Theatre, Film & Broadcast

Today’s Jewish Birthday: Budd Schulberg

In 1941, Schulberg’s first novel, What Makes Sammy Run?, was an indictment of Hollywood’s studio system. Its cold-blooded, driven protagonist, Sammy Glick, was so obviously Jewish that Schulberg was accused of antisemitism. When a higher-up in the Communist Party of the USA demanded that Schulberg make changes in the novel to conform to Communist dogma, he quit the party. [SDJW staff]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, International, Sports & Competitions, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, Today's Jewish Birthday, USA

Steven Spielberg: ‘The echoes of history are unmistakable in our current climate’

Published by Euronews (English) “The echoes of history are unmistakable in our current climate.” Legendary filmmaker Steven Spielberg said these words at a ceremony to honour the USC Shoah Foundation – a non-profit organisation he founded 30 years ago, which documents interviews with survivors and witnesses of the Holocaust. The 77-year-old director of Schindler’s List

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Antisemitism, California, Holocaust, International, Israel, Jewish Celebrities, Jewish History, Nordot, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA

KPBS Receives $3 Million Gift from Irwin and Joan Jacobs

KPBS, San Diego’s public broadcasting TV and radio station, has announced it has received a $3 million gift from Irwin and Joan Jacobs to fund the KPBS Democracy Project, which will include a new journalism team focusing on election coverage and local government reporting, ranging from school boards to city councils, over the next three years. [Rick Griffin, Times of San Diego]

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News Media, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, Times of San Diego

‘Ordinary People’ Examines Family Members’ Response to Loss

Lucinda Moaney and Stephen Pickens in a therapy session in 'Ordinary People' now playing at the PowPac theatre. (Photo: Steve Murdock)

Each member of the family processes the loss in his/her own way, clearly without being seen, heard or understood by each other. The sense of isolation, guilt, and grief are palpable in each character whether they are withholding or exploding with the overwhelming emotions.  [Eva Triegere]

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Eva Trieger, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

Antisemites threaten to boycott next James Bond movie if Aaron Taylor-Johnson lands role over Jewish background

Published by GB News James Bond fans have threatened to stay away from the upcoming set of films in the franchise and made racist threats if Aaron Taylor-Johnson lands the role. According to The Sun, a source said: “Bond is Aaron’s job, should he wish to accept it. The formal offer is on the table

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Antisemitism, International, Jewish Celebrities, Nordot, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

Today’s Jewish Birthday: Harry Houdini

His escapes became more and more complicated and thrilling, including from nailed packing crates that were lowered into water, riveted boilers, giant milk cans filled with water, and even from the belly of a whale that had washed ashore in Boston.  Sometimes Houdini would have himself put in a straight-jacket and suspended by his ankles from a tall building as the public watched him wriggle free. [SDJW staff]

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International, Jewish Celebrities, Sports & Competitions, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, Today's Jewish Birthday, USA

Today’s Jewish Birthday: William Shatner

Star Trek gained fame after it went into reruns, with fans of the show known as Trekkies organizing conventions at which they could meet like-minded enthusiasts, buy Star Trek merchandise, and meet members of the original cast.  This development, along with the box office success of George Lukas’ Star Wars in 1977, prompted Paramount Pictures to reunite the cast in Star Trek: The Motion Picture, released in 1979.  Five sequels followed, including one he directed: Star Trek V: The Final Frontier. [SDJW staff]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, International, Music and Visual Arts, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, Travel and Food, USA

Today’s Jewish Birthday: Broncho Billy Anderson

He acted in over 300 short films, 148 of which he played the first cowboy movie star, Broncho Billy.  Many were filmed in Niles, a small town in Alameda County, California.  Today, Niles is part of Fremont, California, where there is an annual silent film festival in his honor. [SDJW staff]

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Jewish Celebrities, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, Today's Jewish Birthday, USA

Amy Winehouse actress Marisa Abela reveals why she nearly rejected role in biopic

Published by Mirror By Mark Jefferies It was a role so big, she was unsure she could do it justice. But actor Marisa Abela has told how she now feels a strong connection with Amy Winehouse after making the biopic Back To Black. Marisa told Harper’s Bazaar her first instinct was to say “no that’s

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International, Jewish Celebrities, Nordot, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

Kvells Keep Ringing For Steven Skybell’s Tevye in All-Yiddish ‘Fiddler’

When he first got the part in the Yiddish “Fiddler,” Skybell had studied Yiddish but he “certainly wasn’t fluent.” And at the start, only three of the 26 members of the cast spoke Yiddish. So getting ready for the show was a mammoth task, with most of the actors learning the language phonetically from tapes. [Joel H. Cohen]

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International, Joel H. Cohen, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

Shakespeare with Some Contemporary Twists at Coronado Playhouse

A few things were different about this production, first the non-fairy actors wore modern dress, the part of Hermia’s father was turned into that of her mother, and the show we saw had swing actor Ruth Russel filling in for the role of Demitrius. [Sandi Masori]

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San Diego County, Sandi Masori, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

Today’s Jewish Birthday: Jerry Lewis

In 1945, 19-year-old Lewis met Dean Martin, who was eight years his senior, and the two developed a comedy act,  in which Martin was a straight man and Lewis was a zany ad libber.  The duo started with a radio show, moved to television, then to Paramount Pictures where they starred together in 14 movies between 1960 and 1956.  DC Comics published The Adventures of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis from 1952 to 1957.  The team ended the partnership in 1956. [SDJW staff]

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Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, Today's Jewish Birthday, USA

‘King James’ Uses Sports Metaphor to Explore the Ups and Downs of a Friendship

The dialogue is fast-paced and funny, both because of  Rajiv Joseph’s writing and the animated faces of Foote and Echebiri.  San Diegans can especially appreciate how upset and betrayed Matt and Shawn feel when James moves to the Miami Heat and leaves his hometown.  I saw many in the audience nodding emphatically as Matt and Shawn lament the perceived betrayal, as memories of our own Chargers’ betrayal with their move to LA still feels fresh.  [Sandi Masori]

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Sandi Masori, Sports & Competitions, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA