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University of Nebraska at Omaha DigitalCommons@UNO Student Work 1-1-1998 Tolerance and antisemitism: Reflections of post-war America in the films "Crossfire" (1947), "Gentleman's Agreement" (1947) and "Oliver Twist" (1948) Susan Rips Paley University of Nebraska at Omaha Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.unomaha.edu/studentwork Recommended Citation Paley, Susan Rips, "Tolerance and antisemitism: Reflections of post-war America in the films "Crossfire" (1947), "Gentleman's Agreement" (1947) and "Oliver Twist" (1948)" (1998). Student Work. 450. https://digitalcommons.unomaha.edu/studentwork/450 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by DigitalCommons@UNO. It has been accepted for inclusion in Student Work by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@UNO. For more information, please contact [email protected]. TOLERANCE AND ANTISEMITISM: REFLECTIONS OF POST-WAR AMERICA IN THE FILMS CROSSFIRE (1947). GENTLEMAN'S AGREEMENT (1947) AND OLIVER TWIST (1948) A Thesis Presented to the Department of Communication and the Faculty of the Graduate College University of Nebraska In partial Fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Master of Arts University of Nebraska at Omaha by Susan Rips Paley Spring, 1998 UMI Number: EP73088 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. Dissertation Publishing UMI EP73088 Published by ProQuest LLC (2015). Copyright in the Dissertation held by the Author. Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 THESIS ACCEPTANCE Acceptance for the faculty of the Graduate College, University of Nebraska, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Master of Arts, University of Nebraska at Omaha. Committee Name Department/School Chairperson Date THESIS ABSTRACT This thesis explores conscious liberal tolerance attitudes in America after World War II. Its specific focus is antisemitism, and it utilizes Hollywood films Crossfire (1947), Gentleman's Agreement (1947) and the British Oliver Twist (1948) as the context for analysis. The origins of classical antisemitism are examined, as well as the history of antisemitism in England and America. American societal attitudes towards Jews are discussed and depictions of Jews in American films until 1947 are presented. The story and dialogue of each film is introduced, followed by the filmmakers' rationale for championing their films. Pre­ release objections and concerns are addressed, and post-war public opinions about tolerance attitudes and antisemitism, revealed through scientific testing, are presented, juxtaposed to the reality of Americans' social practices. Post-release results reveal that public opinion supported the wartime-into-peacetime message of unity and tolerance for all Americans, including Jews, but social practices did not mirror these opinions. Discrimination against Jews could be found in employment practices, restrictive housing covenants, entrance to colleges and medical schools, and restricted clubs and vacation resorts. Crossfire verified that baseless hatred of Jews still existed. Gentleman's Agreement boldly exposed social bigotry across the societal spectrum, promoting the wartime unity message that prejudice and intolerance are blatantly un-American. Oliver Twist validated the difference between American and British post-war attitudes toward Jews, confirming historical differences about endemic antisemitism. It also revealed the conflict between upholding the First Amendment and fighting bigotry. The year 1947 proved to be a watershed year for American confrontation with enduring antisemitic attitudes, and for expression of conscious liberal attitudes engendered by the war. However, at precisely the same time, the House Un- American Activities Committee was actively engaged in ferreting out the "Jewish subversives" in Hollywood, convinced of the age-old anti-Jewish stereotype of a secret parliament of Jews, whose express purpose was the domination of the world. Alec Guinness' antisemitic portrayal of Fagin, and director David Lean's failure to understand the historical context in which he was working, verify the existence of unconscious antisemitic attitudes in Britain, despite the historical reality of the Holocaust. The historical conclusion is that malignant, atavistic antisemitism lived on, in spite of post-war American tolerance attitudes and Hollywood's valiant attempts to promote the conscious liberal philosophy. 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS PROLOGUE.................................................... 4 CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTIONS JEWS. ANTISEMITISM AND THE AMERICAN DREAM............... 5 RATIONALE.............................................. 8 STATEMENT OF PURPOSE................................. 10 METHODOLOGY........................................... 11 CHAPTER 2 THE ORIGIN AND EVOLUTION OF ANTISEMITISM: ANTIQUITY TO AMERICA........................ 13 ORIGINS OF CLASSICAL ANTISEMITISM.................... 13 AMERICAN ANTISEMITISM 1654-1900..................... 16 AMERICAN ANTISEMITISM 1900-1945..................... 21 CHAPTER 3 AMERICAN SOCIETAL ATTITUDES ABOUT JEWS.........27 HISTORICAL BACKGROUND................................ 27 PUBLIC OPINION DURING THE 1920S-1930S................ 30 ANTISEMITIC ATTITUDES IN THE 1940S................... 34 POST-WAR ATTITUDES TOWARD JEWS....................... 38 CHAPTER 4 FOUNDATIONS OF BRITISH ANTISEMITISM AND DICKENS........................... 43 CHAPTER 5 DEPICTIONS OF JEWS IN AMERICAN FILM TO 1947............................... 46 THE PRELIMINARY YEARS................................47 THE SILENT ERA........................................49 THE SOUND ERA.........................................52 THE EARLY '40S........................................55 THE WAR RATIONALE.....................................57 WORLD WAR II.......................................... 58 POST-WAR EUROPEAN INFLUENCE ON HOLLYWOOD............. 60 CHAPTER 6 CROSSFIRES THE AFFIRMATION OF CONSCIOUS LIBERALISM................ 64 CROSSFIRE9 8 NARRATIVE................................ 64 CROSSFIRE98 RELATIONSHIP TO POST-WAR TOLERANCE ATTITUDES...................... 75 PRE-RELEASE REACTIONS FROM THE AMERICAN JEWISH COMMUNITY......................... 81 POPULAR REACTIONS TO THE FILM........................ 87 POST-RELEASE REACTIONS FROM THE JEWISH COMMUNITY 90 3 CHAPTER 7 GENTLEMAN'S AGREEMENTS AMERICAN ANTISEMITISM EXPLODES ON THE SCREEN............................... 95 GENTLEMAN9 S AGREEMENT: THE STORY...................... 95 THE POST-WAR SOCIAL REALITY ABOUT JEWS................ 118 THE MAKING OF GENTLEMAN9S AGREEMENT................... 125 POPULAR REACTIONS TO GENTLEMAN9S AGREEMENT............ 130 THE AFTERMATH OF WAR...................................136 CHAPTER 8 OLIVER TWISTl THE LITMUS TEST.................. 139 THE 1948 BRITISH FILM OLIVER TWIST.................... 139 PRE-RELEASE REACTIONS TO OLIVER TWIST................. 142 POST-RELEASE REACTIONS TO OLIVER TWIST................ 145 THE CONTINUING DISPUTE OVER OLIVER TWIST.............. 150 CHAPTER 9 CONCLUSIONS: RELATIVE TRUTHS. HISTORICAL AND SOCIAL REALITIES AND THE PERSISTENCE OF ANTISEMITISM................ 154 CONSCIOUS LIBERALISM1 S IMMEDIATE IMPACT.............. 154 WHY OLIVER TWIST FAILED...............................157 CONSCIOUS LIBERALISM AND ANTISEMITIC STEREOTYPES IN CROSSFIRE AND GENTLEMAN9 S AGREEMENT.......... 161 SCIENTIFIC CONCLUSIONS...............................17 0 THE POST-WAR SOCIAL REALITY...........................17 3 HISTORY »S DIALECTIC....... 177 JEWISH PERCEPTIONS OF POST-WAR ANTISEMITISM.......... 179 THE SOCIAL IMPACT OF THE MOTION PICTURE.............. 184 CONSCIOUS LIBERALISM AND THE FILMS1 SOCIAL IMPLICATIONS.............................190 FUTURE RESEARCH..................................... 196 APPENDIX THE EVOLUTION OF A STEREOTYPE................... 200 ENDNOTES.................................................. 201 WORKS CONSULTED 238 4 PROLOGUE In 1942, the Texas Seventh Calvary was stationed at Ft. McDowell, just off of Angel Island, near San Francisco. The troops were waiting to be shipped over to the Philippines to fight the Japanese. Twenty-year old Sgt. Norman D. Rips had been beaten by his first sergeant every day for a week. Rips, a tall, strong young man had done nothing to provoke the almost 400 pound first sergeant. In fact, he had never seen the man before. "Why do you keep beating me?” he asked the first sergeant. The reply, "Because you're a Jew, and I hate Jews." Rips reported the incidents repeatedly, until a week later the colonel of the outfit, a gigantic Texan began screaming, "Rips! Where is Sgt. Rips? Get him over here. I want to see him." "Here I am, Sir," Rips replied, "You wanted to see me?" "Yes," the colonel said, "I got this report and I wanted to see for myself what you looked like. I ain't ever seen no Jew before." Incredulously, Rips stated, "Why, this is what a Jew looks like. We look just like anybody else." Rips continued to be the target for the first sergeant's unbridled hatred until the matter was finally addressed and the first sergeant was officially ordered to leave Sgt.

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