Gentleman's Agreement (1947)

 Elia Kazan's "Gentleman's Agreement"


Elia Kazan's adaptation of the 1947 novel "Gentleman's Agreement" by Laura Z. Hobson was both controversial and widely praised after its release. The film was able to break through with critics praising it as an 'important' film and was even a box office success, much to the surprise of those who made it. The film was so successful that it received many Academy Awards nominations, and secured a win for Best Picture, Best Director (Elia Kazan), and Best Supporting Actress (Celeste Holm). 

The film stars Gregory Peck as a widowed journalist who goes undercover as a Jewish man to uncover the daily antisemitism that everyday Jews face in the United States. Along the way, he uncovers surprising results. The more hateful rhetoric of bigotry is to be expected. What he doesn't expect are all the sly and beneath-the-surface ways that everyday people harbor passive hatred and how those passively allowing such behavior is what continues to prop it up.

In attempting to adapt the Hobson novel, the production team faced many roadblocks along the way. The initial reason for wanting to adapt the source material came from producer Darryl F. Zanuck, who decided on the film after being refused membership into the Los Angeles Country Club after they incorrectly assumed he was Jewish. From there, Zanuck gathered a filmmaking team together and got to work. Before filming, Samuel Goldwyn and other Jewish film executives approached Zanuck asking him not to make the film, fearing it would "stir up trouble." Funny enough, this 'stirring up trouble' comment was used in the film to identify the passivity of Jewish intolerance. Even Peck's agent advised him not to take the lead role, believing that such a role could endanger Peck's career. 

There was an obvious reason to make such a film as this, especially at the time. 1947 was only a couple of years after World War II: a war that raged with the rhetoric of antisemitism by the Germans. Despite them losing the war, antisemitism was still a major problem across the globe. Many didn't want to address any of these issues, fearing it would be best not to continue to ignite colorful and/or heated conflict regarding these issues. This too was used as an example of passivity in the film. 

Despite all the good and important lessons the film preaches, the film suffers from this very straightforward preaching. The film acts as more of a propagandic bulletin message regarding bigotry than a nuanced exploration. Even still, some average moviegoers still need this plain and simple message, regardless of the nuances of delivery. Because of this, there is still an important place in film history for this film. Despite its preachiness and its obviousness, its a film that tries to fight the good fight regardless.



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