A Brivele der mamen (1938)

One of the last Yiddish films made in Poland before the Nazi invasion, this film tells the story of a mother's persistent struggles to support her three children in pre-war World War II ... See full summary »

Directors:

Joseph Green, Leon Trystan

Writers:

Joseph Green, Jecheskiel Mosze Neuman (literary collaborator),

Stars:

Lucy Gehrman, Misha Gehrman, Gertrude Bulman

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Lucy Gehrman	...	Debora Berdyczewska
Misha Gehrman	...	Mr. Stein - HIAS director
Gertrude Bulman	...	Miriam Berdyczewska
Max Bozyk	...	Szymon / Shimen, the Tailor (as Maks Bozyk)
Alexander Stein	...	Dawid Berdyczewski
Simche Fostel	...	The Cantor
Chana Lewin	...	Malke, wife of Shimen
Izak Grudberg	...	Meir Berdyczewski
Samuel Landau	...	Hersh Leib, fabric wholesaler
Irving Bruner	...	Aron 'Arele' Berdyczewski
Edmund Zayenda	...	Irving Bird / Arnold Berd / Aron 'Arele' Berdyczewski as an adult
Edward Sternbach
Berta Gersten	...	(as Berta Gerstin)
Leon Kaswiner
Gustav Berger

Storyline

One of the last Yiddish films made in Poland before the Nazi invasion, this film tells the story of a mother's persistent struggles to support her three children in pre-war World War II Polish Ukraine. After her family is pulled apart by severe poverty and the turmoil of war, she and her children make their way to New York and turn to the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society for help.

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Plot Keywords:

ukraine | new york city | ungrateful child | song | female head of household | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

Poland USA

Language:

Yiddish

Release Date:

14 September 1939 (USA)

Also Known As:

Little Letter to Mother

Filming Locations:

Lviv, Ukraine

Box Office

Budget:

PLZ 301,040 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Green-Film

Technical Specs

Runtime:

106 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (British Acoustic)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This was the highest grossing Yiddish film of its time.

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Connections

Featured in Almonds and Raisins (1984)

User Reviews

A Cinema Masterpiece Deserving of a Much Larger Audience

"A Brivele Der Mamen" is one of the greatest movies ever made, in any language. An absolute masterpiece. A powerful look at the lives of Jews in Poland prior to and during World War I. Lucy Gehrman is absolutely brilliant as the mother. This movie should be shown in art houses and seen by discriminating audiences all over the world. It is a pity that this movie has been confined mostly to Jewish audiences. This is a powerful, universal film, which should be seen by a vast, world-wide audience. While the film was a huge success when it opened in 1939, it is even more amazing today. Although the action takes place before and during World War I, it was filmed in Poland in 1938 and, as such, it is an extraordinary last look at Jewish life in Poland just before the Holocaust wiped it all out.