The movie is based on a novel by Laura Z. Hobson, which was published
initially in magazine installments. The title comes from the so-called
"gentleman's agreement" where communities implicitly agreed
not to sell or rent to anyone ethnic. The book went on to become a bestseller.
Yet, studio after studio turned down the option to secure movie rights,
in part because of a fear that making such a movie would lead to a backlash.
The only producer willing to touch it was Darryl Zanuck, whose Dutch
surname was often mistaken for a Jewish name. When he began the project,
Zanuck heard from his colleagues the same sort of argument that Gregory
Peck's character hears from a Jewish executive at a business meeting,
who criticizes him for stirring up trouble, insisting that the less
attention drawn to the problem, the better.
Instead of changing his name or going to any extraordinary lengths
to appear Jewish, Phil Green simply interjects the information into
conversation when it becomes appropriate, sometimes after a prejudiced
statement and sometimes as a factual matter. He applies to different
schools and jobs, both under the name "Green" and under the
name "Greenberg," with the help of his secretary, who herself
has changed her name from an ethnic-sounding name (which ironically,
actress June Havoc had also done so, changing her surname from Hovick).
As Phil learns, the overt anti-Semitism isn't always the most damaging,
because as his Jewish friend, Dave Goldman (John Garfield), tells him,
at least you know where those people stand. More problematic are those
who simply fail to speak up: the so-called "nice people,"
like Phil's girlfriend, Kathy Lacy (Dorothy McGuire), who for example,
might hear an ethnic joke at a dinner party and, while it sickens them,
remain silent. As Phil faces more and more problems, both subtle and
overt, Kathy prefers to take the easy way out, leading to growing distance
between the two lovers.
Gregory Peck was cast as Green because he was an intellectual everyman,
and the filmmakers hoped the audience would find him sympathetic. Dorothy
McGuire as Kathy plays the role with a sweetness that contrasts with
her sometimes unthinking or insensitive actions. Though she's not anti-Semitic,
her actions and statements often serve to promote prejudiced thinking,
rather than challenge it.
Phil is frequently surprised by the reception he gets from the same
establishments and people who treated him better when they assumed he
was Christian. Consequently, he has difficulty suppressing his righteous
anger. His friend, Dave, tells him that he simply hasn't grown a thick
enough skin yet.
Of course, in his role as Phil Green, Peck often delivers the high-minded
rhetoric of the film, and in those moments the film feels preachy. But
the filmmakers probably didn't want to miss any opportunities to make
their message clear.
The supporting cast does an excellent job. Celeste Holm plays a witty
fashion editor, Anne Dettrey, who befriends Phil and serves as a confidante.
This was her first dramatic role: up until then, she was cast only in
musicals. After winning the much-deserved supporting actress Oscar,
she launched a film and television career that continues to this day,
with the comedy Driving Me Crazy currently in post-production.
John Garfield was a marquee name who signed on in the supporting role
of Dave Goldman. He did so because he felt it was important. Garfield
had changed his name from Garfinkle, as was the practice in Hollywood,
to hide his Jewish identity. To play an openly Jewish character was
very brave. It's significant, as well, that he plays a returning war
officer. War veterans were regarded as America's finest, which, in combination
with Garfield's reputation, likely helped viewers to sympathize with
his character.
The supreme irony of this film is that it came out the very year that
the House Un-American Activities Committee began holding hearings to
identify the red threat in America. Several members of the film cast
and crew were called to testify, in part because they'd made such a
left-leaning film. John Garfield was called before the committee, and
while he admitted his own leftist leanings, he refused to name any others.
The original names of several ethnic-sounding actors, such as Jane Havoc,
were read aloud by the committee as a litany of shame. Anne Revere refused
to testify and was blacklisted, not acting in another film for 20 years.
Elia Kazan, who many believed was respected enough to weather pressure
from HUAC, actually named names. Later, he refused to apologize for
his actions, even when the question resurfaced as he was presented a
special Oscar in 1999 to honor his career.
Kazan's complicated legacy cannot be denied, but thanks in part to
movies like Gentleman's Agreement, overt racism and overt anti-Semitism
are universally condemned. Even so, complacency still aids and abets
prejudiced thinking. It is just as important as it was in 1948 for people
to take a stand and take action.
In a speech near the end of the movie, Anne Revere, who played Phil
Green's mother, says, "You know something, Phil? I suddenly want
to live to be very old. Very. I want to be around to see what happens.
The world is stirring in very strange ways. Maybe this is the century
for it. Maybe that's why it's so troubled. Other centuries had their
driving forces. What will ours have been when men look back? Maybe it
won't be the American century after all... or the Russian century or
the atomic century. Wouldn't it be wonderful... if it turned out to
be everybody's century... when people all over the world — free
people — found a way to live together? I'd like to be around to
see some of that... even the beginning. I may stick around for quite
a while."
The writers had no idea how prophetic a prediction that would be, just
how much turmoil the country would endure before equality was expanded:
the civil rights movement, the women's rights movement, the gay rights
movement, and the countless struggles that continue into the new millennium.
Even if the sets and lighting are uninspired and the directing conventional,
Gentleman's Agreement was remarkable for bringing a dirty secret
into the open. However dated the film looks to modern viewers, however
heavy-handed the dialogue, it's an important marker in the history of
film.
Rating (out of 5): ***
Musings
on Best Picture Winners
