A Holocaust survivor, a legendary folk singer and a documentary on refugee children during the Nazi era were among the Jewish artists and themes sharing the spotlight during Sunday night\’s Academy Awards ceremonies.
Leading Jewish Hollywood executives and directors responded with a sense of shame this week to the Federal Trade Commission\’s (FTC) report criticizing the marketing of media violence to minors. Reached by phone, they spoke with The Jewish Journal about how they struggled to reconcile their sense of social and moral responsibility with the demands of the marketplace. Many felt the challenge of balancing the task of self-regulation from within the industry against the evil of censorship from the outside. Others spoke of a more personal balance, played out against a highly charged political atmosphere: deciding how much of the entertainment industry\’s product their own children can watch.
When Jason Isaacs went in to audition for the Royal National Theatre\’s production of Tony Kushner\’s \”Angels in America,\” he knew exactly what role he wanted. He insisted upon portraying the anxiety-ridden character of Louis, who is somewhat based on the life of the gay Jewish playwright.
In a gated community high above Los Angeles, Tony Curtis is holding court in the foyer of his two-story house in the shady corner of a cul-de-sac. Wearing white shorts and Birkenstocks, he is reclining on the staircase like a prince from one of his early movies. His famous blue eyes peer over spectacles as he simultaneously signs bills, rejects scripts, answers the telephone, and coordinates two assistants, a housekeeper, and sundry deliverymen.
Garry Shandling remembers the day he turned on the television set and discovered Woody Allen.
For Gwyneth Paltrow winning her first Oscar earlier this year for \”Shakespeare in Love\” was a dream come true. But for the beautiful 27-year-old superstar it was also something of a nightmare.
Gwyneth Paltrow, the beautiful, blond Oscar-nominated heroine of \”Shakespeare in Love,\” is descended from a distinguished rabbinical dynasty, called Paltrowitch, which may stretch back to 17th-century Russia.
Before films such as \”Radio Days,\” Woody Allen had his television days.
Actress and talk-show queen Roseanne is looking for a few good Jewish men.
The list of films for which Elmer Bernstein has written orchestral scores reads like a roll call of cinema\’s all-time classics: \”The Ten Commandments,\” \”The Age of Innocence,\” \”The Magnificent Seven,\” \”Ghostbusters,\” \”To Kill A Mockingbird,\” \”CapeFear,\” \”True Grit,\” \”Animal House,\” \”The Great Escape,\” \”My Left Foot\”…just to name a few.
