One of the first films to directly tackle racial prejudice, this acclaimed adaptation of Laura Z. Hobson's bestseller stars Gregory Peck as a journalist assigned to write a series of articles on anti-semitism. Searching for an angle, he finally decides to pose as a Jew - and soon discovers what it is like to be a victim of religious intolerance.
Directed by
Elia Kazan
Written by
Laura Z. Hobson (novel) Moss Hart (screenplay) Elia Kazan (screenplay revision) uncredited
Starring
Gregory Peck (Philip Schuyler Green aka Greenberg); Dorothy McGuire (Kathy Lacy); John Garfield (Dave Goldman); Celeste Holm (Anne Dettrey); Anne Revere (Mrs. Green); June Havoc (Elaine Wales nee Estelle Wilovsky); Albert Dekker (John Minify); Jane Wyatt (Jane); Dean Stockwell (Tommy Green); Nicholas Joy (Dr. Craigie); Sam Jaffe (Professor Fred Lieberman); Harold Vermilyea (Lou Jordan); Ransom M. Sherman (Bill Payson). Please contact SFC to add other cast members and characters.
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A commendable film tackling an ever-topical issue
Mark Banks (United Kingdom)
Opinion: Recommended
Shot just two years after the end of World-War-II the decision to film Gentleman's Agreement was a admirable one to take - helping to put a few more nails in the coffin of anti-Semitism in the Western world. Unfortunately the plight of anti-Semitism still does exist though. I have a Jewish friend who, similar to Gregory Peck's character, does not look Jewish in appearance. On at least one occasion my friend witnessed his manager and colleagues at his former place of work let slip a few anti-Semitic remarks, unknowing of their company; which really does show the base-stupidity of racism. It's a shame that bold films such as this aren't attempted too often, the last that comes to mind being Guess Who's Coming to Dinner filmed in 1967. Perhaps the filmmakers either don't care or don't have the confidence to make such films without appearing to preach too much. Either way it's a shame, as the likes of Gentleman's Agreement provide a great example of how such films can be produced in both a credible and engaging manner.
