anyone still out there?

a recommendation from a friend that reads as follows:


there is a great documentary playing on pbs-- "cinema's exiles: from hitler to hollywood" about exiled jews in the film/entertainment industry (and some non-jews who couldn't stomach the reich) who came to the u.s and transformed the film industry here, with a few barriers along the way. while the general fact is certainly not unknown, the details are amazing and fascinating and educational. i didn't know that "the wolf man" was an allegory about the third reich! or that billy wilder, who lost much of his family in the camps, was the person who filmed many of those scenes of the rescues and carnage at the end of the war. the characters span peter lorre to bertolt brecht. and great ironic bits-- like when goebels called a meeting of all jewish filmmakers early the nazi days and said he was taking over the industry because jews didn't make films that reflected real german life. he cited for them, as evidence, 12 films he considered great. 11 were made by jews! needless to say, they didn't waste time laughing at him. they headed for france!

hope you're all having lovely holidays.
Happy New Year One and All,

yours humbly,
LH