Gentleman's Agreement
Produced and released in 1947 by 20th Century Fox, budget of $2 million, gross of $3.9 million, black and white 35mm negative, 1.37:1 screen ratio, mono sound, 118 mins., Laserdisc released 1991, DVD released 1999.
Production:
- Directed by Elia Kazan
- Screenplay by Moss Hart, revised by Elia Kazan, from the novel by Laura Z. Hobson
- Produced by Darryl F. Zanuck
- Original Music by Alfred Newman
- Cinematography by Arthur C. Miller
- Sound by Alfred Bruzlin, Roger Heman
Cast:
- Gregory Peck as Philip Schuyler 'Phil' Green
- Dorothy McGuire as Kathy Lacey, Minify's Niece
- John Garfield as Dave Goldman, Philip's Jewish Army Buddy
- Celeste Holm as Anne Dettrey, Smith's Weekly Fashion Editor
- Anne Revere as Mrs. Green
- June Havoc as Ethel Wales, an Alias of Estelle Walofsky, Philip's Secretary
- Albert Dekker as John Minify, Publisher of Smith's Weekly Magazine
- Jane Wyatt as Jane, Kathy's Sister
- Dean Stockwell as Tommy Green
- Nicholas Joy as Dr. Craigie
- Sam Jaffe as Professor Fred Lieberman
- Harold Vermilyea as Lou Jordan, the Personnel Manager of Smith's Weekly
- Ransom M. Sherman as Bill Payson, Smith's Weekly Art Editor
Notes:
"Though it has understandably lost some of its impact over the years, in its time Gentleman's Agreement was a daring treatment of an "unmentionable" subject. Adapted by Moss Hart from the novel by Laura Z. Hobson, the film stars Gregory Peck as recently widowed journalist Phil Green. With a growing son (Dean Stockwell) to support, Green is receptive to the invitation of magazine publisher John Minify (Albert Dekker) to write a series of hard-hitting articles on the scourge of anti-Semitism. In order to glean his information first hand, Green decides to pose as a Jew. As the weeks go by, Green experiences all manner of prejudice, the most insidious being the subtle, "gentleman's agreement" form of bigotry wherein anti-Jewish sentiments are merely taken for granted. Green's pose takes a toll on his budding romance with Minify's niece Kathy (Dorothy McGuire), who comes to realize by her own example that even those who insist that they harbor no anti-Semitic feelings are also capable of prejudice. Watching from the sidelines is Green's lifelong Jewish friend Dave (John Garfield, in what may be his best performance), who despite his inherent rage over the iniquities of racism has learned to be philosophical about the failings of his fellow man-but not to the extent that he's willing to give up the fight against blind hatred. Of the many memorable scenes, several stand out, including the now-famous vignette in which Dave is denied a room in a posh resort hotel by a smarmy desk clerk (Roy Roberts) who refuses to admit that his establishment has a no-Jews policy. Also worth noting is the performance of June Havoc as an "anti-Semitic Jew" who reveals that even Minify's publishing empire practices discrimination, and Celeste Holm as a glamorous socialite who harbors a barely concealed case of the hots for Phil Green. Though warned by several Jewish film moguls that to produce the film would merely "make trouble," 20th Century-Fox chieftan Daryl F. Zanuck (who was not himself Jewish) saw the project through to its conclusion. The wisdom of Zanuck's decision was proven when Gentleman's Agreement not only made a fortune for Fox, but also won three Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director (Elia Kazan) and Best Supporting Actress (Celeste Holm)."
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