What’s Not to Like? Hollywood’s Love Affair with Jewish Humor

Sponsored by the Ed Berkowitz Film Education Fund

The Jewish contribution to American movies is most often thought of in terms of its legendary producers and studio moguls, from Samuel Goldwyn to Steven Spielberg and from Warner Bros. to the Weinstein brothers. But just as important is the unmistakable stamp of Jewish humor that has made a lasting—and hilarious—impression on movie audiences worldwide, through more than 100 years of American cinema.

Starting with subversive tricksters like the Marx Brothers, wise-cracking their way into the halls of power, we find that much of Jewish humor in the movies is rooted in their status as outsiders in larger society—allowing Jewish performers to tap a rich vein of underdog comedy that has proven universally appealing. We’ll also have a look at the particular American Jewish characters (even stereotypes) that form the foundation of Jewish movie comedy: the endearing nebbishes and shlemiels of early Woody Allen and Gene Wilder; guilt-dispensing Jewish mothers and bookish scholars; funny misfits (think young Streisand); and culminating in the high-wire ridicule acts of Mel Brooks and Sacha Baron Cohen.

Along the way we’ll see how the changing status of Jews in America—moving from the margins (Fanny Brice) to the mainstream (Judd Apatow)—has impacted the kind of movie humor we think of as Jewish.

Series Events

Series Curators

Peter L. Stein’s artistic career as a producer and presenter spans film, theater, television, museums, and online media. During 11 years at PBS station KQED, he wrote, directed and produced a wide range of documentaries and series for national public television, garnering such prestigious honors as the Peabody Award and four Emmys. From 2003-11 he was Executive Director of the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival, the oldest and largest of its kind anywhere. He is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Harvard University, and a third-generation San Francisco native.