Gentleman's Agreement (1947) [VHS]
by Elia Kazan
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VHS Tape Cover Information
Actor: Anne Revere, Celeste Holm, Dorothy McGuire, Gregory Peck, John GarfieldDirector: Elia Kazan
Cinematographer: Arthur C. Miller
Writer: Elia Kazan
Producer: Darryl F. Zanuck
Writer: Laura Z. Hobson
Writer: Moss Hart
Edition: VHS Tape
Audio: English (Original Language)
Format: Black & White, Closed-captioned, NTSC, Original recording reissued
Running Time: 118 minutes
Release Date: 2003-01-14
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Publisher: 20th Century Fox
Studio: 20th Century Fox
VHS Movie Reviews of Gentleman's Agreement (1947) [VHS]
Movie Review: Somewhat Dated, But Still Good
Summary: 4 Stars
The conventional wisdom is that "Gentleman's Agreement" was a good film about anti-Semitism but that "Crossfire," which came out the same year (1947), is better, more hard-hitting. But I still prefer "Gentleman's Agreement." It's a more "genteel" film than "Crossfire," but that's the point. It shows how anti-Semitism existed in America, not in the virulent form that it existed in Europe, but in more subtle (and sometimes not-so-subtle) ways. The title refers to the unspoken understanding among certain non-Jews that Jews would be excluded -- from certain neighborhoods, jobs, etc.
In a way, the film seems dated simply because we've made a lot of progress since then.
Gregory Peck is the heart of the movie. It's hard to imagine another actor in this role. His performance sort of foreshadows his Atticus Finch of fifteen years later in "To Kill a Mockingbird."
Another outstanding performer is John Garfield, who, perhaps because he was Jewish in real life, brought a genuine authenticity to his role.
The romantic aspect was the weakest part of the movie. Like some of the writers on the International Movie Data Base board, I would've preferred if Phil (Peck) would've ended up with Anne (Celeste Holm), not Kathy (Dorothy McGuire). I guess they had to go for a conventional ending.
I found the Dorothy McGuire character insufferable, but I don't know how much of that is the performance and how much is the character. But McGuire does capture a certain "Wasp" sensibility, especially of that time.
It seems to me that the movie gets better as it progresses. The scene towards the end of the movie, the scene in the restaurant with Garfield and McGuire, is among the most interesting, because you see the very different sensibilities of these two people (both the actors and the characters!).
It's also interesting to get glimpses of the New York of sixty years ago.
Summary of Gentleman's Agreement (1947) [VHS]
Elia Kazan directed this sometimes powerful study of anti-Semitism in nicer circles, based on Laura Z. Hobson's post-World War II novel. Gregory Peck is a hotshot magazine writer who has been blind to the problem; to ferret it out, he passes himself off as Jewish and watches the WASPs squirm. Seen a half-century later, the attitudes seem quaint and dated: Could it really have been like this? Yet the truth of the story comes through, in the wounded dignity of John Garfield, the upright indignation of Peck, and the hidden ways bigotry and hatred can poison relationships. That's particularly true in the Oscar-winning performance of Celeste Holm, who finds more layers than you'd expect in what seems like a stock character. --Marshall FineDrama VHS Video
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