Sidney M. Goldin, born Samuel Goldstein (March 25, 1878 – September 19, 1937) was an American silent film director as well as a prominent writer, actor and producer for
Yiddish theater
Yiddish theatre consists of plays written and performed primarily by Jews in Yiddish, the language of the Ashkenazi Jewish community. The range of Yiddish theatre is broad: operetta, musical comedy, and satiric or nostalgic revues; melodrama; na ...
and
Yiddish cinema
Yiddish cinema (, ''Idishe Kino'') refers to the Yiddish language film industry which produced some 130 full-length motion pictures and 30 shorts during its heyday from 1911 and 1940. Yiddish film almost disappeared after World War II, due to the ...
during the early 20th century. During his career, he worked frequently with
Molly Picon
Molly Picon (; Malka Opiekun; February 28, 1898 – April 5, 1992) was an American actress of stage, screen, radio and television, as well as a lyricist and dramatic storyteller.
She began her career in Yiddish theatre and film, rising to a s ...
,
Maurice Schwartz
Maurice Schwartz, born Avram Moishe Schwartz (June 18, 1890 – May 10, 1960),Ludwig Satz
Ludwig Satz (18 February 1891 – 31 August 1944) was an actor in Yiddish theater and film, best known for his comic roles. A 1925 ''New York Times'' article singles him out as the greatest Yiddish comic actor of the time.
He was born in L ...
in Europe and Palestine.
Career
Born in
Odessa
ODESSA is an American codename (from the German language, German: ''Organisation der ehemaligen SS-Angehörigen'', meaning: Organization of Former SS Members) coined in 1946 to cover Ratlines (World War II aftermath), Nazi underground escape-pl ...
, his family emigrated to the United States in about 1880 or 1881. In New York, Goldin attended public school and was interested in theatre. In about 1895, he started as actor in small roles in theatres on the US eastcoast. In the early 1900s, he started acting in films in New York and for two years for Essanay in
Chicago
Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
. 1912 he started directing films, plenty of them already treating Jewish topics. After
World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, in 1919, he moved to
London
London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
and
Prague
Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...
, where he directed some movies. In 1921 he came to
Vienna
Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...
, where he directed at least four feature films, including ''Ost und West'' (“East and West”) in 1923, starring the famous Yiddish actress
Molly Picon
Molly Picon (; Malka Opiekun; February 28, 1898 – April 5, 1992) was an American actress of stage, screen, radio and television, as well as a lyricist and dramatic storyteller.
She began her career in Yiddish theatre and film, rising to a s ...
. Also in Vienna, he married the young actress of the ''Freie Jüdische Volksbühne'' (Independent Jewish Theatre) Betty Gärtner in November 1924.
In 1925 he moved back to New York. Brought to Hollywood in 1926, Goldin produced ''Yiskor'' with
Maurice Schwartz
Maurice Schwartz, born Avram Moishe Schwartz (June 18, 1890 – May 10, 1960),A-B Studios, his film '' On the Mountains'' was considered a commercial and artistic failure nearly resulting in the bankruptcy of the studio.
After filming ''East Side Sadie'' in 1929, starring his wife, he returned east to produce Yiddish "talkies" until the 1930s although he would take a three-year absence from filmmaking until directing his last film ''The Cantor's Son'' in 1937. Becoming ill while on location in
Easton, Pennsylvania
Easton is a city in and the county seat of Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States. The city's population was 28,127 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Easton is located at the confluence of the Lehigh River and the Delawa ...
, Goldin died of a heart ailment while at French Hospital in
New York City, New York
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on New York Harbor, one of the world's largest natural harb ...
on the night of September 19, 1937.
Filmography
*''
The Cantor's Son
''The'' is a grammatical article in English, denoting nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' ...
His Wife's Lover
''His Wife's Lover'' (1931, original Yiddish title ''Zayn Vaybs Lubovnik'') was billed as the "first Jewish musical comedy talking picture". A play before it as a film, it was based on Ferenc Molnár's ''The Guardsman''. Ludwig Satz, who also ...
Shulamith
Shulamis () or Shulamit is the feminine form of the Hebrew name Solomon (in Hebrew, "Shlomo", ), related to the word "shalom" (), or "peace". "Shula" is a shortened form. The name Salome (given name), Salome is also a related form.
Notable people ...
Kol Nidre
Kol Nidre (also known as Kol Nidrei or Kol Nidrey; Aramaic: ''kāl niḏrē'') is an Aramaic declaration which begins Yom Kippur services in the synagogue. Strictly speaking, it is not a prayer, even though it is commonly spoken of as if it we ...
Yizkor
Hazkarat Neshamot (), commonly known by its opening word Yizkor (), is an Ashkenazi Jewish memorial prayer service for the dead. It is an important occasion for many Jews, even those who do not attend synagogue regularly. In most Ashkenazi communi ...
Lead Us Not into Temptation
''Lead Us Not into Temptation'' is an album by David Byrne, released in 2003 for the movie '' Young Adam'', a film directed by David MacKenzie.
Track listing
All songs written by David Byrne except where noted.
"Haitian Fight Song," "Basta ...
'' (1922), print survives at the Library of Congress, as "The Polish Jew"
* ''
Look After Your Daughters
''Look After Your Daughters'' (German: ''Hütet eure Töchter'') is a 1922 Austrian silent comedy film directed by Sidney M. Goldin and starring Franz Höbling, Anny Ondra and Carl Lamac.Bock & Bergfelder p.347
Cast
* Franz Höbling
* Carl ...
What Might Have Been
"What Might Have Been" is a song recorded by American country music group Little Texas. It was released in May 1993 as the lead-off single from their second (and breakthrough) album, ''Big Time (Little Texas album), Big Time''. It was written by ...
Amsterdam
Amsterdam ( , ; ; ) is the capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, largest city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It has a population of 933,680 in June 2024 within the city proper, 1,457,018 in the City Re ...
*Antler, Joyce. ''Talking Back: Images of Jewish Women in American Popular Culture''. Hanover, New Hampshire: University Press of New England, 1998.
*Erens, Patricia. ''
The Jew in American Cinema
'' The Jew in American Cinema'' is a 1984 non-fiction book by Patricia Erens, published by Indiana University Press.
It originated from a PhD thesis. Clipping of a portion of the articlefrom Newspapers.com.
Reception
Allen Graubard criticized sev ...
''.
Indiana University Press
Indiana University Press, also known as IU Press, is an academic publisher founded in 1950 at Indiana University that specializes in the humanities and social sciences. Its headquarters are located in Bloomington, Indiana. IU Press publishes ...