Gentleman’s Agreement is the1948 Academy Award-winning “Best Picture,” which concerns a journalist (played by Gregory Peck) who poses as a Jew to research an exposé on anti-Semitism in New York City and the affluent community of Darien, Connecticut. The film was directed by Elia Kazan and also starred Dorothy McGuire, John Garfield and Celeste Holm. Moss Hart wrote the screenplay, which was based on Laura Z. Hobson’s best-selling novel of the same name.
The film was one of 20th Century-Fox’s most popular films when it was released and was nominated for eight Oscars, winning three for Best Picture, Best Supporting Actress (Celeste Holm) and Best Director (Elia Kazan). Reviewing the film for The New York Times, Bosley Crowther wrote, “every point about prejudice which Miss Hobson had to make in her book has been made with superior illustration and more graphic demonstration in the film, so that the sweep of her moral indignation is not only widened but intensified thereby.”
Foster Hirsch will moderate the onstage program with Chris Hart. Hirsch, a professor of film at Brooklyn College, is the author of 16 books on film and theatre topics and has curated and hosted programs for such organizations as the American Cinematheque, Film Forum, National Arts Club and many others.
Free and open to the public.
