the pawnbroker is a 1964 film directed by sidney lumet , starring rod steiger , geraldine fitzgerald , brock peters , jaime sánchez and morgan freeman in his feature film debut .

it was adapted by morton s. fine and david friedkin from the novel of the same name by edward lewis wallant .

it was the first american film to deal with the holocaust from the viewpoint of a survivor .

it earned international acclaim for steiger , launching his career as an a-list actor .

the film was among the first american movies to feature nudity during the production code , and was the first film featuring bare breasts to receive production code approval .

although it was publicly announced to be a special exception , the controversy proved to be first of similar major challenges to the code that ultimately led to its abandonment .

in 2008 , the pawnbroker was selected for preservation in the united states national film registry by the library of congress as being " culturally , historically , or aesthetically significant " .

the pawnbroker ( film )

the pawnbroker remains an important work , especially as one of the first major studio films to explore the holocaust .
rod steiger was norminated for an oscar and a golden globe award for his performance in
the pawnbroker ,
and won a best actor award from the british academy and the berlin film festival . the film itself was put onto the national film registry in 2008 .
looking for movie tickets ? enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing the pawnbroker near you .
in 2008 , the pawnbroker was selected for preservation in the united states national film registry by the library of congress as being
culturally , historically , or aesthetically significant
.
feature films . film adaptations . video recordings for the hearing impaired . fiction films . national film registry .
lumet’s other film from 1964 , the pawnbroker , also became a classic . the grim but powerful drama chronicled a concentration camp survivor’s efforts to sublimate his memories while running a business in harlem ; rod steiger was oscar - nominated for his performance in the title role . the pawnbroker prominently featured new york city , …
( 1950 ) , which won the golden lion at the 1951 venice film festival . the film , a meditation on the nature of truth set in the
the american film industry’s various problems and the nation’s general postwar disillusionment generated several new film types in the late 1940s . although the studios continued to produce traditional
lord jim : read the joseph conrad novel . skip the richard brooks film .
a jewish pawnbroker , victim of nazi persecution , loses all faith in his fellow man until he realizes too late the tragedy of his actions .
3 . the script version is even harsher than the novel ' s original : edward louis wallant , the pawnbroker ( new york : macfadden , 1962 ) 43 .
a jewish pawnbroker , a victim of nazi persecution , loses all faith in his fellow man until he realizes too late the tragedy of his actions .
best line : “i didn’t die . everything that i loved was taken away from me and i did not die . ” rod steiger in the pawnbroker
some jewish groups urged a boycott of the film , in the view that its presentation of a jewish pawnbroker encouraged anti - semitism . black groups felt it encouraged racial stereotypes of the inner city residents as pimps , prostitutes or drug addicts .
some jewish groups urged a boycott of the film , in the view that its presentation of a jewish pawnbroker encouraged anti - semitism . black groups felt it encouraged racial stereotypes of the inner city residents as pimps , prostitutes or drug addicts .
much of the filming took place on park avenue in harlem , where the pawnbroker shop was set at 1642 park avenue , near the intersection of park avenue and 116th street .
the image is king thank you ! you’ll get a gorgeous unique film still of your choice from the film , shot by our uber - talented cinematographer eben bolter ( a4 sized ) . + original soundtrack + exclusive link of the film and short film ‘silent treatment’ + pdf of script + special thanks in end credits
the pawnbroker is a 1965 drama film , starring rod steiger , geraldine fitzgerald , brock peters and jaime sánchez and directed by sidney lumet . it was adapted by morton s . fine and david friedkin from the novel of the same name by edward lewis wallant .
films for the hearing impaired . national film registry . feature films . film adaptations . video recordings for the hearing impaired . fiction films . feature films > united states .
sol , the embittered survivor of a nazi death camp , is now a harlem pawnbroker . he harshly condemns his clientele as the dregs of society , and ridicules his idealistic assistant , ortiz . but when ortiz risks his life for sol , he learns the truth about hope and humanity . a classic ! based on edward lewis wallant ' s novel
the pawnbroker .
white hot productions is the production arm of the white hot group and has extensive experience within the film , television and entertainment industry . the company’s current focus is on feature film and television series production .
founded in 1999 , senses of cinema is one of the first online film journals of its kind and has set the standard for professional , high quality film - related content on the internet .
the pawnbroker by katelin wilcox a one - woman show that explores the controversial story of bertolt brecht ' s legend – and what five women lost to create it . official selection of the united solo festival .
a truly heavy film , sidney lumet’s the pawnbroker is a film that explores the holocaust by showing the impact it had on a survivor . this is a film about the holocaust , but one seen through the eyes of a new york city pawnbroker who continues to be haunted by what he experienced and what his family experienced . given nothing but a life of solitude , emptiness , and death , sol nazerman ( rod steiger ) is a man who treats everyone quite curtly while just slumping into his chair while life washes over him . this is a man who lost his family in the holocaust through absolutely inconceivable circumstances . however , he is also a…
4 . hester street ( film of cahan ' s novel , yekl ) .
access to audiovisual entertainment was film ; television was the medium of the rich and powerful middle class . the indian film industry was for much of the later 20th century the world’s largest producer of low - quality films for domestic
unless indicated otherwise , the text in this article is either based on wikipedia article
the pawnbroker ( film )
or another language wikipedia page thereof used under the terms of the gnu free documentation license ; or on original research by jahsonic and friends . see art and popular culture ' s copyright notice .
novi film ( new film ) , which also included such directors as puriša djordjević , aleksandar petrović , and živojin pavlović , all of whom were temporarily purged from the film industry during a reactionary period in the early 1970s . this dark period came to an end in 1976 when the filmmakers of the
the sound of music becomes the first film to sweep the major guilds , winning at the directors guild , the writers guild and the editors guild ( ace ) . the other two wga awards go to the pawnbroker ( drama ) and a thousand clowns ( comedy ) . the guilds are terrible predictors this year as only two of the dga nominees get best director nominations ( sound of music and darling ) and two of the wga winners fail to even get nominated ( the pawnbroker becomes the first drama winner to fail to earn an oscar nomination since 1959 ) . the other three dga nominees have to settle for best actor ( cat ballou ) a best actor nomination ( the pawnbroker ) and no oscar nominations ( the ipcress file ) . the sound editors do better as their two winners , the great race and von ryan’s express , become the two oscar nominees .
in 1961 the indian government established the film institute of india to train aspiring directors . it also formed the film finance commission ( ffc ) to help fund independent production ( and , later , experimental films ) . the national film archive was founded in 1964 . these organizations encouraged the production of such important first features as
the screenplay for this film was featured in the 2008 blacklist ; a list of the
most liked
unmade scripts of the year .
10 . the very useful teaching about the holocaust : a resource book for educators ( washington : the united states holocaust memorial museum , 2001 ) lists histories , memoirs , novels , and films , but makes no mention of the pawnbroker .
quincy jones - my first american film score was for sidney . . . | facebook
. this sort of thing has become so common that i don ' t think people would complain today . i believe the film was quincy jones ' s first venture into film scoring .
the pawnbroker may not be as well - remembered as many of director sidney lumet ' s other films , including dog day afternoon , 12 angry men , network , and other classics , but it ' s a film worth revisiting , especially as time marches on and the horror of the holocaust slowly recedes into history .
group , but he identified with the new wave through style and theme . his most famous film is the postmodern mystery
script reader thank you ! we’ll send you a pdf copy of the script to read before the film starts shooting .
sidney lumet ' s the pawnbroker is an absolutely engrossing film of the 1960 ' s . rod steiger is the jewish pawnbroker of the title , haunted by memories of nazi concentration camps . despite the almost eternally low mood and depressing environment , the film has an exhilarating energy which doesn ' t undermine the grave subject matter ( being a drama , this is quite a feat ) . there is off - beat jazz , the down - beat slums , the up - beat blacks , and the sad lonely people that engage in meandering conversations - all these ingredients make for quite a brew to create a powerful depiction of life in harlem , nyc . lumet is known for his realism , and his energetic style - this film is no exception . a tour - de - force , with an unforgettable performance by the lead .
the development of an indigenous film culture in africa occurred at different moments in the history of the continent . the various timelines are related to the political , social , and economic situations in each country and to the varying effects of colonialism on the continent . only egypt had a truly active film industry for the first half of the 20th century ; the development of cinema elsewhere on the continent was largely the result of individual efforts . one such example is paul soumanou vieyra , the first african graduate of the french film school institut des hautes études ciné , who joined with friends to produce the short film afrique sur seine ( 1955 ) , considered the first fiction film by black africans .
also generated considerable controversy in several communities . some jewish organizations urged a boycott of the film due to its uncompromising presentation of the jewish pawnbroker which they felt encouraged anti - semitism . black groups also accused the film of encouraging racial stereotypes of the inner city where everyone seemed to be a pimp , prostitute or drug addict . even the legion of decency objected to the film for a scene in which ortiz ' s girlfriend ( thelma oliver ) bares her breasts in an effort to get more money for a pawn item . all of these charges , however , seem unjustified when one views the film . what emerges is a realistic and devastating portrait of urban alienation .
the sense of place is as pervasive as a character in “moss , ” a film by daniel peddle .
and andrey tarkovsky , who both were later persecuted for the unconventionality of their work . paradzhanov’s greatest film was
the pawnbroker is a stunning work that details the psychic journey of a tortured holocaust survivor . a third - person omniscient narrator introduces and describes characters and circumstances that reinforce the main character’s rage as well as those who help release him from it .
i was uncertain to label the thread ' s heading as sidney lumet ' s ' the pawnbroker ' , but i ' m considering viewing this film mainly on the strength of the acting of rod steiger . this film was recommended me by netflix and is available only in a ' full screen ' version . nevertheless , it ' s a film i seemed to have missed from 1965 . never seen it and it does sound a bit grim in it ' s descriptions , but i genuinely admire the works of rod steiger and missed this one . any thoughts on this film and in particular mr . steiger ' s performance here ? thanks .
music lover thank you ! you’ll get an exclusive copy of the film’s original soundtrack : composed especially for the film with music by jonathan chung plus an all - new track from gideon bensen - frontman of australian band ' the preatures ' ( recently on tour with the rolling stones ! ) . you’ll also get a unique postcard from the filmmakers . + exclusive link of the film and short film ‘silent treatment’ + pdf of script + special thanks in end credits
the pawnbroker is a paradoxically obsessed with death , yet roaring with life , a jazzy urban tragedy that sees shadows of the holocaust in the suffering and exploitation of the dead - eyed souls of east harlem . it’s a painfully , uncomfortably immersive experience that gets so deep inside its protagonist’s wounded psyche that , like nazerman , the audience comes to pray for a release , any release , from that pain . but like the toughest noirs , the pawnbroker offers no release and no catharsis , just a narrative that begins intense , and deepens until it’s almost unwatchably sad , in the best possible sense . the pawnbroker was one of the first major american films to tackle the holocaust , and time and the deluge of films on the subject that followed in its wake have done nothing to diminish its power .
jeffrey ' s last film was the hugely original and exciting feature film called ' set the thames on fire ' by director ben charles edwards , starring an incredible cast including noel fielding , sadie frost & sally phillips .
this hungarian film is a careful , compassionate and beautifully acted character drama with a social conscience .
the test of time thank you ! you’ll get a limited edition poster - signed by the cast & crew . + original soundtrack + exclusive link of the film and short film ‘silent treatment’ + pdf of script + special thanks in end credits
the letters vr , visible throughout the film , stand for victoria regina , the royal cypher ( monogram ) of then - reigning queen victoria .
academy awards : the sound of music becomes yet another film to win best picture without winning an oscar for writing . however , it does , surprisingly , become the only best picture winner between 1948 and 1997 to not get nominated for writing . it also becomes the first film to win best picture without a single critics award since gigi . in the meantime , woman in the dunes becomes the first film since 1958 to get nominated for best director and receive no other nominations . while woman in the dunes and the umbrellas of cherbourg get nominations the year after being nominated for best foreign film , for the only time in history a film is nominated for best foreign film the year after it receives another nomination – marriage , italian style , nominated the year after it was nominated for best actress . thunderball becomes the final james bond film to win an oscar . william wyler receives his 12th and final best director nomination . for the first time as a competitive award , best foreign film doesn’t go to france , italy or sweden . czechoslovakia wins best foreign film in its first of four consecutive nominations .
the scenes resulted in conflict with the motion picture association of america ( mpaa ) , which administered the motion picture production code . the association initially rejected the scenes showing bare breasts and a sex scene between sanchez and oliver , which it described as “unacceptably sex suggestive and lustful . ” despite the rejection , landau arranged for allied artists to release film without the production code seal , and new york censors licensed the pawnbroker without the cuts demanded by code administrators . on a 6 - 3 vote , the mpaa said the film was an “exception” conditional on “reduction in the length of the scenes which the production code administration found unapprovable . ”
john was in the industry when film victoria was born . he worked on the establishment and policy framework and later became deputy director . he left to work with the burrowes film group raising finance for five features including man from snowy river ii .
, which was brought into being over the next decade through the establishment of the kuratorium junger deutscher film ( 1965 ; young german film board , a grant agency with funding drawn from the cultural budgets of the federal states ) , the filmförderungsanstalt , or ffa ( film subsidies board , which generated production funds by levying a federal tax in part on theatre tickets ) , and the independent distributing company filmverlag der autoren ( 1971 ; authors’ film - publishing group ) , with additional funding from the two west german television networks .
, the hollywood film industry cooperated closely with the government to support its war - aims information campaign . following the declaration of war on japan , the government created a
world war ii physically and economically devastated the film industries of the soviet union , japan , and most european nations . italy’s early surrender , however , left its facilities relatively intact , enabling the italian cinema to lead the post - world war ii film renaissance with its development of the
) emerged to take prizes at international film festivals . some impressive literary adaptations were produced during the 1960s ( grigory kozintsev’s
vistavision that exposed double - frame images by running film through special cameras and projectors horizontally rather than vertically ) , and many studios were experimenting with wide - gauge film systems ( e . g . ,
filmmaker q & a session thank you ! you get a private skype session with our producer and director for half an hour ! talk about anything you like that ' s film - related : from feedback on your own film ideas to the ins and outs of filmmaking , or even advice on crowdfunding . the time is yours to spend ! + original soundtrack + exclusive link of the film and short film ‘silent treatment’ + pdf of script + special thanks in the end credits
leff , leonard j . ( 1996 ) .
hollywood and the holocaust : remembering the pawnbroker
. american jewish history , ( 84 ) 4 : 353–376 . accessed march 9 , 2009 . doi : 10 . 1353 / ajh . 1996 . 0045 .
other asian nations have had spotty cinematic histories , although most developed strong traditions during the late 20th century . the film industries of china ,
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8 . stanley kauffman , a world on film ( new york : dell , 1966 ) , 132 .
the 1964 month at the film experience doesn ' t begin like i hope it would . first nathaniel and his minions trash a classic movie and now you praise a film that ' s largely and justifiably forgotten . one should note though that - with the notable exception of the hill - virtually all of the movies sidney lumet made between the late 50s and the early 70s give me the creeps . and the pawnbroker strikes me as one of the worst offenders . but i will agree with you that steiger ' s performance is devastatingly committed and that quincy jones ' score is loud . in any case , for someone who goes with the imdb year and not with the american release date , rod steiger in the pawnbroker helps improving oscar ' s 1964 best actor shortlist which i at least don ' t like very much . if only the movie that surrounds steiger ' s performance would be moving instead of annoying .
ernie child hasn ' t always been a pawnbroker . years ago he tried his hand as a private investigator , accepting a case from a beautiful young girl who came to him for help , convinced that her life was in danger .
the first major instance of censorship under the production code involved the 1934 film tarzan and his mate , in which brief nude scenes involving a body double for actress maureen o ' sullivan were edited out of the master negative of the film . [ 48 ] another famous case of enforcement involved the 1943 western the outlaw , produced by howard hughes . the outlaw was denied a certificate of approval and kept out of theaters for years , because the film ' s advertising focused particular attention on jane russell ' s breasts . hughes eventually persuaded breen that the breasts did not violate the code and the film could be shown . [ 49 ]
in those years , the writer edward louis wallant had been sitting in a relative ' s pawnshop observing its ways . and while studying at the pratt institute in new york , he met a survivor of the death camps . 7 his 1961 novel , the pawnbroker , became the basis for lumet ' s film . reviewing it in the new republic , film critic stanley kauffman wondered why , since so many other jews had
adjusted
to something like a normal life , a sol nazerman was created to represent the experience . 8 no one can answer this question .
blue borsalino is a neo - noir detective film set in the present day with flashbacks to the 1960s , written and directed by mark lobatto .
the film was the first american movie to deal with the holocaust from the viewpoint of a survivor . it earned international acclaim for steiger , launching his career as an a - list actor , and was among the first american movies to feature nudity during the production code and was the first film featuring bare breasts to receive production code approval .
cash was then transferred into various accounts at city national bank in los angeles and doled out to pay the film’s production costs .
you get the film ! thank you ! you’ll get an exclusive private link to watch blue borsalino online . + pdf of script
it ' s a classic film , of course , for the photography , intensity and steiger ' s performance ( which he has never equalled before or since ) . jones ' score is pretty nifty too , albeit quite sparse , as befitting the film .
after all , oskar werner won the new york film critics . lee marvin won the national board of review . at the globes , marvin managed to repeat his win , but werner and steiger , while both nominated , lost to omar sharif ( who wasn’t nominated for anything else ) . so , then came the oscars . and marvin was so convinced that steiger would win – when he hadn’t won anything yet . should people have really been that surprised when marvin won ? was it just because marvin was in a comedy ? and in 1967 , steiger won both the new york film critics and the national society of film critics , before going on to win the golden globe and the oscar . the only award steiger actually won for the pawnbroker ( other than the nighthawk award ) was the bafta and he won that over a year after the oscars ( the pawnbroker wasn’t eligible until 1966 ) . sure , he had won best actor at the berlin film festival in 1964 , but marvin had won the same thing in 1965 . let’s get this straight – i fully agree with those who thought steiger absolutely should have won . i’m just no longer so sure his actual oscar counts as a makeup oscar .
mark and our wonderful production designer daniel vincent have worked extremely hard to source a series of challenging locations , including a vintage funfair , a pawnbroker shop and a hospital . we ' ll need to shoot a sequence on water too . these beautiful locations are integral to the script , but they don ' t come cheap - and your support means we can shoot the film just the way we want it .
buñuel’s presence in mexico between 1946 and 1965 had little effect on the general mediocrity of that nation’s film industry , however . the commercialism of the mexican cinema was briefly
—who would make their mark in the 1970s ; but , as england’s economy began its precipitous decline during that decade , so too did its film industry . many british directors and performers defected to hollywood , while the english - language film market simultaneously experienced a vigorous and unprecedented challenge from australia . in the 1980s , amid widespread speculation about the collapse of the film industry , british annual production reached an all - time low .
the pawnbroker [ dvd ] / republic pictures ; ely landau and herbert r . steinmann present ; an ely landau production ; produced by roger lewis , philip langner ; screenplay , morton fine , david friedkin , based on the novel by edward lewis wallant ; directed by sidney lumet .
the pawnbroker [ videorecording ] / republic pictures ; ely landau and herbert r . steinmann present ; an ely landau production ; produced by roger lewis , philip langner ; screenplay , morton fine , david friedkin , based on the novel by edward lewis wallant ; directed by sidney lumet .
dark , emotional tale of loneliness and greed . rod steiger gives quite frankly the best performance of his career , playing a jew pawnbroker in harlem , still affected by the horrors he went through during ww2 . similarly with taxi driver , the pawnbroker is an intense study of post traumatic stress , inadaptability and social injustice . altough taxi driver had a sort of satisfying resolution and payback , this one lingers on and its more haunting as our main character doesn ' t seem to get to any absolution at all . an underrated early sidney lumet gem .
rainbow rabbit reliant by kitt lavoie the daughter of a newly elected president is dispatched to convince her long - estranged sister to join the family at the upcoming inauguration . and to leave her girlfriend at home . screenplay developed by cry havoc , film produced by leosplayground . best dramatic short , audience award – atlantic city cinefest ; audience award , best debut film – route 66 international film festival .
featured in the prestigious american cinematographer magazine , and chosen as ' one to watch ' by moviescope magazine , eben is a rising talent who has completed fifteen feature films in the past three years , and recently lensed a pioneering series of microplays for the guardian . recent credits include ' greyhawk ' , nominated for the michael powell award at the edinburgh film festival , and best cinematography at the east end film festival earlier this year ; ' the hoarder ' starring mischa barton ; multi - award winning short ' the body’ which took best film at sitgest film festival 2013 ; and chiwetel ejiofor ' s ( ' 12 years a slave ' ) short film ' columbite tantalite ' which won best narrative short at the 2014 webby awards .
pawnbroker —a new york film , a memory film , and a holocaust film—lights up the screen on many levels : acting , direction , sets , music ( by quincy jones ) , and especially cinematography . 2 as to the last , lumet had previously teamed up with cameraman boris kaufman in twelve angry men ( 1957 ) . kaufman was one of three talented brothers who made silent movies in the soviet union during the 1920s . one brother , mikhail , played the title role in the moscow documentary man with a movie camera ( 1929 ) ; the director of that film was the third brother who adopted the name dziga vertov . while vertov went on to became one of the world ' s leading experimental documentary filmmakers and theoreticians , boris kaufman emigrated to the united states . he did not carry with him the fast - cutting montage of that early soviet era . instead he worked in a gritty realistic mode . two moments in pawnbroker , among many , stand out for sheer visual evocation : the low - angle camera shot of the lawnmower brought in to be pawned by petty crooks and the gloomy panorama of dawn over manhattan—a scene whose desperation is matched visually only by the alcoholic ' s tortured trek through the city in billy wilder ' s the lost weekend ( 1945 ) .
, or “sword - fight , ” film to the status of art . he made films in other genres , including literary adaptations ,
12 angry men ,
network ,
serpico ,
dog day afternoon ,
prince of the city ,
the pawnbroker ,
murder on the orient express ,
the hill ,
long day ' s journey into night ,
fail safe
and
the verdict .
produced distinguished cinemas . following the pattern set by the soviets , these countries nationalized their film industries and established state film schools . they experienced a similar period of repressive government - imposed restrictions between 1945 and 1953 , with a “thaw” during the late 1950s under soviet premier nikita khrushchev . in
—which determined what was morally acceptable in movies—such scenes still caused controversy . the film also upset jewish organizations that saw the character of nazerman as a spur to
this film is not for everyone , of course . it is the kind of the film that film ratings are made for . this is why the production code had to cease . because you can produce an adult film like this , one that masterfully shows the ways in which man destroys each other , then destroys himself , with nudity and violence , with the weight of horrible history , but , yet , children should not see it . this is a film for thinking people , to realize what has passed and how much it is not past . see this film not because it’s entertaining or because it will be a good time , but because there are films that simply should be seen , that are so powerful , so moving , so haunting , you must see them at least once .
the scenes resulted in conflict with the motion picture association of america , which administered the motion picture production code . the association initially rejected the scenes showing bare breasts and a sex scene between sanchez and oliver , which it described as
unacceptably sex suggestive and lustful .
despite the rejection , landau arranged for allied artists to release film without the production code seal , and new york censors licensed the pawnbroker without the cuts demanded by code administrators . on a 6 - 3 vote , the motion picture association of america granted the film an
exception
conditional on
reduction in the length of the scenes which the production code administration found unapprovable .
the exception to the code was granted as a
special and unique case ,
and was described by the new york times at the time as
an unprecedented move that will not , however , set a precedent .
the requested reductions of nudity were minimal , and the outcome was viewed in the media as a victory for the film ' s producers .
in 1966 , warner bros . released who ' s afraid of virginia woolf ? , the first film to feature the
suggested for mature audiences
( sma ) label . when jack valenti became president of the mpaa in 1966 , he was faced with censoring the film ' s explicit language . valenti negotiated a compromise : the word
screw
was removed , but other language remained , including the phrase
hump the hostess
. the film received production code approval despite the previously prohibited language . [ 28 ]
the pawnbroker was the first film featuring bare breasts to receive production code approval . the exception to the code was granted as a
special and unique case
and was described by the new york times at the time as
an unprecedented move that will not , however , set a precedent
. in pictures at a revolution , a 2008 study of films during that era , mark harris wrote that the mpaa approval was
the first of a series of injuries to the production code that would prove fatal within three years
. [ 56 ]
wallant , edward lewis , 1926 - 1962 . pawnbroker > film adaptations . pawnbrokers > drama . holocaust survivors > drama . inner cities > drama . criminal behavior > drama . jews > new york ( state ) > new york > drama . gangsters > new york ( state ) > new york > drama . harlem ( new york , n . y . ) > drama .
after the filmmakers appealed to the mpaa ' s appeals board to oppose censoring the film , it became the first u . s . film to show a nude woman from the waist up and be granted a production code seal . it was the first of a series of confrontations between filmmakers and the mpaa in the 1960s , that would lead to the abandonment of the code within five years , in favor of a ratings system .
] , 1976 ) . in the mid - 1960s , however , competition from multiple - channel colour television and from american distributors forced the japanese film industry into economic decline . a decade later , two major studios were bankrupt , and film production was increasingly dominated by two domestic exploitation genres : the
the film was shot in new york city , mostly on location , with minimal sets , in the fall of 1963 . the calendar in the pawnshop indicates that it is saturday , september 29 .
shooting a short film in two different time periods is an ambitious feat , and we can ' t do it without the generous support of the kickstarter community .
carried by a career defining performance by rod steiger , the pawnbroker explores an extremely delicate and intricate subject , survivor ' s guilt . i have some personal experience with this subject which allowed me to connect to the film on a very deep level . my father died when i was 6 years old . he died at the age of 62 , significantly older than my mother . his side of the family lived across the globe , but one brother remained in the netherlands . as he was my only link…
if there ' s anyone who knows how to give a film a pulse , it ' s lumet . powerful stuff .
the pawnbroker is a hell of a movie . i love that it is pretty much in synch with a eastern european sensibility of a lot of movies of that time , specially the cinematography . its one the bleakest movies about the shadows of the holocaust , it ' s like nazerman never really left ww ii europe . the lack of color in his life it ' s just striking .
allies , did not begin to develop film industries until after world war ii . yugoslavia was the most immediately successful and produced the countries’ first internationally known director : the political avant - gardist
instead , i’d like to use this bully pulpit to call attention to one of my perpetual favorite picks for hugely underrated american film masterpiece you all need to have seen , like , yesterday : the pawnbroker , directed by sidney lumet and starring rod steiger , who received an oscar nomination . it premiered 50 years ago this very month , in competition at the 14th berlin international film festival ( they festival’ed differently in those days ) , not premiering until the following year in the states due to its nudity and generally sour tone . a half of a century has , beyond question , blunted the impact of the movie’s most boundary - pushing elements ( not least being the fact that naked women have become so blandly normalized in mainstream film , a development this very movie did a tremendous amount to encourage ) , and even its then - unprecedented engagement with the holocaust , including the first scene in an american film set in a concentration camp , feels a little quaint today .
director of photography , boris kaufman ; film editor , ralph rosenblum ; music , quincy jones ; production designer , richard sylbert .
after world war ii the soviet union’s film industry experienced greater stagnation than that of any other nation except germany . the socialist realism doctrine imposed during stalin’s dictatorship caused film production to fall from 19 features in 1945 to 5 in 1952 . although stalin died the following year , the situation did not improve until the late 1950s , when such films as mikhail kalatozov’s
but there was a time when such territory was still fresh , provocative and largely unexplored in the movies . such was the case in 1965 , the year that director sidney lumet and lead actor rod steiger teamed up to give us the pawnbroker . that was the same year that the shop on main street emerged from the then - exotic cinema culture of czechoslovakia to amaze audiences en route to winning its “best foreign picture” award from the academy of motion picture arts and sciences . though i’m reasonably certain that the two films were produced in complete isolation from each other , their thematic similarities and the close proximity of their release dates made for some fascinating comparative viewing over the past week . and i’m quite pleased to report that , despite the flood of films dealing with such material that have been produced over the past five decades , the pawnbroker still packs a very powerful punch , thanks mainly to lumet’s and steiger’s brilliance , but also greatly aided by solid collaborations in other aspects of the film’s creation .
this was one of the few films of lumet i hadn ' t seen and once again he bowled me over with yet another superbly crafted film .
rachel mcadams and kelly reilly were also in the series true detective ( 2014 ) together . they do not share any scenes together in this film .
i’ve long believed rod steiger’s oscar in 1967 was a makeup oscar . this was for two reasons . first of all , not only did i not think that rod steiger was the best actor of 1967 , but he wasn’t even the best in his own film ( that would be sidney poitier ) . the other was that everything i had read , beginning with inside oscar , was adamant that he should have won the oscar in 1965 for the pawnbroker and that it was expected that he would win . well , i still personally feel that steiger was a bit over - rated in in the heat of the night ( he was very good – but poitier was better ) and he absolutely should have won for the pawnbroker . but why did other people think that ? was it because he was so good ? because certainly there were no other signs .
“of course , neither 1mdb or the malaysian people saw a penny of profit from that film or the other assets purchased with funds siphoned from 1mdb , ” caldwell said .
in 1952 , in the case of joseph burstyn , inc . v . wilson , the u . s . supreme court unanimously overruled its 1915 decision ( mutual film corporation v . industrial commission of ohio ) and held that motion pictures were entitled to first amendment protection , so that the new york state board of regents could not ban the miracle , a short film that was one half of l ' amore ( 1948 ) , an anthology film directed by roberto rossellini . film distributor joseph burstyn released the film in the u . s . in 1950 , and the case became known as the
miracle decision
due to its connection to rossellini ' s film . that reduced the threat of government regulation , which had formerly been cited as justification for the production code , and the pca ' s powers over the hollywood industry were greatly reduced . [ 2 ] by the 1950s , american culture also began to change . a boycott by the national legion of decency no longer guaranteed a film ' s commercial failure , and several aspects of the code had slowly lost their taboo . in 1956 , areas of the code were rewritten to accept subjects such as miscegenation , adultery , and prostitution . for example , the remake of a pre - code film dealing with prostitution , anna christie , was cancelled by mgm twice , in 1940 and in 1946 , as the character of anna was not allowed to be portrayed as a prostitute . by 1962 , such subject matter was acceptable and the original film was given a seal of approval . [ 52 ]
how can i say it’s under - rated ? just look at this . in 1965 , the same year that awards were being heaped upon the sound of music ( 10 of them between the oscars , globes and guilds ) and nominations upon ship of fools ( 17 of them between the oscars , critics , guilds , baftas and globes ) , the pawnbroker received 5 nominations with 2 wins . rod steiger was nominated for the oscar , the globe , the bafta ( which he won ) and the film was nominated by the dga and won the writers guild . it is the second best film of 1965 and yet the oscars thought it inferior to ship and a thousand clowns while the globes thought a patch of blue and flight of the phoenix were better . look at its reputation even today . roger ebert hasn’t bothered to include it as a great film , afi didn’t think it worthy of the list of 400 initial films for either of their top 100 lists ( though cat ballou was on the initial list both times ) and it hasn’t made the top 1000 in any of the four years it has been done ( at least the national film registry has it right as they finally added it in 2008 ) .
, 1979 ) . unlike the productions financed with foreign capital by the canadian film development corporation during the same period , these new australian films had indigenous casts and crews and treated distinctly national themes . by the end of the 1970s , australian motion pictures were being prominently featured at the cannes international film festival and competing strongly at the box office in europe . in 1981 australia penetrated the american market with two critical hits , beresford’s
lumet cared about them . and when presented with a legendary problem like rod steiger - - who tended to begin his performances by going hopelessly over the top and required a director who knew how to dial them back to human dimensions - - he got the finest performance of steiger ' s life in
the pawnbroker ,
probably the greatest american movie ever to deal with the human toll of the holocaust .
associate producer thank you ! you’ll be credited as associate producer on the finished film , with an official imdb credit . we’ll also send you a dvd copy of blue borsalino to keep . following our screening , come and have a drink and a bite to eat , and see your name on the big screen ! + 2 x tickets to private screening + unique film still + ltd edition signed poster + postcard from filmmakers + original soundtrack + exclusive link of the film and short film ‘silent treatment’ + pdf of script ( only greater london based travel included for set - visit and screening )
harvey weinstein thank you ! you’ll be credited as executive producer on the finished film , with an official imdb credit . we’ll also send you a dvd copy of blue borsalino to keep . following our screening , come and have a drink and a bite to eat , and see your name on the big screen ! + 2 x tickets to private screening + unique film still + ltd edition signed poster + postcard from filmmakers + original soundtrack + exclusive link of the film and short film ‘silent treatment’ + pdf of script ( only greater london based travel included for set - visit and screening )
the ballad of narayama
is a japanese film of great beauty and elegant artifice , telling a story of startling cruelty . what a space it opens…
simultaneously introduced a new multilayered film stock in which emulsions sensitive to the red , green , and blue parts of the spectrum were bonded together on a single roll . patented as
in spite of the major film companies’ elaborate strategies of defense , they continued to decline throughout the 1950s and ’60s . because they could no longer dominate the exhibition sector , they faced serious competition for the first time from
a jewish pawnbroker , victim of nazi persecution , loses all faith in his fellow man until he realizes too late the tragedy of his actions . director : sidney lumet writers : morton s . fine ( screenplay ) , david friedkin ( screenplay ) stars : rod steiger , geraldine fitzgerald , brock peters more : urltoken
the film industry believed that the greatest threat to its continued success was posed by television , especially in light of the paramount decrees . the studios seemed to be losing their control of the nation’s theatres at the same time that exhibitors were losing their audiences to television . the studios therefore attempted to diminish television’s appeal by exploiting the two obvious advantages that film enjoyed over the new medium—the size of its images and , at a time when all television broadcasting was in black and white , the ability to produce photographic
in sidney lumet’s groundbreaking 1964 drama the pawnbroker —one of the first american films to address the holocaust , and one of the first to feature explicit nudity—steiger delivers a deeply internal , oscar - nominated performance as sol nazerman , a brilliant but closed - off professor turned pawnbroker who made it through the concentration camps with his body intact , but his spirit scarred . it’s a virtuoso performance defined more by reacting than by acting . the screenplay gives steiger some juicy monologues to feast upon , most notably an early tour de force where all the the rage and pain inside him spill out when he answers a would - be protégé’s innocent question about jews and business with an epic dissertation on the jewish mercantile tradition as a product of millennia of persecution and rootlessness . but mostly , nazerman reacts to a world he views with a muted disgust that , over the course of the film , evolves into panicked despair , as he opens himself up to the world just enough so it can destroy him .
i viewed the film over the weekend . rod steiger ' s performance was beyond perfection ; a staggering achievement . his most brilliant work . i feel he received his oscar for ' in the heat of the night ' , not just because of his terrific performance in it , but as ' compensation ' for his loss of the statue in 1965 for ' the pawnbroker ' . it ' s happened before , james stewart winnin for ' the philadelphia story ' after losing the year before for ' mr . smith goes to wahington ' , and paul newman winning for ' the color of money ' after losing for better performances in
germany’s catastrophic defeat in world war ii and the subsequent partitioning of the country virtually destroyed its film industry , which had already been corrupted by the nazis . rebuilt during the 1950s , the west german industry became the fifth largest producer in the world , but the majority of its output consisted of low - quality
) , confirmed that he is essentially a religious artist . throughout the 20th century , the scandinavian film industries remained small , state - subsidized , and ( after the introduction of sound ) oriented largely toward the domestic market .
in the very last scene of the film , sol pierces his left hand on a receipt spindle . when he walks out of the pawn shop , he is looking in pain at his right hand .


my official wife is a 1914 american silent film directed by james young and starring clara kimball young , harry t. morey and rose e. tapley .

the novel was first adapted to film in 1914 by vitagraph studios , starring clara kimball young and earle williams , and directed by young 's husband james young .

the movie opened on july 13 , 1914 .

sime silverman 's review for variety was mixed on the film , concluding that five-reels was too long , though he admitted that the scene of a boat being torpedoed at the end might go over well with audiences .

though the story is set in russia , silverman noted that the film " never dares go into the open because it was made so far away from any place even resembling the land of the czar that the studio posing and setting becomes extraordinarily obvious . "

clara kimball young later estimated she had appeared in more than 100 films before my official wife , but this was the film that launched her as a star .

when motion picture magazine conducted a popularity contest in 1914 , earle williams finished first and young came in second .

( mary pickford came in third ) .

young credited vitagraph founder j. stuart blackton 's supervision as responsible for the success of her emotional portrayal in the film .

but now a hot commodity , young soon signed with lewis j. selznick .

based on its prior success , vitagraph re-issued the film in late 1916 .

speculation once abounded that leon trotsky appeared in the film as an extra , based in part on a shot of young with a bearded man with a resemblance to the man .

though this claim started appearing as early as 1918 and was vouched for by actors in the film , and was often repeated , the story was always specious and has been discredited .

trotsky was not in the united states in 1914 , and he denied reports made during his life about alleged film appearances .

the film also possibly had a young rudolf valentino as an uncredited extra , though this claim can not be verified , as vitagraph studios head albert e. smith made a number of claims that later caused skepticism .

though the full movie is now lost , two short clips were compiled in the 1931 vitaphone short the movie album and still survive .

one of the clips includes " trotsky " , which was played up in the press promotion for the release .

my official wife ( 1914 film )

my official wife ( 1914 ) is available online at the internet archive ( 45 second fragment ) .
two new film plays are shown ;
my official wife ,
a russian drama , splendidly produced at vitagraph theatre .
of his day and fellow actor of trotsky in “my official wife . ” shots of this old - time film showing morey , trotsky and
with the headline : two new film plays are shown ;
my official wife ,
a russian drama , splendidly produced at vitagraph theatre .
two new film plays are shown ;
my official wife ,
a russian drama , splendidly produced at vitagraph theatre . - the new york times
my official wife
five - part drama by richard henry savage , produced by vitagraph . under direction of james young . released by vitagraph dec . 11
' broadway star features
vitagraph productions shown at the vitagraph theater ,
my official wife ,
drama in five parts , adapted by marguerite bertsch from a play by richard henry savage , directed by james young .
clara kimball young , artist .
moving picture world ( 3 oct . 1914 ) : 41 .
leon trotsky , now so prominent in russian , politics was . at one ' time , it is sau ! , a . moving picture actor in america . ho appeared in a film entitled
my official . wife ,
and his salary is stated to have been just five dollars a day .
( 1914 ) ( davis 420 ) . in 1914 , the youngs left vitagraph to work for producer lewis j . selznick ( “world film in merger” 7 ) . young made several films released between november 1914 and december 1916 that were produced and / or distributed by world film corporation , founded by lewis j . selznick , arthur spiegel ( of mail order fame ) , wall street financier moritz rosenthal , and lee shubert ( lewis 39 ) .
my trip abroad ,
in pictures and picturegoer , july 1924 - october 1925 .
“all my pictures are built around the idea of getting in trouble and so giving me the chance to be desperately serious in my attempt to appear as a normal little gentleman . ”
the vitagraph company of america production ; distributed by the general film company , incorporated [ special features department ; broadway star features ] . / scenario by marguerite bertsch , from the novel my official wife by richard henry savage . cinematography by robert a . stuart . / © 11 august 1914 by the vitagraph company of america [ lp3182 ] . premiered 13 july 1914 at vitagraph theatre in new york , new york . released august 1914 . / standard 35mm spherical 1 . 33 : 1 format . / russian advisor on the film , nick dunaew , is reputed to have once brought leon trotsky to the set of this film and appeared in the picture ! more likely , an actor was made up to resemble trotsky for a touch of russian realism , as can be seen in the film clip below . the film was rereleased in the usa by v - l - s - e , incorporated , on 25 december 1916 .
my life story ,
in photoplay ( new york ) , february - april 1923 .
my official wife ( 1914 ) vitagraph co . of america ; broadway star features . distributor : general film co . ; special features dept . by arrangement with broadway star features co . director : james young . adaptation : marguerite bertsch . camera : robert stuart . cast : clara kimball young , harry t . morey , earle williams , l . roger lytton , rose e . tapley , mary anderson , arthur cozine , eulalie jensen , charles wellesley , louise beaudet , helen connelly . 5 reels .
“the summation of my character is that i care about my work . i care about everything i do . if i could do something else better , i would do it , but i can ' t . ”
richard henry savage ' s novel of russian life , my official wife , is to be seen in a six reel vitagraph production soon at the vitagraph theater . the film version will feature clara kimball young as helen marie , the role portrayed on the stage by minnie seligman , and harry morey as colonel arthur lenox . others in the cast are earle williams and roger lytton .
renounces actress wife .
new york times ( 14 feb . 1917 ) : 5 .
the eavesdropper , 1912 ; half a hero , 1912 ; in the flat above , 1912 ; the jocular winds of fate , 1912 ; lincoln’s gettysburg address , 1912 ; a lively affair , 1912 ; a mistake in spelling , 1912 ; mrs . lirriper’s lodgers , 1912 ; old kent road , 1912 ; popular betty , 1912 ; wanted—a sister , 1912 ; when roses wither , 1912 ; betty in the lion’s den , 1913 ; cupid versus women’s rights , 1913 ; extremities , 1913 ; fellow voyagers , 1913 ; getting up a practice , 1913 ; the interrupted honeymoon , 1913 ; jack’s chrysanthemum , 1913 ; john tobin’s sweetheart , 1913 ; love’s sunset , 1913 ; a maid of mandalay , 1913 ; on their wedding eve , 1913 ; the pirates , 1913 ; the spirit of the orient , 1913 ; taming of betty , 1913 ; the test , 1913 ; up in a balloon , 1913 ; the way out , 1913 ; the awakening of barbara dare , 1914 ; happy - go - lucky , 1914 ; lola , 1914 ; my official wife , 1914 ; the perplexed bridegroom , 1914 ; the silver snuff box , 1914 ; some steamer scooping , 1914 ; sonny jim in search of a mother , 1914 ; taken by storm , 1914 ; the deep purple , 1915 ; fates and flora fourflush , 1915 ; the heart of the blue ridge , 1915 ; marrying money , 1915 ; the dark silence , 1916 ; the feast of life , 1916 ; the yellow passport , 1916 ; hush , 1921 , the hands of nara , 1922 ; cordelia the magnificent , 1923 , a wife’s romance , 1923 , the woman of bronze , 1923 ; lying wives , 1925 .
my official wife ( five parts - - december ) - - the cast : helene marie ( clara kimball young ) ; sacha weletsky ( earle williams ) ; arthur lenox ( harry t . morey ) ; his wife ( rose e . tapley ) ; marguerite lenox ( mary anderson ) ; basile weletsky ( arthur cozine ) ; constantine weletsky ( charles wellesley ) ; olga , his wife ( louise beauder ) ; baron friederich ( l . roger lyton ) ; eugenie ( eulalie jensen ) ; directed by james young .
in 1914 chaplin made his film debut in a somewhat forgettable one - reeler called make a living . to differentiate himself from the clad of other actors in sennett films , chaplin decided to play a single identifiable character , and
the little tramp
was born , with audiences getting their first taste of him in kid auto races at venice ( 1914 ) .
in his magnificent screen presentation of
my official wife
james young has glorified and beautified all he has portrayed , has given dignity to melodrama through some remarkable characterizations , and has proved beyond the shadow of a doubt that the screen story can be made far more effective than that of cold print .
my official wife
in the original form casts its emphasis on incident and was popular because of a pervading spirit of adventure . mr . young has carefully preserved all the spirit of the original and given new significance , not only to events , but to the entire novel . this was made possible by some fine acting of the principals , especially that of clara kimball young .
general film co . , special features dept . , broadway star features co .
valentino began working as a nightclub dancer and tango partner at a number of dance halls and cabarets . he soon acquired professional dance partners , replacing clifton webb as bonnie glass ' s partner at one point . valentino began dancing in musical productions , eventually touring the country with a musical comedy troupe . when the tour ended in san francisco , valentino was again destitute . it was suggested that he try to get into the movies . valentino was cast in his first film in 1914 , making his screen debut in my official wife . after appearing in the serial patricia in 1916 , valentino decided to try his luck in hollywood .
despite his failed marriage and minor film roles , valentino ' s potential did not go unnoticed . june mathis , a screen - writer and executive at metro film studio , suggested casting valentino as julio desnoyers , in a film version of the epic
i ( was ) newsvendor , printer , toymaker , doctor & apos ; s boy , etc . , but during these occupational digressions , i never lost sight of my ultimate aim to become an actor ,
chaplin later recounted .
so , between jobs i would polish my shoes , brush my clothes , put on a clean collar and make periodic calls at a theatrical agency .
the reason for his success was simple : valentino appealed to women by being one of the first sexually passionate film stars . as silent film expert richard koszarski wrote in
my official wife ,
a russian drama written by richard henry savage , has clara kimball young in the leading picture role of helene marie , the young nihilist who succeeds in entering st . petersburg despite the fact that the russian police are after her . in that city she plots to kill the czar , but her plans fail because of the jealousy of an american whom she has tricked .
miss harding will be official hostess to the rainbow division’s convention in july . general gatley was second in command of the division during the war .
future learning and skills – giving everyone the opportunity to build a lifelong relationship with film .
american avant - garde film 1894 - 1941 . dvd . ( image entertainment us 2005 )
her husband . dir . : theodore marston ( vitagraph co . of america us 1914 ) cas . : clara kimball young , earle williams , si , b & w . archive : nla .
world film in merger
new york times ( 29 jan . 1916 ) : 7 .
, 1895–1926 , american film actor , b . italy as rodolfo guglielmi . he emigrated to the
the violin of m’sieur . dir . : james young ( vitagraph co . of america us 1914 ) cas . : clara kimball young , james young , si , b & w . archive : usr .
2 . clara kimball young as actress and co - producer ( clara kimball young film corp . )
the story concerns the visit to russia of the nihilist helene marie ( miss young ) , who succeeds in inveigling an easy dispositioned american , arthur lenox , to pass her by the russian sentries as his
official wife .
lenox ( harry t . morey ) has a real wife , but he thinks the fascinating woman who pleads that he save her from great inconvenience is the wife of a college chum , and presumes of course that once across the border he will receive the thanks of his old friend for his kindness . helene marie , however , without disclosing her identity , frightens lenox with the threat of siberia if his act be known ; forces him to continue the deception and even finally accompanies him to the grand ball where she plans to assassinate the czar . lenos ' s american manhood here asserts itself , and he drugs his
official wife
and carries her back to the hotel .
important note : all items and news stories in this blog are , to the best of my knowledge , from sources in the public domain . i ' ve done my best to credit specific authors when possible . if you are the copyright holder of any material included , please contact me and i will have the copyrighted material removed .
a growing source of silent era film information . this listing is from the progressive silent film list by carl bennett . copyright © 1999 - 2018 by carl bennett and the silent era company . all rights reserved .
survival status : the film is presumed lost : fragmentary print exists [ approximately 45 seconds of footage ] .
thomson , david , a biographical dictionary of film , third edition , alfred a . knopf , 1994 .
hansen , miriam , babel and babylon : spectatorship in american silent film , cambridge , massachusetts , 1991 .
in 1916 , clara kimball young became only the second female film star , after < strong > mary pickford < / strong > , to set up her own namesake production company : the clara kimball young film corporation .
immediately there were tensions between young and his wife’s new coworkers . art director ben carré recalled that on the set of trilby ( 1915 ) , director maurice tourneur “didn’t like jimmy watching what he was doing , or what his wife was doing . ” while clara made trilby , the first feature in which she was not directed by her husband , james young was working as a director on a different film in the same studio , and was clearly distracted by another man directing his wife . to be fair , clara kimball young had a nude scene in trilby , a film based on george du maurier’s famous 1894 serialized novel of an artist’s model who falls under the spell of svengali , a hypnotic musician who reinvents her as a fabulous opera star but utterly controls her . the solution was to hang “a muslin curtain between the two shooting units” ( carré oral history ) . young was concerned that his wife was falling under her own svengali—lewis selznick . by early 1916 , james young sued selznick for alienation of affection dating back to march 1914 , claiming that the producer told clara kimball young to get rid of her husband as a condition of employment ( “husband sues selznick” 9 ) . young did become estranged from his wife , but it was harry garson , a detroit theatre owner and publicist with no previous experience in film production , who provided the love interest ( davis 422 ) . in 1916 , garson survived a penknife attack by james young , prompting clara kimball young to declare in court : “i have no use for my husband” as reported by the new york times ( 5 ) .
3 . clara kimball young as actress and co - producer ( c . k . y . film corp . )
the sepoy’s wife . ( vitagraph co . of america us 1910 ) cas . : maurice costello , clara kimball young , si , b & w . archive : gbb .
c . k . y . film corporation formed .
moving picture world ( 11 aug . 1917 ) : 918 .
my official wife ( vitagraph , 1914 ) the wisdom of re - issuing such a box - office attraction as this combination of stars and play represent can not be questioned . miss young has not had a greater opportunity to show all her charms than in this very play which was so largely responsible for her rise to fame . in the impersonation of a russian nihilist , so clever that she would have accomplished the assassination of the czar himself had she not overplayed her hand , miss young carries her audience with her in full sympathy even to the glorification of murder itself . how she thrills at her sinister task ! how she scorns the accommodating american gentleman who is like putty in her facile hands ! how instantly she changes her expression from fear , aversion , horror , and contempt to the brilliant smile of the alluring woman who fascinates all men and makes them do her bidding .
film stars buy clara k . young’s home treasures .
illustrated news ( 8 june . 1932 ) : n . p .
charlie chaplin was a comedic british actor who became one of the biggest stars of the 20th century ' s silent - film era .
the first scene of the picture seems more like the conclusion of a love story , for it shows a happy couple standing beneath a floral wedding bell . lennox ' s daughter has just been married to a russian . he dies . lennox must visit russia ; therefore , he gets two passports , one for himself and one for his wife , and thereby hangs the tale . helene marie , awaiting an opportunity to return to her native land , learns that lennox ' s wife is not going to accompany him . there will be an extra passport , and it must secure her passage into russia . she plays her cards so well that she enters the country as the american ' s
official wife
in the eyes of the law , and visions of being sent to siberia prevent his exposing the fraud .
valentino ' s next four projects were not big box office successes . though valentino ' s wife , rambova , helped him get an increase in salary ( to $ 7500 per week ) as well as some creative input on his films , many believed that she ruined his career by picking noncommercial projects . as silent film expert koszarski wrote in
film was clara kimball young ' s first feature , and her last film for vitagraph , where she had made all of her short films . it was a sensational success and launched her as the most popular star that year . its russian setting was drawn upon by young for many more of her features . two short clips of the film exists in warner brother ' s 1931 vitaphone short
the movie album ,
and have been mounted on
famous for his character
the tramp ,
the sweet little man with a bowler hat , mustache and cane , charlie chaplin was an iconic figure of the silent - film era and one of film & apos ; s first superstars , elevating the industry in a way few could have ever imagined .
the strain on lenox induces him to resort to a drug for sleep . he forestalls his daughter ' s contemplated journey to petersburg ( from the russian provinces ) and attempts to take
his official wife
back to western europe . her work in russia has been completed . she would gladly go - - but the weletskys beg her to remain and attend a ball . she learns the czar is to be in attendance . it is her one chance to become the joan of arc of the nihilists .
she refuses to go back with lenox . lenox therefore purposely misses the train . he returns to the hotel - - finds his
official wife
being wood by sacha . but he accompanies her to the ball . during the evening his hand touches the pistol in the folds of her gown . he realizes her object is the czar ' s assassination . he averts this tragedy by a sleeping potion which he gives to helene marie in a glass of punch . she collapses and he carries her home .
the cycle of the gangster film has passed definitely for the present . in the future the police will be the heroes and racketeers the villains , executives have decided .
valentino began working as a nightclub dancer and tango partner at a number of dance halls and cabarets . he soon acquired professional dance partners , replacing clifton webb as bonnie glass ' s partner at one point . valentino began dancing in musical productions , eventually touring the country with a musical comedy troupe . when the tour ended in san francisco , valentino was again destitute . it was suggested that he try to get into the movies . valentino was cast in his first film in 1914 , making his screen debut in
young was world film corporation’s biggest star . when financial trouble in the spring of 1916 caused the firm to reorganize , selznick left to create his own production company , taking clara kimball young with him ( lewis 45 ) . it was at this juncture that selznick created the clara kimball young film corporation , naming young , allegedly at her request , as its vice president and treasurer ( 1761 ) . four features produced by the clara kimball young film corporation were released between october 1916 and april 1917 :
was in this film as an extra . in fact , trotsky was not yet in the united states when this was filmed . there is an extra who resembles him .
lewis , kevin .
a world across from broadway : the shuberts and the movies .
film history . vol . 1 ( 1987 ) : 39 - 52 .
( 1895–1926 ) us silent - film star , b . italy . his smouldering blend of passion and melancholy wooed female audiences in the 1920s . valentino ' s films include
marguerite bertsch , scenario editor of the vitagraph company , brushed the cobwebs away from richard henry savage ' s old - time drama and dressed it up in film fashion and in the printing of the programme mr . savage gets the larger type of the two . he is not due to receive first credit , however , for a picture as russian as vodka , even if it was made in america . taking a play of this stamp and transforming it into a thoroughly dramatic screen production is virtually producing an original work ; for it is the handling , not the idea , that marks the difference between an ordinary russian melodrama and an extraordinary one . the verisimilitude of
my official wife ,
the force of the situations and the beauty of the acting , combine to make a drama that , to the american mind at least , typifies explosive russia - - on the one hand luxurious nobility , on the other the nihilist , and a connecting chain of sizzling bombs .
spher and braff have more complete filmographies for clara kimball young than afi or fiaf . there are numerous inconsistencies between sources as to who directed young’s films . cardinal wolsey is generally attributed to lawrence trimble but may have been co - directed and / or produced by j . stuart blackton according to fiaf . both spehr and braff list lulu’s doctor as being directed by james young , however fiaf lists both van dyke brooke and maurice costello as being the director . dr . lafluer’s theory is credited to van dyke brooke in most sources except fiaf which credits j . stuart blackton and george d . baker . beauty unadorned is credited in all sources as being directed by rogers lytton , however fiaf also lists james young and sidney drew as co - directors . delayed proposals is attributed to james young in most sources , however braff lists maurice costello as director . dates and film titles are also sometimes inconsistent . most sources list lord browning and cinderella release year as 1912 , except for fiaf which lists 1913 . mr . mintern’s misadventures is listed as mr . mistern’s adventures in fiaf . the hindoo charm is confusing because there is also another film titled the hindoo’s charm from 1913 that may or may not be the same film . both titles are listed as extant at british film institute . both are directed by maurice costello and star clara kimball young . however hindoo’s charm is listed in fiaf as being a lubin film , though it seems unlikely as costello was a major vitagraph star at the time . it is not always clear as to what is extant . my official wife is thought lost , however a fragment does exist in a private collection . camille may be held in the norwegian film institute and the czech film archive , but neither archives will confirm . straight from paris exists in an incomplete 35 mm . nitrate print and safety negative ( reels 2 - 4 , and 6 ) and a 35mm safety print of reel 3 at library of congress . enter madame is believed to also exist at the cinematheque de toulouse .
in 1916 , clara kimball young became only the second female film star , after mary pickford , to set up her own namesake production company : the clara kimball young film corporation . soon after this , there was a flood of female star - producers , initiating what i have called a “second wave” of star companies , 1916–1923 ( 155 ) .
( 1921 ) . valentino played a bullfighter named juan gallardo , who is seduced and controlled by a woman . in 1922 , he appeared in a mathis - penned film ,
these two brief clips are all that remain of this lost film of 1914 , they were excerpted in the warner brother ' s 1931 vitaphone short
the movie album .
the first clip shows the meeting of helene ' s terrorist cell with an extra who is not leon trostky , and the second appears to be the scene of helene ( clara kimball young ) and lennox ( harry t . morey ) visiting the weletsky ' s ( earle williams and louise beaudet ) , with eulalie jensen as the angry woman . no sound track .
my official wife ( six parts ) . the story is woven around a beautiful nihilist , helene marie , who , in order to get by the secret police on the frontier of russia , induces lennox , an american , to introduce her as his wife , in order that she may enter on his passport . arriving in st . petersburg , lennox is met by friends and is compelled to introduce helene as his wife , also to register her as such at the hotel , where he is stopping . helene then discloses her identity . lennox is shocked at first , but already deeply in love with the beautiful schemer , decides to let things take their course . helene meets her nihilist friends and they conspire to assassinate the czar , she being chosen as the one to commit the deed . as the official wife of lennox , she meets a number of the russian nobility , and learns that the czar is to attend a fashionable ball on a certain date . she plans to be present . lennox has arranged to leave for paris the afternoon of the same day . now that the consummation of her plans is so near at hand , helene has no more use for lennox and entices an officer of the royal guards to become her lover . lennox becomes jealous of the russian , misses his train and returns to find helene in the arms of his rival . helene and lennox attend the grand ball , he learns her purpose is to assassinate the car and drugs her . she is taken to the hotel , restored to wakefulness and retaliates by playing the same trick on him , telephones her lover and the two make their escape to a yacht , but the secret police , having discovered helen ' s real identity , send a torpedo boat after the eloping pair with orders to destroy the yacht . a torpedo blows the vessel to atoms and ends forever the career of helene marie , the beautiful nihilist , and her lover .
this text was printed from the women film pioneers project at columbia university . to promote readability and conserve consumable resources , images and interactive elements in the digital version do not appear in print format .
in 1919 , the c . k . y . film corporation disappeared , and clara kimball young’s films were now produced by a new company : garson productions . after its initial release , the famous
my official wife
is a story that has attracted a good deal of attention , and is bound to increase its following with the course of time . it is true to the russia and its autocratic system of before the great war . ever and anon , a scene is run showing the horrors of a pilgrimage to the barren wastes of siberia . it gives the sense of contrast that adds aa pleasure to the scenes of luxury in and about the court . there are many moments of suspense . several times it looks as if the pretty nihilist and the american would be caught in the toils , but they escape . a thriller comes with the entrance of the czar when all the court does obeisance . a fitting climax is the escape of the young noble with the nihilist . quite dramatic is her expression of hatred for him as one of the aristocracy and his overcoming of her scruples by renuniation of wealth and rank .
. one scene shows the meeting of helene ' s terrorist cell with an extra alleged to be leon trostky ( see the link to silent ladies picture 1 below ) , though kevin brownlow shows that trotsky was not in new york in 1914 when the film was made . the other clip appears to be when she and lennox are visiting the weletsky ' s . sacha argues with and then kisses eugenie , then enters the next room , where helene casts a meaningful glance at lennox and a flirtatious one at sacha , who reciprocates . picture 4 below seems to be from another part of that same sequence .
to miss young ' s remarkable impersonation of helene , a young nihilist of lofty aspirations , of unconquerable will , of spirited rebellion against injustice , is due a very large proportion of the fascination of
my official wife .
helene is of romantic temperament , one of the types that defy domestication , yet so eternally feminine that she contains within herself all the wondrous resources of deceit , all the vacillation and mystery of her sex . though she lures and drives men at will , she is not repellently attractive , because there seems to be hovering ever near and about her a sincerity and intensity of true passion . in pursuit of a definite purpose , helene holds herself superior to any minor obligations of conscience . she uses every feminine weapon of artifice and cunning , yet she is pure and an exalted champion of human rights . in portraying this complicated and deeply interesting character , clara kimball young has placed herself in the front rank of artistes .
camille . dir . albert capellani ( schubert film corp . us 1915 ) cas : clara kimball young , paul capellani , lillian cook , si , b & w . archive : rur , dew .
valentino continued to be cast in roles as a sexual being throughout 1921 , in films such as uncharted seas , camille , and the conquering power . after he signed a contract with the famous - players ( later known as paramount ) film studio , valentino played the title role in what is arguably his most important film , the sheik ( 1921 ) . many critics saw the film as a rape fantasy designed to appeal to valentino ' s female audience . in the film , his character , sheik ahmed ben hassan , is a wild man who becomes domesticated by a british girl parading as an arab slave girl . she accomplishes this by taking care of him after he suffers a severe wound . her work shows him that marriage and morality are desirable . such a role made valentino seem dangerous but palatable to his audience .
with the karno troupe , chaplin got his first taste of the united states , where he caught the eye of film producer mack sennett , who signed chaplin to a contract for a $ 150 a week .
lying wives . dir . : ivan abramson ( ivan film productions inc . us 1925 ) cas . : clara kimball young , richard bennett , madge kennedy , si , b & w . archive : usr .
despite his failed marriage and minor film roles , valentino ' s potential did not go unnoticed . june mathis , a screen - writer and executive at metro film studio , suggested casting valentino as julio desnoyers , in a film version of the epic the four horsemen of the apocalypse . the role made valentino an instant star , and saved metro from near bankruptcy . in the 1921 movie , valentino ' s character is an artist and tango dancer who becomes the object of many women ' s desire . he falls in love with a woman who is already married , and only redeems himself by dying as a hero in world war i .
magda , 1917 ; shirley kaye , 1917 ; the claw , 1918 ; the house of glass , 1918 ; the marionettes , 1918 ; the reason why , 1918 ; the road through the dark , 1918 ; the savage woman , 1918 ; the better wife , 1919 ; cheating cheaters , 1919 .
the marriage of marguerite lenox to a wealthy russian , and her subsequent widowhood , occasion a trip to russia by her father , arthur bainbridge lenox . he is a handsome man in the early forties . the noble weletsky family , into whom his daughter has married , have never seen either lenox or his wife ; but desire lenox ' s co - operation in the settlement of his daughter ' s estates . the summons comes while they are in paris . a passport for two , man and wife , is secured . but mrs . lenox is of delicate health and decides to let her husband take the journey alone .
this lost film was clara kimball young ' s first feature , and her last film for vitagraph , where she had made all of her short films . it was a sensational success and launched her as the most popular star that year . its russian setting was drawn upon by young for many more of her features . two short clips of the film exists in warner brother ' s 1931 vitaphone short
the movie album ,
and have been mounted on internet archive and google video . one scene shows the meeting of helene ' s terrorist cell with an extra alleged to be leon trostky . the other clip appears to be when she and lennox are visiting the weletsky ' s . ( cont . urltoken
many sources mistakenly claim that russian communist icon leon trotsky was in this film as an extra . in fact , trotsky was not yet in the united states when this was filmed . there is an extra who resembles him . see more »
studlar , gaylyn ,
discourses of gender and ethnicity : the construction and de ( con ) struction of rudolph valentino as other ,
in film criticism ( meadville , pennsylvania ) , vol . 13 , no . 2 , 1989 .
( 1921 ) . many critics saw the film as a rape fantasy designed to appeal to valentino ' s female audience . in the film , his character , sheik ahmed ben hassan , is a wild man who becomes domesticated by a british girl parading as an arab slave girl . she accomplishes this by taking care of him after he suffers a severe wound . her work shows him that marriage and morality are desirable . such a role made valentino seem dangerous but palatable to his audience .
hearts in exile . dir . james young ( world film corp . us 1915 ) cas . : clara kimball young , montague love , claude fleming , si , b & w . archive : itg , usr , esm , dkk , usw .
( 1919 ) , a silent film revival classic directed by albert parker , young’s next ten films would be directed by harry a . garson for his own garson productions . clara kimball young’s career as a producer was over . why did young give up her own production company to work for garson ? it seems possible that they did not initially realize that their new distribution company was under the supervision of their old nemesis : lewis j . selznick . zukor’s select pictures corporation owned all the stock in the c . k . y . film corporation , but select was run by selznick . this explains why zukor had no problem signing young to a distribution contract despite the lingering lawsuit with selznick—the two men were partners . in late 1918 , garson and young sued the c . k . y . film corporation for “flagrant violations of the terms” ( “announcement” 170 ) . young and selznick reached an agreement on june 17 , 1919 : young was released from her contract , but she had to pay the c . k . y . film corporation $ 25 , 000 for each of her next ten pictures . by mid - november 1920 , the c . k . y . film corporation claimed clara kimball young owed the company $ 50 , 000 ( “sues clara kimball young” 225 ) .
next in importance to this striking character is that of a middle - aged american , colonel lenox , played by harry morey . it is a delightfully human character and admirably impersonated . colonel lenox has left his real wife behind when on a visit to russia for business purposes , and is accosted by helene , when about to cross the border . from a combination of good nature , love of adventure and gallantry , colonel lenox permits helene to travel on his passport as his wife . they are barely in russia when his troubles begin , for the chief of police , rogers lytton , falls in love with the supposed mrs . lenox , though he is at that moment looking for the dangerous nihilist , beautiful helene .
nearing the end of his life , chaplin did make one last visit to the united states in 1972 , when he was given an honorary academy award . the trip came just five years after chaplin & apos ; s final film , a countess from hong kong ( 1967 ) , the filmmaker & apos ; s first and only color movie . despite a cast that included sophia loren and marlon brando , the film did poorly at the box office . in 1975 , chaplin received further recognition when he was knighted by queen elizabeth .
the chief follows them to saint petersburg because of his infatuation , not in pursuit of his duties , is on hand when lenox meets personal friends and is forced to present helene as his wife , and contributes to the social advancement of the lovely mrs . lenox . there is an element of comedy in this false relation , which becomes acute when lenox and helene are compelled to take hotel rooms together . she makes such a charming wife at the little supper in their private apartment that lenox , true to his sex tendencies , fluctuates between conscience and inconstancy . still true to those tendencies , he decides in favor of inconstancy , and the scenes that follow are admirably handled . all that is amusing in the relation is brought out with no sign of indelicacy .
after valentino ' s death , a cult of personality formed around him . scholars question whether he could have sustained a career in film during the sound era because of his acting style and thick accent . what he did accomplish sustained a legend for many years . legend has it that a mysterious
lady in black
place flowers on his crypt each year on the anniversary of his death . his diaries were twice published : my private diary ( 1929 ) and the intimate journal of rudolph valentino ( 1931 ) . two film biographies were released in 1951 and 1977 , both titled valentino . a television movie , legend of valentino , was made in 1975 . sixty - five years after his death , a memorial service was held for him . one attendee , michael back , who owned a large collection of valentino memorabilia , told janet rae - dupree of the los angeles times ,
there will never be another like him . not in 1 , 000 years and not in 10 , 000 years .
in 1921 , with his star still quite high , valentino decided to break his contract with famous - players . he felt underpaid and did not like the scripts he was being offered . because no other studio would talk to him while he was under a valid contract , valentino made money ( about $ 2500 per week ) on a dance hall tour with his new wife , natacha rambova ( also known by her birth name winifred hudnut ) . valentino had married the talented dancer , actress , set and costume designer , in 1921 , while still legally married to his first wife . he remarried rambova in 1923 , after his divorce was final . the tour was a publicity stunt for a facial cream , mineralava . rambova soon began taking an increased role in her husband ' s career .
the film colony raised its voice to - day to answer the charges of senator smith w . brookhart jr . , ( rep . ) iowa , that the industry went goggle - eyed last year over gangster pictures and was headed this year toward a run of productions dealing with indecorous women .
( 1926 ) , his last film . by the year of his death , valentino , the movies ' first
latin lover
and premier sex symbol , had become the idol of millions . valentino ' s screen personality and his early death , both surrounded by mystery , made him a cult figure .
she carries through a ruse whereby lenox permits her to cross the russian frontier as his wife . her charm begins to work upon his susceptible nature . the pair are continually brought into contact with personages and officials dangerous to helene marie . finally , at the hotel in st . petersburg she reveals her identity to lenox and dares him to betray her secret . she charms the rich aristocratic weletskys and sacha weletsky falls in love with her .
valentino ' s next four projects were not big box office successes . though valentino ' s wife , rambova , helped him get an increase in salary ( to $ 7500 per week ) as well as some creative input on his films , many believed that she ruined his career by picking noncommercial projects . as silent film expert koszarski wrote in the new york times ,
natacha rambova was the most hated woman in silent pictures . she married rudolph valentino , took him away from his handlers , and put ideas in his head . in her hands , valentino ' s image as america ' s first male sex symbol underwent a crucial makeover , and the sultry star of the sheik emerged as the powdered , bewigged and highly esthetic monsieur beauclaire .
in 1936 , chaplin married again , this time to a chorus girl who went by the film name of paulette goddard . they lasted until 1942 . that was followed by a nasty paternity suit with another actress , joan barry , in which tests proved chaplin was not the father of her daughter , but a jury still ordered him to pay child support .
by a curious quirk of fate , valentino ' s most entertaining film , son of the sheik was also his last . had he survived into sound he would certainly not have attained legend status ; through his death he became immortal . as one of his leading ladies , alice terry , aptly remarked ,
the biggest thing valentino ever did was to die .
the adventures of colonel lenox , in company with a fascinating woman who is keeping up the outward appearance of being his wife , while controlling his vacillating moods in private , and his growing inclination to
take the goods that the gods provide ,
form the most interesting part of the story , but the serious purpose of helene is strongly developed through a series of beautiful scenes , culminating in one of the grandest ensembles ever shown on the screen - - a court ball in the presence of the czar and czarina .
chaplin spoke even louder in the great dictator ( 1940 ) , which pointedly ridiculed the governments of hitler and mussolini .
i want to see the return of decency and kindness ,
chaplin said around the time of the film & apos ; s release .
i & apos ; m just a human being who wants to see this country a real democracy . . .
the marriage of marguerite lenox to a wealthy russian , and her subsequent widowhood , occasions a trip to russia by her father , arthur bainbridge lenox . he is a handsome man in the early forties . the noble weletsky family , into whom his daughter has married , have never seen either lenox or his wife , but desire lenox ' s co - operation in the settlement of his daughter ' s estates . the summons comes while they are in paris . a passport for two , man and wife , is secured , but mrs . lenox is of delicate health and decides to let her husband take the journey alone . the nihilist ,
helen marie ,
is also preparing a trip to russia . of unknown identity , her activities are yet notorious , and the police of russia are warned . knowledge of the passport is brought to her by a young nihilist girl employed in mrs . lenox ' s services . helene marie has a just cause against the russian aristocracy . when hardly more than a child , she saw her family butchered in cold blood . she carries through a ruse whereby lenox . . .
at some point , selznick and zukor extended an offer to clara kimball young : they would forgive her debts and pay her handsomely if she got rid of garson . she refused ( davis 422 ) . financial matters became increasingly grim . in november of 1920 , the same month that the c . k . y . film corporation demanded $ 50 , 000 , the harriman national bank sued young to recover $ 24 , 500 on a loan two years overdue ( “harriman national bank sues” 374 ) . the next month selznick won his suit . a judge determined that young and garson kept all the profits of their post - c . k . y . film corporation releases and did not send selznick $ 25 , 000 per picture per their agreement ( “selznick wins in suit” 707 ) . garson’s last production credit with clara kimball young was
as to the story , it is one of intrigue , nihilists , secret police and people of high and low degree . briefly it recounts the adventures of a middle aged , but distinguished looking american , who is lured by a siren - like nihilist to spirit her into russia as his wife . many complications occur , and the end comes with a bang - - literally . a yacht is blown up by a torpedo and the beautiful russian nihilist and her lover are seen at the last with the smile of their late romance frozen on their faces as they drift with the tide .
after valentino ' s death , a cult of personality formed around him . scholars question whether he could have sustained a career in film during the sound era because of his acting style and thick accent . what he did accomplish sustained a legend for many years . legend has it that a mysterious
lady in black
place flowers on his crypt each year on the anniversary of his death . his diaries were twice published :
more acclaim came with modern times ( 1936 ) , a biting commentary about the state of the world & apos ; s economic and political infrastructures . the film , which did incorporate sound , was , in part , the result of an 18 - month world tour chaplin had taken between 1931 and 1932 , a trip during which he & apos ; d witnessed severe economic angst and a sharp rise in nationalism in europe and elsewhere .
over the next year , chaplin appeared in 35 movies , a lineup that included tillie & apos ; s punctured romance , film & apos ; s first full - length comedy . in 1915 chaplin left sennett to join the essanay company , which agreed to pay him $ 1 , 250 a week . it is with essanay that chaplin , who by this time had hired his brother sydney to be his business manager , rose to stardom .
in the early morning hours of december 25 , 1977 , charlie chaplin died at his home in corsier - sur - vevey , vaud , switzerland . his wife , oona , and seven of his children were at his bedside at the time of his passing . in a twist that might very well have come out of one of his films , chaplin & apos ; s body was stolen not long after he was buried from his grave near lake geneva in switzerland by two men who demanded $ 400 , 000 for its return . the men were arrested and chaplin & apos ; s body was recovered 11 weeks later .
the reason for his success was simple : valentino appealed to women by being one of the first sexually passionate film stars . as silent film expert richard koszarski wrote in the new york times ,
here was an openly sexual icon designed to feed the most hidden fantasies of the cinema ' s largely female audience . traditional values of home and family seemed wildly inappropriate when valentino held the screen . instead , his films offered hints of violent sexuality and miscegenation meant to tantalize viewers .
perhaps because his stardom was based on his sex appeal , many believed he had little to no acting ability . caryn james of the new york times wrote ,
when he wasn ' t dancing or dueling , he acted by posing in elaborate costumes and popping open his eyes to show emotion . love , hate , surprise , any emotion at all . even considering that exaggerated gestures were standard in silent films , valentino lacked subtlety .
featured an extensive interview with young in which she does not mention the name of her new company , nor does she detail her precise responsibilities , but relates her personal vision regarding acting styles , exteriors , interiors , story development , and continuity , implying that she would have control over such decisions ( 461 ) . in mid - august , the name of a new company was revealed : the c . k . y . film corporation . this was a distribution company created by adolph zukor , who agreed to buy , distribute , and market eight films from young annually for four years . now it was revealed that “miss young heads her own organization and dominates it completely , selecting her own stories and plays , her own directors , and her own supporting company” ( “c . k . y . film corporation formed” 918 ) . from 1917 to 1919 , when young appeared to exercise the most creative control , and is listed as “producer” by the afi catalog , she appeared in some of the best films of her career :