Jewish Movie Moguls: An Exploration in American

¶ … Jewish Movie Moguls: An Exploration in American Culture, Lary and Elaine Tyler Mae explains why Jewish immigrants replaced their Protestant predecessors in the film industry by the 1920's. The theory that these authors present is that Jews brought a more expressive, non-traditional way of managing the business that was readily accepted by America's urban middle class. This group found the upgrades of theaters into luxurious move palaces and the creation of the Hollywood movie star appealing because they became expressions of the middle-class desire for a freer life, moral experimentation, and entertainment. The new Jewish movie moguls were also savvy business managers that learned how to control production, distribution and supply.

Author Joyce Antler criticizes the images of Jewish women as portrayed in film, theater, literature and television. She sees these women as being portrayed as exaggerated stereotypes involving unattractive, materialistic, and loud personalities. This is best depicted by the TV sitcom The Nanny in which Fran is portrayed as a coarse and vulgar girl from a Jewish ghetto in sharp contrast to the object of her affection, the dashing, rich and British Mr. Sheffield. The influence of assimilating Jews in the early mass entertain business as analyzed by the Mays probably contributed to the stereotypes of Jewish women that Antler opposes. The Jewish move moguls weren't interested in creating reality, fantasy and escapism were their vehicles for success and their definition of Americans across gender and ethnicity was no exception. And, Jewish movie moguls were struggling for their own assimilation and had no interest in pushing for any type of Jewish agenda, but were more intent on the needs of mass production.

Milton Himmelfarb, an American-Jewish intellectual, wrote that "Jews live like Episcopalians and vote like Puerto Ricans." Himmelfarf is describing the present-day dichotomy that exists between Jewish economic status and their personal ideals. Jews in the United States have overcome their poor economic status at the beginning of the twentieth century when they first came to this country. Now, they have become more affluent and integrated into the American culture and society. Despite their accomplishments, most Jews remain committed to liberal, Democratic politics and social causes such as open immigration policies that are often in conflict with the economic interests of the success that they have obtained.