God, Man and Devil (Got, mentsh un tayvl)
| God, Man and Devil | |
|---|---|
| גאָט, מענטש און טײַװל | |
| Directed by | Joseph Seiden |
| Based on | |
| Produced by | Joseph Seiden |
| Starring |
|
Release date |
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| Country | United States |
| Language | Yiddish |
God, Man and Devil (Yiddish: גאָט, מענטש און טײַװל) is a 1950 Yiddish-language film directed and produced by Joseph Seiden, based on Jacob Gordin's 1900 play of the same name. The film was the last Yiddish feature film released in the U.S. after World War II.[1] It stars Michal Michalesko as Hershele Dubrovner, Gustav Berger as Satan, Berta Gersten as Pesa, and Shifra Lehrer as Freyde.[2][3]
Background
The underlying play, Got, Mentsh un Tayvl (1900), draws loosely on the Faust legend: a poor, pious scribe named Hershele Dubrovner is tempted by the Devil, disguised as a benefactor named Uriel Mazik, to abandon his modest life for wealth and a talis factory, at the cost of his soul and his marriage.[4]
The play, along with Mirele Efros, is considered among Gordin's most successful works and helped establish him as, in the words of the Cambridge History of English and American Literature, "the acknowledged reformer of the Yiddish stage".[5] It premiered at the Thalia Theatre in New York on September 21, 1900, and became a classic of the Yiddish repertoire.
Cast
- Michal Michalesko – Hershele Dubrovner
- Gustav Berger – Satan
- Berta Gersten – Pesa
- Esta Saltzman – Tsipa
- Max Bozyk – Leyzer Badkhn (Hershele's father)
- Leon Schachter – Khatskl Drakhme
- Lucy Gehrman – Dobe
- Shifra Lehrer – Freyde
- Joshua Zeldis – Motl[2]
See also
References
- ↑ Hoberman, J. (1991). Bridge of Light: Yiddish Film between Two Worlds. Philadelphia: Temple University Press. p. 19.
- 1 2 "God, Man and Devil". The National Center for Jewish Film. Retrieved July 9, 2026.
- ↑ "God, Man and Devil". IMDB. Retrieved July 9, 2026.
- ↑ "YANKEV (JACOB) GORDIN". Yiddish Leksikon. Retrieved July 10, 2026.
- ↑ "Playwright Jacob Gordin brought realism into the Yiddish theater". The Forward. May 15, 2023. Retrieved July 10, 2026.