Lost Satire on Jews in Hollywood Resurfaces After Decades

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The hiccups in the grand opening of the Academy Museum have unexpectedly led to a positive outcome – the re-release of a rare, forgotten masterpiece of Hollywood satire, originally intended as a limited edition.

How the Jews Invented Hollywood’.

This 264-page book, reminiscent of both “What Makes Sammy Run?” and “Elmer Gantry,” revolves around a Los Angeles rabbi pondering a shift from his pulpit to a coveted studio position. Simultaneously, he’s planning an extravagant house of worship for his congregation, which caters to the entertainment industry, potentially rivaling Sid Grauman’s movie palaces. According to Brandon Millan, co-founder of Felix Farmer Press (a publishing house inspired by the character from Blake Edwards’ 1981 film “S.O.B.” who will go to great lengths to produce a movie), this book is especially relevant for our community at this moment in time.

Early in his career, Kandel wrote several novels and primarily worked in the film industry, contributing to B-movies such as “I Was a Teenage Werewolf” from 1957 and Joan Crawford’s final film, the 1970 sci-fi horror production titled “Trog”. Kandel had an exceptional ability to depict social stratification in his works, similar to Tom Wolfe’s fiction. This was particularly evident in his portrayal of the intricate differences, snobberies, and rivalries between the Ashkenazi communities of the earlier Los Angeles era, specifically the established German-Jewish elites and the up-and-coming Eastern European immigrant group.

According to Wasson, it’s straightforward, amusing, and unapologetic about its Jewish identity. It’s consistently self-assured yet questioning. A key strength of being Jewish, as demonstrated in this work, is the skill for critique and analysis. The moguls possessed this ability – the talent to understand and cater to their audience.

Kandel hinted at his inspiration being “You Know You Know” (IYKYK). Contrarily, the reissued book doesn’t keep secrets: Its cover showcases an illustration of the renowned Wilshire Boulevard Temple in Los Angeles, and inside, there are pictures of its long-serving rabbi, Edgar Magnin. Notably, Magnin raised funds for the construction of this Byzantine Revival-style structure from influential figures such as Irving Thalberg, Louis B. Mayer, and the Warner brothers in 1929.

Wasson is eager to know the opinion of the contemporary temple’s leadership (recently lavishly restored with the backing of its current Jewish congregation in Hollywood) regarding Rabbi Burns: “I would be equally pleased if my comments offend them or if they don’t.

You can find this story in the April 2nd edition of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. If you’d like to receive future issues, consider subscribing here.

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2025-04-04 20:54