What it’s about
Asked by progressive-minded magazine publisher John Minify (Dekker) to write an exposé series on antisemitism, widowed journalist Phil Green (Peck) decides to up the ante by posing as a Jew, enduring unexpectedly cruel prejudice on job interviews, at public toilets, and in social situations. Over time, the stress of his assignment takes a toll on his budding romance with Kathy (McGuire), Minify’s niece, and even provokes an ugly incident involving his son Tommy (Stockwell).
Why we love it
A risky venture for Fox producer Daryl F. Zanuck, whose decision to fund an issue film about the unspoken scourge of bigotry against Jews could easily have backfired in a country that still hadn’t adopted meaningful civil-rights legislation, “Gentleman’s Agreement” was a hit with critics — and also the Academy, who bestowed it with a Best Picture Oscar. Peck was an ideal choice for the role of Green, and John Garfield offered a winning turn as Dave, his lifelong Jewish friend and confidante. In his third outing as a film director, Elia Kazan (“On the Waterfront”) proved he was equal to the material, investing Oscar nominee Moss Hart’s screenplay with a seriousness of purpose as well as dramatic heft.
Gregory Peck, Dorothy McGuire, John Garfield, Celeste Holm, June Havoc, Albert Dekker, Jane Wyatt, Dean Stockwell Elia Kazan
Gregory Peck Dorothy McGuire John Garfield Celeste Holm June Havoc Albert Dekker Jane Wyatt Dean Stockwell Elia Kazan
