Hollywood: An Empire of Their Own

Poland, Germany, Hungary: These were the original homelands of the men who eventually founded An Empire of Their Own (the title of film critic Neal Gabler's acclaimed book) out in the Shangri-La of Hollywood. Universal's Carl Laemmle, Paramount's Adolph Zukor, MGM's Louis B. Mayer, Warner's Jack Warner, the moguls were Eastern European Jews who reinvented themselves--and, eventually, America itself--through the movies. Combining wonderful film clips, interviews with critics such as Gabler, J. Hoberman, and Jonathan Rosenbaum, and reminiscences from members of the mogul's family trees, this intriguing documentary traces Hollywood's rise in the context of the Judaism of its founders, who strove to shed their immigrant image (nearly all would re-marry goy girls). Particularly interesting are the assessments of Hollywood during the Holocaust and McCarthy witch hunts. Ironically, as Gabler points out, America would eventually come to define itself by a fictitious America (seen on the screen) created by Eastern European Jews. A fascinating addition to the recent crop of good documentaries celebrating the recent centennial of the movies. Highly recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (R. Pitman)