The House I Live In

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Movie
Original title The House I Live In
Country of production United States
original language English
Publishing year 1945
length 10 mins
Rod
Director Mervyn LeRoy
script Albert Maltz
production Frank Ross
Mervyn LeRoy
for RKO Pictures
music Axel Stordahl
Earl Robinson (Song)
camera Robert De Grasse
cut Philip Martin Jr.
occupation

The House I Live In is an American short film from 1945 directed by Mervyn LeRoy and starring Frank Sinatra , who also sings the song of the same name. The film received an Honorary Oscar and a Golden Globe Award in 1946.

In 2007, The House I Live In was included in the National Film Registry , a directory of American films that are considered particularly worth preserving. One of the tasks of the US National Library, the Library of Congress , is to preserve films made in the US for posterity.

Frank Sinatra (1947)

content

Frank Sinatra, who plays himself, takes a cigarette break while filming an outdoor jam session and runs into a group of about twelve boys. They are chasing after another boy, cornering him and threatening to beat him. Sinatra intervenes and wants to know from the children what their problem is. He learns that they are persecuting the boy because he is not of the same religion as them. The boy is of Jewish faith.

Sinatra manages to make it clear to the boys in a conversation how wrong their behavior is and that it doesn't matter which religion someone is. Only stupid people, including the Nazis , would use something like this as an opportunity to condemn others. It makes no difference to smart people. Because anyone who thinks Christianity is better than other religions is either a Nazi or stupid. Sinatra explains to the children that all Americans are one people, no matter what religion the individual belongs to, and that prejudice and intolerance in this respect are wrong. Even if one could not always meet on an equal footing, all Americans would have the same goal of fighting the Japanese, although he is not afraid to use the term "Japs". For him, “America” means tolerance, diversity, freedom of speech, religious freedom, cohesion. The kids stare wide-eyed at the singer as he plays a censored version of The House I Live In .

The film focuses on the song, which has the same title as the film: The House I Live In . It's about the United States of America, which appears to be a multiracial, multicultural Disneyland. The song's composer was upset because the verse referring to blacks had been cut out by the filmmakers. However, they were of the opinion that America was not ready for racial integration and mixing.

background

The film was released in the United States on November 9, 1945. The House I Live In songwriter is referred to as Lewis Allan in the film. This name is a pseudonym of the songwriter and writer Abel Meeropol , who also wrote the song Strange Fruit , which addresses the lynching of Thomas Shipp and Abram Smith. This anti-racist song became famous as interpreted by Billie Holiday and was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1978. The music for the song is by Earl Robinson , known for his leftist political views. The screenplay for the film was written by Albert Maltz , who was part of the Hollywood Ten . "Hollywood Ten" designated ten screenwriters, actors and directors from Hollywood that had refused before the House Committee of the United States of America to investigate "un-American activities" through membership in the Communist Party testify, and, early in 1948 sentenced to prison terms were .

The song first appeared in the musical revue Let Freedom Sing , which premiered on Broadway on October 5, 1942 . In this performance the song was sung by Mordecai Bauman. Contrary to Bauman's interpretation, Sinatra's version soon became a national hit. The song was later covered by Paul Robeson , Mahalia Jackson and Josh White , as well as Sam Cooke and Kim Weston . Frank Sinatra, who saw the song as an integral part of his repertoire, sang the song both during a state banquet for President Richard Nixon in the White House in 1973 and at a ceremony in the White House when President Ronald Reagan was called, as well as the ceremony for centenary of the Statue of Liberty in the same year.

Soundtrack

  • If You Are But a Dream
    written by Moe Jaffe, Jack Fulton and Nat Bonx , performed by Frank Sinatra
  • The House I Live In
    Music: Earl Robinson, Text: Lewis Allan, performed by Frank Sinatra
  • America the Beautiful
    Music: Samuel A. Ward , performed by the studio orchestra

Awards

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Librarian of Congress Announces National Film Registry Selections for 2007 at loc.gov. (English)
  2. ↑ James Edwards: The House I Live In : Occidental Observer, March 16, 2011 (English - with video). Retrieved February 19, 2016.
  3. ^ Anthony Ripley: Sinatra at White House Gets a Standing Ovation; Italian's Toast In: The New York Times . April 18, 1973 (English). Retrieved February 19, 2016.
  4. ↑ Joan Cook: Abel Meeropol, 83, A Songwriter, Dies In: The New York Times . October 31, 1986 (English). Retrieved February 19, 2016.