Staging the Jew

by Erdman, Harley

• ISBN13: 9780813524146
• ISBN10: 0813524148
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1997-08-01
• Publisher: Rutgers Univ Pr

Summary

Fanny Bryce. Al Jolson. The Marx Brothers. All were pioneers of Jewish-American mainstream performance. But these major figures actually represent the third generation of Jews active in American theater and show business. In Staging the Jew, Harley Erdman uncovers the roots of Jewish characterization in popular culture by investigating a forgotten era in American show business. His book sheds light on figures such as M.D. Curtis, David Warfield, and other early Jewish performers who were instrumental in creating the image of the Jew on the American stage. -- Takes in the broad scope of the theater and entertainment world of the era, including major figure such as Irving Berlin, Sarah Bernhardt, David Belasco, D.W. Griffith, and Edith Wharton. -- Covers forgotten era in show business.

Table of Contents

Illustrations
Preface
Introduction: "The Memory of That Agony"	p. 1
Making the Jewish Villain Visible: American Approaches to Shylocks and Sheenies	p. 17
Taming the Exotic Jewess: The Rise and Fall of the "Belle Juive"	p. 40
Becoming a Jolly Good Fellow: The First Wave of Jewish Comedians	p. 63
Managing Power: The Entrance of Jews into the Show Business Mainstream	p. 93
Breeding New Generations: Race, Sexuality, and Intermarriage in Progressive Era Performances	p. 118
Getting Reformed: The Transition toward Jewish Invisibility in Popular Performance	p. 144
Selected Shtick from Comic Performances Featuring Jewish Characters	p. 163
American Productions of Plays with Jewish Characters, 1860-1920	p. 173
Notes	p. 183
Select Bibliography	p. 201
Index	p. 213
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