How Jews have Shaped Hollywood Cinema

Google. Mike & Ikes. The ballpoint pen. Drip irrigation. Defibrillators. The polio vaccine. Teddy bears. What do these things all have in common? These were all created by Jews. Aside for the financial, medical and agricultural landscape (among many others), I’d like to focus on how Jews have shaped Hollywood cinema, and how Jews used societal exclusion from cinema as a means to achieve greatness.

Hollywood cinema can roughly be segmented into a timeline. Starting with the origin of Hollywood cinema in the very early 20th century, Jewish immigrants created some of the most famous Hollywood studios. This includes Adolph Zukor who created Paramount Pictures, William Fox, and even the Warner brothers. Jews were excluded from elite industries, so they created their own productions and played a role in laying the foundation of Hollywood. These film studios - in addition to others like MGM and Universal founded by Jews - will continue to grow and flourish in Hollywood’s Studio System era.

With the rise of Hollywood, Jewish productions grew and renowned Jewish actors such as Edward G. Robinson (Double Indemnity, Little Caesar, The Ten Commandments) began to emerge.

Then comes the Golden Age of Hollywood and Classical Hollywood. During this period, Jewish actors and directors started making a distinct mark on Hollywood. Legends such as Billy Wilder, the (Jewish) director of cult classics like Double Indemnity and Sunset Boulevard, and Kirk Douglas (who even spoke Yiddish) - a prominent big screen actor featured in movies like Spartacus and Paths of Glory molded Hollywood’s Golden era. In addition, Jewish actor Paul Muni won the Academy Award for best actor for his role as Louis Pasteur in The Story of Louis Pasteur during this era (first Jew to win an Academy Award).

New Hollywood or post-classical cinema is characterized by the redefining of Hollywood from the mid 1960s to early 1980s, focusing more on directors’ experimenting and creativity, deviating from trite film conventions. Several of the most notable New Hollywood filmmakers were, once again, Jewish: Woody Allen (Annie Hall, Manhattan), Steven Spielberg (Jaws), and Mel Brooks (Young Frankenstein, Silent Movie) among others.

Several Jewish actors also make a name for themselves in this era, including Gene Wilder (Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory), Barbra Streisand (The Way We Were) and Richard Dreyfuss who even won an Oscar for his portrayal of Elliot Garfield in The Goodbye Girl.

Moreover, an important strength of Jews, including Jews in Hollywood, is their ability to adapt and demonstrate versatility in their skills. This is seen with several Jewish Hollywood stars in their smooth transition into The modern blockbuster and independent films era of cinema. Steven Spielberg is a prime example of this with his continued success in the Indiana Jones and Jurassic Park franchises. Other important directors include Darren Aronofsky and Ari Aster. A myriad of Jewish actors are well known in this cinema landscape including Jake Gyllenhaal, Jonah Hill, and Nathalie Portman (Oscar winner for best actress in Black Swan).

Similar representation is seen in Contemporary cinema with some newer faces like actor Timothee Chalamet (Call Me by Your Name) and filmmaker Sam Levinson (Euphoria). The continued influence of Jews in Hollywood is a testament to their cultural resilience and their strong sense of identity.

A well-known actor who spanned several eras including New Hollywood and independent films is Dustin Hoffman. He holds two Academy Awards (for his role as Raymond in Rain Man and Ted Kramer in Kramer vs. Kramer) along with a whopping five Academy nominations. Hoffman, however, is an interesting case. For a significant part of his life he was conflicted with and ashamed of his identity as a Jew. It was only more recently that he has accepted and embraced his Jewish identity. In an interview of Hoffman reading about the struggles endured one of his ancestors had to endure as a Jew, he in tears says “People ask me today ‘what are you?’ I say ‘I’m a Jew’... [His Jewish ancestors] all survived so I can be here ”.

The clear prominence of Jews in Hollywood was catalyzed by a discrimination against Jewish immigrants. Paradoxically, it was their exclusion from Western liberty that enabled Jews to embrace America’s characteristic freedom and expressivity on the big screen. Jewish stars show a wide range of skills and an unwavering persistence for success. Moreover, their steadfast connection to their Jewish roots and identity play a pivotal role not in being a successful Hollywood star, but being a successful Hollywood Jew.