Bar-Mitzvah
Cast & Crew
Henry Lynn
Boris Thomashefsky
Regina Zuckerberg
Anita Chayes
Peter Graf
Gertrude Bulman
Film Details
Synopsis
On the eve of his son Yudele's bar mitvah , Israel, whose wife Leah was reported to have died in a shipwreck ten years earlier when she left their European town to visit her mother in America, returns from Warsaw with a new wife, Rosalie. Unknown to Israel, Rosalie is conniving with a man whom she says is her brother to get Israel's money. Israel's family is not happy with his new bride. After Yudele falls asleep in front of his mother's portrait and dreams of her singing to him, Leah, who recovered slowly after being rescued ten years earlier, returns and learns from her in-laws about Israel's recent marriage. She stays with Yeruchim, the cantor, but comes to the bar mitzvah service to hear her son's speech. During the service, when Yudele says the Kaddish , the prayer for the dead, Leah cries. When Israel sees Rosalie and her "brother" embrace, the "brother" pulls a gun and demands Israel's money. Israel's daughter Feigele, who has just become engaged to Sam, an American Jew, calls the police. During a struggle, Sam gets the gun, and after the police identify Rosalie and her "brother" as an infamous husband and wife confidence team, Leah is reunited with her family.
Director
Henry Lynn
Cast
Boris Thomashefsky
Regina Zuckerberg
Anita Chayes
Peter Graf
Gertrude Bulman
Morris Strassberg
Leah Naomi
Sam Colton
Morris Tarlowsky
Benjamin Schechtman
Crew
Film Details
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
According to Film Daily, Bar Mitzvah was produced in New York. In November 1938, proceeds from showings in Kansas City went to the B.M.B.G. Polish Aid society to provide funds for Polish Jews. Modern sources give the following information: Bar Mitzvah did well financially and was one of the first American Yiddish pictures to reach Europe; Jack Stillman and Henry Lyon were the producers; and it was the only sound film with Yiddish theater legend Boris Thomashefsky. Although the film includes various songs, no information concerning their titles has been located.
