This movie from 1947 uncovers the layers of anti-semitism, and all racism. Gregory Peck plays Phil Green a reporter who pretends to be Jewish in order to cover a story on anti-semitism. The result is he personally discovers the true depths of bigotry and hatred. The movie was directed by Elia Kazan and produced by Darryl F. Zanuck. It is one of the first post WW II movies to address social issues. The stars are Gregory Peck, Dorothy McGuire, John Garfield, and Celeste Holm.
Not only did the movie gain 8 Oscar nominations, winning 3 plus a slew of other nominations and wins with other organizations, it was also a commercial success even in the South. Because of this Darryl F. Zanuck and Elia Kazan had the last laugh. Most film studios wouldn’t touch it thinking the story was too controversial. It was added to the National Film Registry at the Library of Congress in 2017 and was listed on the American Film Registry list of 100 Best Movies in 1998. If those statistics don’t entice you to see the movie maybe this will, it contains wonderful lessons on how to be an anti-racist.
Celeste and I hope you’ll watch our analysis and then go watch the movie. Give us a like and even subscribe to our channel to find out how movies from the past not only reflect what was happening when it was made, but sometimes show us that we still struggle with the very issues the movie shines a light upon.
Why Lucinda wanted to Create This Channel
Stories are a huge part of the way humans communicate with each other. Celeste and I think all stories are allegories where we can learn all kinds of important things, not the least of which is how to understand ourselves and others better. The best stories can be told over and over from one generation to the next and still teach great lessons. Emotional Intelligence and critical thinking are two of those lessons. Celeste and I think there are many classic movies that show us the progression of where humanity is today and we want to share them with you.
Shakespeare was right, “All the world is a stage and all the men and women merely players.” The stories we tell and consume are us trying to figure out who we are, why we’re here, and the kind of world we want to live in.
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Sage Woman Chronicles 