National Center for Jewish Film

January 9, 2006 3:56 PM

"One could go on, and one will -- praising (...) the National Center for Jewish Film for releasing all four of Edgar Ulmer's Yiddish films in restored editions. But the DVD player is beckoning, and I think it is time for me to get back to the couch".
The National Center for Jewish Film (NCJF) is a unique nonprofit motion picture archive, distributor and resource center housing the largest, most comprehensive collection of Jewish-theme film and video in the world. In their archives you can discover the works of Leo Fuchs, the "Yiddish Fred Astaire", restored gems (scroll down) like "Motl the Operator" and re-releases like "The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg". (More on Greenberg, the Jewish kid who challenged Babe Ruth’s homerun record here, more on the NCJF inside).
posted by matteo (9 comments total)

The ongoing mission of NCJF is to gather, preserve, catalogue, and exhibit films with artistic and educational value relevant to the Jewish experience, disseminating these materials to the widest possible audience. NCJF’s first priority continues to be the preservation and restoration of rare and endangered nitrate and acetate films. The Center has long been recognized as a leader in the revival of Yiddish cinema, rescuing watershed films like The Dybbuk (1937) and Tevye (1939) from virtual oblivion. By producing and distributing pristine film and videocassette editions of such historic works with new English subtitles, NCJF effectively reintroduces modern audiences to a unique cultural and cinematic experience.

Truly a "Bridge of Light" between two worlds.
posted by matteo at 4:05 PM on January 9, 2006

[tough crowd]
posted by parallax7d at 8:14 PM on January 9, 2006

ulmer made some decent stuff, including 'bluebeard' and 'daughter of dr jekyll'.

/this is good
//you heathens
posted by dorian at 9:03 PM on January 9, 2006

[this is good]
posted by Rumple at 9:52 PM on January 9, 2006

I watch Ulmer's Detour whenever I want to despise strange women.
posted by Astro Zombie at 10:20 PM on January 9, 2006

Something else for the to do list. It never ends.

(Thank you, I was utterly ignorant of this.)
posted by IndigoJones at 4:53 AM on January 10, 2006

Joseph Green's 1936 comedy Yidl Mitn Fidl (bottom of page) has to be one of my all-time favourite feelgood films ever. Molly Picon is just awesome.
posted by Pallas Athena at 7:12 AM on January 10, 2006

Ditto that, Pallas Athena--the title song is just so freakin' catchy! And Molly Picon was a cutie, a great comedienne with big round brown eyes that she knew how to use for comic effect.
posted by Asparagirl at 9:46 AM on January 10, 2006

(Singing to self)

Yidl mitn fidl, Arye mitn bas
Dos lebn iz a lidl, to vozhe zayn in kas.
Hey, Yidl, fidl, shmidl, hey, dos lebn iz a shpas.

Didn't the Barry Sisters do a version of this?
posted by Astro Zombie at 9:59 AM on January 10, 2006