NFR Project: 'Gentleman's Agreement' (1947)

 

NFR Project: “Gentleman’s Agreement”

Dir: Elia Kazan

Scr: Moss Hart, Elia Kazan

Pho: Arthur C. Miller

Ed: Harmon Jones

Premiere: Nov. 11, 1947

118 min.

In the wake of the Holocaust, anti-Semitism was suddenly in the spotlight. Western civilization was appalled by the destruction of millions of Jewish lives in World War II – but it turns out that prejudice against Jews was still broad and pervasive, even in highly educated and affluent parts of society.

Such is the premise of Gentleman’s Agreement, a message film that wound up unexpectedly popular, and won the Oscar for Best Picture to boot. In it, Gregory Peck plays Phil Green, a writer for a New York magazine who comes up with an angle for a series of articles about anti-Semitism. He is to claim that he is Jewish – and he records the reactions of those around him to this news.

Green is a widower with a young son (Dean Stockwell), who lives with him and his mother (Anne Revere). He falls for a teacher, Kathy (Dorothy McGuire), but their upcoming wedding is derailed by the revelation that she is prejudiced as well. It turns out that even in high society, Jews are not welcome. Neighbors shun him, clubs ignore him, hotels refuse to serve him. His son is bullied by other kids, called a “kike.” Phil’s friend, returning veteran Dave Goldman (John Garfield), long accustomed to such treatment, commiserates with him over the state of affairs – and fights his own battle to find a house and get a job despite his Jewishness.

Moss Hart’s dialogue is pungent and to the point, and the film is studded with excellent performances, under the command of director Elia Kazan. Kazan won Best Director for his work here; Celeste Holm won Best Supporting Actress for her sensitive portrayal of Green’s supportive fellow worker.

The movie ends happily for all the characters involved, but it created terrible problems for some of its participants. After this film, Kazan, Revere, and Garfield were summoned to testify by the House Un-American Activities Committee, accused of being Communists. Kazan testified against his fellow filmmakers, earning the scorn of many for decades. Revere and Garfield refused to name names, and were blacklisted. The prejudice was still strong.

The NFR is one writer’s attempt to review all the films listed in the National Film Registry in chronological order. Next time: Miracle on 34^th Street.