People Who Need People

Hedy Lamar

I was in Pittsburgh visiting friends and family when a madman broke into a synagogue and shot to death 11 mostly elderly people. The incident dominated conversation for the remainder of the weekend; it added to the unsettled feeling I’ve felt since the current president was put in charge of a fractured nation.

But when I learned, two days later, that my former doctor, Jerry Rabinowitz, was among the dead, I was shaken to my core. Like many people living in this era, I have become almost desensitized to the constant hate-tinged tone of angry rhetoric that dominates our public discourse.

Edward G. Robinson

But when you actually know someone who is murdered because of who they are – because of their religion, their ethnicity, their gender, their sexual orientation, their very identity – it makes knowing that there are millions of bigoted people in this country that much harder to bear. These are people who hate other people. People who would be much happier if the objects of their loathing were wiped off the face of the earth.

I’m obviously fully aware that anti-Semitism has a firm stronghold in this country, and across the world. Since this is a blog about my love of movies and Hollywood history in general, I'm going to pay tribute to the Jews who made the movies a going business, who built the studios that made thousands of classic films, who wrote, directed, produced, designed and scored them. Without the drive and influence of these people, there would be no film business. 

Lauren Bacall

And, of course, the Jews who brought those stories to life. There are so many, alive and dead, who I adore. I love watching them over and over and over; not because they’re Jewish, of course; but because they have brought a unique quality and given so much to my life and others like me through their their great talent, forceful personalities, and terrific style. 

They made me laugh and cry or amazed me with their singing, dancing, comedic skill or dramatic virtuosity. They created characters and delivered dialogue that made me feel more human, glad to be alive. When I imagine what my life would be like without the contributions these people have made over the decades, I feel bereft. Without them, there would be no film history, no distinct styles from which current artists can draw inspiration.

Paul Muni

I thank the ‘30s and ‘40s tough guys like Paul Muni, John Garfield, and Edward G. Robinson; and the Golden Age sirens like Hedy Lamarr, Lauren Bacall, Paulette Goddard, Luise Rainer, Sylvia Sidney and Shelley Winters.

And what about the endless list of funnymen of the pre-TV era? From George Burns to Jack Benny, Phil Silvers to Danny Kaye, the Marx Brothers to the Three Stooges -- all the way to Jerry Lewis. These guys still make me laugh.

And then there's the later funnymen who informed what comedy was in the 1960s and '70s, when I was growing up: Walter Matthau, Mel Brooks, and Gene Wilder, to name a few. Matthau in "The Odd Couple" and "The Bad News Bears"; Brooks parodies like "Young Frankenstein" and "Blazing Saddles"; and can anyone imagine a better Willy Wonka than Gene Wilder?

I know he’s currently controversial, but my life would not be nearly as rich without the work of Woody Allen. From his broad comedies in the early '70s all the way through to his more serious films of the ‘90s and beyond, Allen’s screenwriting and direction has always made me feel smarter when the credits roll. He’s been consistently savvy at making wry observations about what it means to be human, interweaving big, existential themes with poignant comedy. He makes you laugh while recognizing your shared humanity. Without his work, there would be a big hole in my filmgoing life.

Goldie Hawn

And I can’t forget the Jewish ladies who brought laughter. I’m thinking of women like Judy Holliday in the 1950s, and her heirs apparent in the '70s and 80s, ladies like Goldie Hawn, Madeline Kahn, and Gilda Radner. And what about the singers-turned-actresses, Bette Midler and Barbra Streisand? They were bigger than life, and I’m proud to have lived through the years when their talents loomed large.

Streisand sang about people who need people; she said they’re the luckiest people in the world. I feel lucky that these people – these Jewish people – have graced this earth with a joy in creating timeless art and entertainment. Their work has made living here a better experience that no amount of hate can erase.

And as to those who would despise Jews on the basis of religion, I think of a quote from Kirk Douglas, a Jewish actor who is now 102 years old and should by this point know what he’s talking about: “You must care for others. That’s the correct religion, I think.”