Joseph Seiden

{{short description|American film producer}}

'''Joseph Seiden''' ({{lang|yi|יוסף זײדען}}; 1892–1974)<ref>{{Cite web|title=Joseph Seiden (c. 1892-1974)|url=https://data.bnf.fr/en/16168558/joseph_seiden/|access-date=2021-01-06|website=data.bnf.fr}}</ref> was a pioneering American Yiddish language film producer of the early twentieth century. He released a large number of low-budget, sentimental Yiddish dramas during the 1930s and 1940s.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EF2xmI5pEx8C&q=joseph+seiden+film&pg=PA379|title=Hollywood on the Hudson: Film and Television in New York from Griffith to Sarnoff|isbn=9780813545523|last1=Koszarski|first1=Richard|date=27 August 2008}}</ref><ref name="Kanfer 232-3">{{cite book |last1=Kanfer |first1=Stefan |title=Stardust lost : the triumph, tragedy, and mishugas of the Yiddish theater in America |date=2006 |publisher=Knopf |location=New York |isbn=1400042887 |pages=232–3 |edition=1st}}</ref> He also directed ''Paradise in Harlem'', a 1940 musical film with an African American cast.

==Biography== ===Early life=== Seiden was born on July 23, 1892, in Manhattan.<ref>{{cite web |title=Josef Seiden. New York, New York City Births, 1846-1909 |url=https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2W9D-CKW |website=FamilySearch |access-date=30 January 2021}}</ref><ref name="1919 passport application">{{cite web |title=Joseph Or Josef Seiden. United States Passport Applications, 1795-1925 |url=https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QKDN-RM9L |website=FamilySearch |access-date=30 January 2021}}</ref><ref name="death index">{{cite web |title=Joseph Seiden. United States Social Security Death Index |url=https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VSVS-82S |website=FamilySearch |access-date=30 January 2021}}</ref> His father, Frank Seiden, a Jewish entertainer born in Galicia, Austria-Hungary, was at that time a working magician who ran a bar in the Bowery.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Blaine |first1=David |title=Mysterious stranger |date=2002 |publisher=Channel 4 |location=London |isbn=9780752219899 |page=34}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Jay |first1=Ricky |title=Learned pigs & fireproof women |publisher=Hale |isbn=0-7090-3150-5 |pages=85–7 }}</ref> While Joseph was still a child, his father became one of the first Yiddish language recording artists in the United States, recording comedy and music records at the turn of the century.<ref name="Sapoznik 62">{{cite book |last1=Sapoznik |first1=Henry |title=Klezmer! : Jewish music from Old World to our world |date=1999 |publisher=Schirmer Books |location=New York |isbn=9780028645742 |page=62}}</ref>

===Career in film=== thumb|Joseph Seiden passport photo, 1919

====Projection and camera work==== Seiden was present at the very dawn of the film industry in the New York area as he was a picture operator and voiceover actor at age 15 for the vaudeville and Nickelodeon theaters his family ran, starting in around 1907 with a theater in Greenpoint, Brooklyn and in 1914 the Willott Street Theater on the Lower East Side.<ref>{{cite news |title=Sang to save his life from mob. |url=https://fultonhistory.com/Fulton.html |work=New York Evening World |date=1908-05-18}}</ref><ref name="Goldman 61">{{cite book |last1=Goldman |first1=Eric A. |title=Visions, images, and dreams : Yiddish film past and present |location=Ann Arbor, Michigan |isbn=9780835715157 |page=61}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Empire State Exhibitors Hold Convention. |url=https://archive.org/stream/motionp09moti#page/n1013/mode/2up |work=Motion Picture News |date=1914-06-20}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=East Side Flat Sales. Willett Street. |url=https://fultonhistory.com/Fulton.html |work=The New York Sun |date=1915-02-28}}</ref> The comedian George Burns worked in the Columbia street theater as a child and described it in his memoir as a noisy place where the adjacent Billiards hall often drowned out the act.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Burns |first1=George |title=I Love Her, That's Why! an Autobiography |date=1955 |publisher=Simon and Schuster |isbn=9781456636425 |page=14}}</ref> By 1916 the family moved from running theatres to founding a production company, with Joseph and his brother Jacob being on the board of the Teeaness Film Co.,<ref>{{cite news |title=New Corporations. |url=https://archive.org/stream/motionpicturenew141unse#page/1086/mode/2up/search/Seiden |work=Motion Picture News |publisher=Motion Picture News, inc. |date=1916-08-19}}</ref> and in 1918 his own company, Seiden Films, which made short educational or industrial films.<ref name="Goldman 61" /> Joseph soon became a successful cameraman, working for the New York Motion Picture Company, World Film Company, Equitable, and Fox Film.<ref name="Goldman 61" />

Among his notable works during this era was his trip to Poland to film for Richard Ordynski and his Tatra Production Corporation in 1919,<ref>{{cite news |title=Sails for Poland to Make Paderewski Films |url=https://archive.org/stream/motionpicturenew192unse_0#page/3010/mode/2up |work=Motion Picture News |date=1919-05-10}}</ref> as film representative for Herbert Hoover and the American Relief Administration in Europe in the same year.<ref>{{cite news |title=Back from Perilous Mission |url=https://archive.org/stream/motionpicturenew201unse#page/1607/mode/2up |work=Motion Picture News |date=1919-08-23}}</ref> He also continued to make industrial films in the United States, refounding his company in 1922 as the Seiden Industrial and Educational Film Corp. Associated.<ref>{{cite news |title=Seiden Making Industrials |url=https://archive.org/stream/filmdaily1920newy#page/n217/mode/2up |work=The Film Daily |date=1922-01-31}}</ref>

Later in the 1920s Seiden continued to make money on the production and supply parts of the industry, running a company renting sound equipment for film production<ref name="Goldman 56">{{cite book |last1=Goldman |first1=Eric A. |title=Visions, images, and dreams : Yiddish film past and present |location=Ann Arbor, Michigan |isbn=9780835715157 |page=56}}</ref> and another, the Seiden Camera Exchange, for film and photography equipment.<ref>{{cite news |title=Seiden firm at High Point of Activity during 1927 |url=https://archive.org/stream/filmdailyyearboo00wids_1#page/865/mode/2up |work=Film Daily Year Book |date=1928}}</ref>

====Producer==== It was in 1929, after the release of the first Yiddish language film, ''Ad Mosay'', released as ''The Eternal Prayer'', that Seiden banded together with Moe Berliner and Moe Goldman to found Judea Pictures, which immediately produced two short films with budgets of around $3,000: ''Style and Class'' and ''Shuster Libe''.<ref name="Goldman 56" /> The idea of a "Yiddish Talkie" was still such a novelty that contemporary newspapers debated whether it was commercially viable.<ref>{{cite news |title=The Yiddish Talkie |url=https://www.nli.org.il/en/newspapers/amjwld/1930/06/06/01/article/15/?srpos=4&e=-------en-20--1--img-txIN%7ctxTI-%22Joseph+Seiden%22+-------------1 |work=The American Jewish World |date=1930-06-06}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Yiddish Talkie Chain Opens Three Houses |url=https://www.nli.org.il/en/newspapers/bbh/1930/06/06/01/article/96/?srpos=3&e=-------en-20--1--img-txIN%7ctxTI-%22Joseph+Seiden%22+-------------1 |work=B'nai B'rith Messenger |date=1930-06-06}}</ref> After those saw some success, the company produced its first full-length film, ''Mayne Yidishe Mame'' starring Mae Simon.<ref name="Goldman 57">{{cite book |last1=Goldman |first1=Eric A. |title=Visions, images, and dreams : Yiddish film past and present |location=Ann Arbor, Michigan |isbn=9780835715157 |page=57}}</ref> The company then launched into production for a long series of full-length, low-budget Yiddish "talkie" films. Seiden knew how to skirt regulations to save money and would often film at night or on holidays to avoid scrutiny.<ref name="Kanfer 232-3" /> His first films were very poorly received by Yiddish cultural critics, but were nonetheless profitable enough to continue being made.<ref>{{cite book |title=Iḳuf-almanakh: 1961 |date=1961 |publisher=Ikuf |location=New York |page=440 |url=https://www.yiddishbookcenter.org/collections/yiddish-books/spb-nybc205675?book-page=441&book-mode=1up}}</ref>

In 1930 Seiden tried to boost the international viewership of his films by securing a distribution deal in Mandatory Palestine.<ref name="Goldman 61" /> When attempts were made to screen ''Mayne Yidishe Mame'' at the Mograbi Theatre in Tel Aviv, members of the audience threw ink at the screen and set off stink bombs to protest the use of the Yiddish language (rather than Hebrew.<ref name="Goldman 61" /> The vice-mayor of Tel Aviv forbade the playing of the film, and then only allowed it with the sound cut off for the Yiddish dialogue and songs.<ref name="Goldman 64">{{cite book |last1=Goldman |first1=Eric A. |title=Visions, images, and dreams : Yiddish film past and present |location=Ann Arbor, Michigan |isbn=9780835715157 |page=64}}</ref>

In 1931 Seiden took over full ownership of Judea Pictures, and then in 1935 founded a new company called Jewish Talking Pictures.<ref name="Goldman 77-9">{{cite book |last1=Goldman |first1=Eric A. |title=Visions, images, and dreams : Yiddish film past and present |location=Ann Arbor, Michigan |isbn=9780835715157 |pages=77–9}}</ref> The new company's first major work was a remake of Jacob Gordin's The Yiddish King Lear, which was directed by Harry Thomashefsky.<ref name="Goldman 77-9" /> By 1936, Joseph turned to artist and director George Roland, an experienced editor who had worked at Warner Brothers to produce his next round of films.<ref name="Goldman 77-9" />

With the rise of the Nazi Party to power in Germany, Joseph became a vocal and active opponent. He produced an anti-Nazi film called ''Hitler's Reign of Terror'' (1934), directed by his longtime collaborator Michael Mindlin,<ref name="Fox 37" /> and in 1938 denounced Leni Riefenstahl's tour to New York to promote Olympia.<ref>{{cite news |title=ANTI-NAZIS PROTEST RIEFENSTAHL'S VISIT TO CIRCULATE OLYMPIC FILM |url=https://archive.org/stream/motionpictureher133unse#page/n95/mode/2up |work=Motion Picture Herald |date=1938-11-12}}</ref>

By the end of the 1930s, although the market was saturated with far more Yiddish films than had existed a decade earlier, Joseph still thought he could make a profit by producing low-budget dramas.<ref name="Goldman 132-41">{{cite book |last1=Goldman |first1=Eric A. |title=Visions, images, and dreams : Yiddish film past and present |location=Ann Arbor, Michigan |isbn=9780835715157 |pages=132–41}}</ref> He rented a loft in Fort Lee, New Jersey to use as his new studio, and started off by filming ''Der Lebediker Yosem'' (The Living Orphan).<ref name="Goldman 132-41" /> He followed up with a number of similar formulaic films, including ''Kol Nidre'' (1939), ''Eli Eli'', and ''Motl der Operator'' (1940).<ref name="Goldman 132-41" /> His final prewar film was ''Mazl Tov Yidn'' (1941), which was just a recut of various previous films he had made.<ref name="Goldman 132-41" />

During the Second World War, Joseph ceased making Yiddish films and turned to wartime production (of collapsible masts).<ref name="Goldman 132-41" />

It was only in 1949 that Joseph once again started making Yiddish films. In 1949 he set about to make an ambitious film, Jacob Gordin's ''Got, Mentsh un Tayvl'' (God, Man and Devil). Although his budget for actors and music was much higher than his prewar films, the film still suffered from primitive production and poor editing and was not well received.<ref name="Goldman 151-8">{{cite book |last1=Goldman |first1=Eric A. |title=Visions, images, and dreams : Yiddish film past and present |location=Ann Arbor, Michigan |isbn=9780835715157 |pages=151–8}}</ref> After adapting Abraham Blum's ''Dray Tekhter'' (Three Daughters), Joseph turned to less commercially risky productions, and made the musical revues ''Catskill Honeymoon'', ''Singers of Israel'' and ''Monticello, Here We Come''.<ref name="Goldman 151-8" /> After 1950, there was little market for Yiddish-language films and Joseph stopped trying to make new films.

After 'retiring' from filmmaking, Seiden turned to distribution and made his living that way, by renting out his own films and those of other Yiddish producers.<ref name="Goldman 151-8" /> Joseph died in Nassau County, New York in January 1974.<ref name="death index" />

After his death, his collection of reels was sold by Joseph's son to Sharon Pucker Rivo and Miriam Krant, who used it as the basis to found the National Center for Jewish Film.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.hadassahmagazine.org/2015/12/05/sharon-pucker-rivo/|title=Sharon Pucker Rivo|date=December 5, 2015|website=Hadassah Magazine}}</ref> The center has since restored and reissued a number of Joseph's films, including ''God, Man and Devil'' in 1978<ref>{{cite web |title=God, Man and Devil |url=https://jewishfilm.org/Catalogue/films/godmananddevil.htm |website=National Center for Jewish Film |access-date=30 January 2021}}</ref> ''Motel the Operator'' in 2001,<ref>{{cite web |title=Motel the Operator |url=https://jewishfilm.org/Catalogue/films/motl.html |website=National Center for Jewish Film |access-date=30 January 2021}}</ref> ''The Living Orphan'' in 2004,<ref>{{cite web |title=The Living Orphan |url=https://jewishfilm.org/Catalogue/films/LivingOrphan.htm |website=National Center for Jewish Film |access-date=30 January 2021}}</ref> and ''Kol Nidre'' in 2012.<ref>{{cite web |title=Kol Nidre |url=https://jewishfilm.org/Catalogue/films/kolnidre.htm |website=National Centre for Jewish Film |access-date=30 January 2021}}</ref> His 1949 film ''God, Man & Devil'' was also re-released on video in 1991.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fKszAQAAIAAJ&q=joseph+seiden+1974|title=Bowker's Complete Video Directory 2000|date=November 30, 2000|publisher=R.R. Bowker|isbn=9780835243087|via=Google Books}}</ref>

==Selected filmography== * ''Yiddish Mama'' (Mine Yiddishe Mame) (1930)<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BebEAji_wH4C&q=joseph+seiden+film&pg=PA846|title=Film Study: An Analytical Bibliography|first=Frank|last=Manchel|date=November 30, 1990|publisher=Fairleigh Dickinson Univ Press|isbn=9780838631867|via=Google Books}}</ref> * ''Eli, Eli'' (193?) as producer and director.<ref name="Fox 59-68" /> * ''Hitler's Reign of Terror'' (1934), as supervisor, directed by Michael Mindlin.<ref name="Fox 37">{{cite book |last1=Fox |first1=Stuart |title=Jewish films in the United States : a comprehensive survey and descriptive filmography |date=1976 |publisher=G.K. Hall |location=Boston |isbn=0816178933 |page=37}}</ref> * ''Living Orphan'' (Lebediker Yosem) (1937), as director and producer.<ref name="Fox 59-68" /><ref name=shet /> * ''Al Chet (I have Sinned)'' (1937), as producer<ref name="Fox 59-68">{{cite book |last1=Fox |first1=Stuart |title=Jewish films in the United States : a comprehensive survey and descriptive filmography |date=1976 |publisher=G.K. Hall |location=Boston |isbn=0816178933 |pages=59–68}}</ref> * ''Der Yiddisher Nigun (the Jewish Melody)'' (19??), as producer and director.<ref name="Fox 59-68" /> * ''Di freylekhe kabtsonim (Jolly Paupers)'' (1937), as producer, directed by L. Feannick, script by Itzik Manger, produced in Poland.<ref name="Fox 59-68" /> * ''Kol Nidre'' (1939), as director, starring Leibele Waldman.<ref name="Fox 59-68" /> * ''Paradise in Harlem'' (1940)<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=f3Iet2KatygC&q=joseph+seiden+1974&pg=PA261|title=Historical Dictionary of African American Cinema - S. Torriano Berry, Venise T. Berry - Google Books|isbn=9780810864641|last1=Torriano Berry|first1=S.|last2=Berry|first2=Venise T.|date=26 January 2007}}</ref> * ''Motl the Operator'' (1940), as producer, based on a play by Chaim Towber.<ref name="Fox 59-68" /> * ''The Great Advisor'' (1940), as producer and director, starring Irving Jacobson.<ref name="Fox 59-68" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IKYqAQAAIAAJ&q=joseph+seiden+1974|title=The Motion Picture Guide|first1=Jay Robert|last1=Nash|first2=Stanley Ralph|last2=Ross|date=November 30, 1985|publisher=Cinebooks|via=Google Books}}</ref> * ''Mazel Tov Yidden'' (1941), as producer and director.<ref name="Fox 59-68" /><ref name="shet" /> * ''Americaner Schadchen'' (19??), as producer, directed by Edgar G. Ulmer, starring Leo Fuchs.<ref name="Fox 59-68" /> * ''Three Daughters'' (19??), as director.<ref name="Fox 59-68" /> * ''God, Man and Devil'' (1949–50), as producer and director, script by Joseph Gordin.<ref name="Fox 59-68" /><ref name="shet">{{Cite web|url=https://www.jewish-music.huji.ac.il/keywords/joseph-seiden|title=Joseph Seiden &#124; Jewish Music Research Centre|website=www.jewish-music.huji.ac.il}}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Seiden, Joseph}} Category:1892 births Category:1974 deaths Category:Film directors from New York City Category:Yiddish-language film directors