Tag Archives: Hollywood

Jews of the Week: The Warner Brothers

Few people know that the Warner Brothers that brought you hundreds of great films (such as The Dark Knight and The Matrix trilogies) and amazing television programs (Bugs Bunny and the Looney Tunes) were Jewish immigrants from Poland. Their names were Hirsch Moshe, Avraham, Shmuel and Yakov. Struggling to make a living, the family moved to the U.S., then to Canada, then back to the U.S., at which point the father of the brothers adopted the name Warner, changing it from Wonsal. The brothers worked in various odd jobs – bowling alleys, bicycle shops, meat salesmen – until they finally pooled their earnings and invested in a film projector. They would travel across small mining towns and put on film screenings. Once they saved enough money, they opened a proper theatre in Pennsylvania. It was such a success that they could soon afford to open more than a dozen other theatres.

During World War I, the brothers began experimenting with making their own films. In 1918, they officially opened Warner Brothers Studio in Hollywood, with their first popular film My Four Years in Germany. However, WB only made it big with their famous dog Rin Tin Tin, a German shepherd rescued by an American soldier. The dog became such a celebrity that WB signed Rin Tin Tin to star in films for $1000 per week – a great deal of money at the time. WB’s fame continued to rise, and by 1924 they were already the most successful independent studio in Hollywood. WB became a pioneer in motion pictures, and was the first studio to produce a “talking picture”, sparking the “talkie” revolution and changing the course of film. They would do this again in the 1930s, ushering in the “realistic” film period, as well as popularizing children’s cartoons. The success of Warner Brothers would continue to grow over the decades and their reach was extended to music (Warner Brothers Records), television (the WB Network) and even comic books (DC Entertainment). Thanks to the success of the Harry Potter films, WB became the first studio to gross over $2 billion domestically in just one year. They continue to produce hits and elevate film-making to new heights.

Words of the Week

“Who the heck wants to hear actors talk?”
– Hirsch “Harry” Warner, when first hearing of the talking picture.

Jew of the Week: Gertrude Berg

America’s Jewish Mother

Gertrude Berg as “America’s Jewish mother” Molly Goldberg

Tilly Edelstein (1898-1966) was born in Harlem, a grandaughter of Jewish-Russian immigrants from Poland. Her parents ran a boarding house, where Tilly grew up entertaining the guests on a regular basis (and where she met her husband Lewis Berg). In 1929, Tilly wrote a short and humourous radio skit about a Jewish family in New York (based loosely on her own family). NBC considered her manuscript, but the radio executive couldn’t understand her writing, so Berg acted it out for him. Not only did NBC pick up her show, but they made an agreement that she would be its lead actress. Thus was born The Rise of the Goldbergs, an instant hit that ran over 5000 episodes, all of which were hand-written by Berg herself. In 1948, it was adapted as a Broadway musical, and in 1949 to a television show called The Goldbergs, which many consider to be America’s first sit-com. It is also credited with stemming the tide of anti-Semitism in the U.S., and bridging the gap between Jews and Gentiles. Starting out with a salary of $75 per week, Gertrude was earning $2000 a week just two years later – at the height of the Great Depression! Berg was beloved across America, and would later star in many other movies and television shows, winning Emmy and Tony Awards along the way. She was also a noted songwriter and Hollywood screenwriter. Sadly, she passed away of a heart attack in the midst of filming her latest movie. The New York Times reported: “Gertrude Berg was a writer and actress who brought out the humanity, love and respect that people should have toward each other. Her contributions to American radio, television, films and stage will always be remembered…”

Words of the Week

Every Jew, man or woman, possesses enough moral and spiritual strength to influence friends and acquaintances, and bring them into the light.
– Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, The Lubavitcher Rebbe (Hayom Yom, Cheshvan 5)

Jew of the Week: Nora Ephron

Nora Ephron

Nora Ephron (1941-2012) was born in Manhattan to a family of writers. She became a journalist and worked as an intern in President Kennedy’s White House until joining Newsweek as a lowly “mail girl”. From there, she became a reporter, and also started writing humourous essays. By 1972, Ephron was among the most well-known humourists in America. She also happened to be married to Carl Bernstein, the journalist who exposed the Watergate scandal. After being asked for help rewriting the screenplay for the film All the President’s Men, Ephron moved into film-making. She went on to make such classics as When Harry Met Sally, Sleepless in Seatle and You’ve Got Mail. Her last film was the highly acclaimed Julie & Julia. Nominated for three Academy Awards, and winning countless others, Ephron also published books, wrote plays, and in her last years contributed a column for The Huffington Post. A symbol of feminism, she inspired a generation of women. Sadly, Nora Ephron passed away on Tuesday.

Words of the Week

One who does not see God everywhere does not see God anywhere.
– The Kotzker Rebbe