne Crain and Ethel Waters

Reportedly Lena Horne and Dorothy Dandridge campaigned for the lead. It’s hard to know if Zanuck seriously considered either of these actresses (Linda Darnell also wanted the role). One can only imagine how the audience would have reacted to seeing a black actress holding hands with a white man, let alone kissing him. There is a telling scene towards the end of the film. Pinky is in the midst of a court battle. She’s trying to hold onto property willed to her by Miss Em (Ethel Barrymore), an elderly white woman who became fond of Pinky, while in her care. In the packed courtroom, Pinky’s white boyfriend touches her. As he does this, she stops in her tracks, a look of terror on her face. Viewers today might not understand that in the deep South of the 1940s, that slight physical contact was enough to get the two of them lynched.

Zanuck was criticized for casting Crain, a white actress as Pinky, but he was convinced that audiences would identify with Crain. Zanuck hypothesized that they would experience racial prejudice through Crain’s characterization. Apparently, Zanuck was correct. In Bosley Crowther’s September 30, 1949 review of the film in The New York Times, the sometimes-acerbic critic said, “By giving a winning personality to the much-abused girl Jeanne Crain successfully channels resentment against these bitter experiences to you.”

A pivotal scene between Crain and Ethel Barrymore

Besides the film’s focus on the evils of racism, it has a universal appeal. There is an underlying theme that you need to be true to yourself, something that Pinky’s character struggles with throughout the film. She could have had an easier life if she married her doctor boyfriend, moved up North, and never revealed her background (which was his plan for the two of them). When she finally embraces the fact that she is black, she is truly free. She establishes “Miss Em’s Clinic and Nursery School,” on the property the old woman left her, thus fulfilling the dreams of her grandmother.

Pinky was a huge box office success, one of the biggest of the year in fact. All three actresses received Academy Award nominations. Crain was nominated in the Best Actress in a Leading Role category, while Ethel Barrymore and Ethel Waters competed against each other in the Best Actress in a Supporting Role category. All three were shutout. Crain lost to Olivia de Haviland (The Heiress), Ethels Barrymore and Waters lost to Mercedes McCambridge (All The King’s Men).

Pinky, not that well remembered, even by classic movie fans, proved that a movie tackling a subject like racism could be a commercial success. The 1950s would produce a flood of “message” pictures like No Way Out (1950) and The Defiant Ones (1958), but if it weren’t for Pinky, those films might never have been made.

Jeanne Crain: More Than Just a Pretty Face

A Fan's Perspective
I’m an unabashed fan of Jeanne Crain. Today is her birthday; if she were still with us, she’d be 86 years old. Crain was a beauty for sure, but she was also a talented movie actress who doesn’t get the credit she deserves. On screen she had a unique quality. Film fans loved her. During the war years, her fan mail was second only to Betty Grable's.

A studio photograph of Jeanne Crain

Home at Twentieth Century Fox
Signed to an exclusive contract with Twentieth Century Fox in 1943, Crain went through the star making machine. Cast in small roles at first alongside bigger stars, Crain made Home in Indiana and In the Meantime Darling in 1944. A hit with the public from the start, Crain received her best critical notices that same year in Winged Victory. But bigger roles and greater fame were on the horizon.

From Second Lead to Major Star
In 1945, Crain starred as Margy Frake in the hit musical, State Fair opposite Dana Andrews. That same year she played Gene Tierney’s stepsister in the box office blockbuster, Leave Her to Heaven. The film was a triumph for Tierney, earning her a best actress nod, but Crain had the film’s final closeup, beautifully photographed in Technicolor by none other than Academy Award winning cinematographer, Leon Shamroy. Next up for Crain was another musical, Centennial Summer (1946). Fox’s answer to M-G-M’s Meet Me in St. Louis, featured original music by Jerome Kern. But it would be her next film that would make her a household name and pop culture icon.

Crain made the cover of Life in 1946.

Historic Bubble Bath
With hers the only name above the title in Margie (1946), studio chief Darryl Zanuck propelled Crain to movie superstardom. As Margie MacDuff, a shy high school student during the roaring twenties, Crain was pitch-perfect. Noting Crain’s increasing popularity, Life magazine did a feature on the young actress, calling her “…one of Hollywood’s most talented young stars.” The feature goes on about the movie magic required to film a bubble bath scene that required “…a specially designed machine which could blow 250 [bubbles] per second out of a mixture of soap and glycerine…the small army of technicians present agreed that this was a scrubbing sensational enough to make Claudette Colbert’s historic 1932 milk bath in The Sign of the Cross look like Saturday night along Tobacco Road.” They don’t write publicity pieces like that anymore!

William Holden, Crain, and Edmund Gwen starred in the classic Apartment for Peggy.

Neglected Classic
In 1948, Crain starred in Apartment for Peggy with William Holden and recent Academy Award winner, Edmund Gwen. One of the neglected post-World War II films, Apartment for Peggy explores the housing shortage veterans encountered, among other issues, upon returning home. Directed by George Seaton (Miracle on 34th Street), Crain received some of her best reviews ever. The New York Times’s Bosley Crowther had this to say about the film: “It is the true demonstration of a GI student, which William Holden plays, and, especially, the vivid characterization, by Jeanne Crain, of his wife… Anyone who doesn't see it will be missing one of the best comedies of the year.”

Crain received her one and only Best Actress nomination for Pinky.

One Amazing Year!
On a winning streak and with world-wide popularity, Crain made three successful films released in 1949: A Letter to Three Wives, directed by Joseph Mankiewicz, The Fan, directed by Otto Preminger, and Pinky, directed by Elia Kazan. The latter earned Crain her one and only Best Actress Academy Award nomination, playing a light-skinned black woman passing for white. The controversial movie was the top grossing film of the year. All this success brought Crain to Grauman’s Chinese Theatre and the honor of immortalizing her hands and footprints in cement.

Crain's hands and footprints at Grauman's Chinese Theatre

 

Pregnant Pauses
Other successes followed Crain into the 1950s, but the actress was growing tired of playing teenagers when she was in real life a wife and mother. Seemingly forever pregnant, Crain missed out on several top roles Zanuck had lined up for her. Supposedly, he “punished” Crain by casting her in some B-pictures that did nothing to move her career forward. Frustrated, Crain bought out her contract and left Fox where she had been a major star for 10 years. Unfortunately, Crain’s freelance work never equaled the success she attained at her former studio. The movie business was changing and the studios were dropping major stars and hiring new (and cheaper) talent.

One of Crain's last films for Fox

Enduring Popularity
Crain’s film career pretty much ended in the early-1960s, but her popularity with movie fans continued until her death in 2003. Liked and admired by her costars as well as the public, Crain left a tremendous body of film work that is a testament to both her talent and radiant beauty.

Goodbye, Patricia Neal

Patricia Neal, movie star

Academy-Award winning actress Patricia Neal died yesterday at her home in Martha's Vineyard. She was 84 years old and succumbed to lung cancer.

Kentucky Born and Tennessee Raised
Neal was born in Packard, Kentucky in 1926, but raised in Knoxville, Tennessee. As an adult, she studied acting at Northwestern University (B.S. 1947). While still a student, Neal stared on Broadway in Lillian Hellman's Another Part of the Forest. For her role as Regina Hubbard, Neal won a Tony for Best Featured Actress. The Tony Award and rave notices, not to mention her stunning good looks, brought Neal to the attention of Hollywood.

Hollywood Comes a Calling

Gary Cooper and Neal in The Fountainhead

Signed to a contract with Warner Bros., Neal starred opposite future president Ronald Reagan in John Loves Mary (1949). She made another film that year with Reagan (The Hasty Heart), but it was the over-the-top film version of Ayn Rand's bestselling novel, The Fountainhead, that received all the attention. Although not a critical or commercial success, the chemistry between Neal and costar Gary Cooper kept the pages of movie fan magazines burning for several years. In reality, Neal and Cooper had a very torrid love affair that almost destroyed Cooper's marriage and Neal's sanity. When the relationship collapsed, Neal suffered a nervous breakdown and abandoned Hollywood for Broadway. Ironically, she starred in another Helman play, a revival of The Children's Hour. During its run, Hellman introduced Neal to children's author Roald Dahl. The two were married in 1953.

The Play's the Thing
During the late 1950s, Neal devoted herself almost entirely to working on the stage, appearing in only one film: Elia Kazan's A Face in the Crowd (1957), costarring Andy Griffith. Film fans would have to wait until Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961) to see Neal on the big screen again.

Oscar Winner

Neal won a Best Actress Oscar for her role in Hud.

During the early sixties, the leading-lady roles Neal was used to playing all but dried up. After a series of personal tragedies sidelined her from the screen, Neal played a worn-out housekeeper in Martin Ritt's Hud (1963) costarring Paul Newman in the title role. For what many considered a supporting role, Neal won an Oscar as the best actress of the year. Major film roles started coming Neal's way again including Otto Preminger's big-budget World War II classic In Harm's Way (1965). In a cast of many Hollywood notables, Neal received third billing behind John Wayne and Kirk Douglas.

Tragedy and Triumph

Jack Albertson and Neal in The Subject is Roses

Pregnant with her fifth child in 1965, Neal suffered a number of strokes that nearly killed her. After emergency brain surgery and several weeks in a coma, Neal found herself confined to a wheelchair. Neal's husband helped her with her physical therapy and within two years, she had learned to walk and speak again. So remarkable was her recovery that she was offered the role of Mrs. Robinson in The Graduate (1967), but turned it down, thinking it was too soon for her to return to the screen. A year later, she took the lead role in The Subject Was Roses. It was a remarkable comeback; Neal was nominated once again for Best Actress. She lost the award to Barbra Streisand and Katharine Hepburn, who tied that year, but it was a personal and professional triumph for Neal. Although more major film roles didn't come her way, Neal consistently worked in movies and TV, including Flying By released in 2009.

Patricia Neal, star of stage and screen, is survived by four children (daughter Olivia preceded her in death) and seven grandchildren.