The Eddie Cantor story A Jewish life in performance and politics

David Weinstein, 1967-

Book - 2018

This absorbing biography chronicles the life and work of one of the most important entertainers of the twentieth century. Eddie Cantor (1892-1964) starred in theater, film, radio, and television. His immense popularity across a variety of media, his pride in his Jewish heritage, and his engagement with pressing political issues distinguished him from other headliners of his era. Paying equal attention to Cantor's humor and politics, Weinstein documents his significance as a performer, philanthropist, and activist. Many show business figures quietly shed their Jewish backgrounds or did not call attention to the fact that they were Jewish. Cantor was different. He addressed the vital issues of his times, including acculturation, national... identity, and antisemitism. He was especially forceful in opposing Nazism and paid a price for this activism in 1939, when a sponsor cancelled the actor's radio program. In this carefully researched book, Weinstein uncovers sketches and routines filled with Jewish phrases, allusions, jokes, songs, and stories. Cantor frequently did not mark this material as "Jewish," relying instead on attentive audiences to interpret his coded performances. Illustrated with thirty photographs, The Eddie Cantor Story examines the evolution, impact, and legacy of Cantor's performance style. His music and comedy not only shaped the history of popular entertainment, but also provide a foundation for ongoing efforts to redefine Jewish culture and build community in contemporary America.

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Subjects
Genres
Biographies
Authors' inscriptions (Provenance)
Published
Waltham, Massachusetts : Brandeis University Press [2018]
Language
English
Main Author
David Weinstein, 1967- (author)
Physical Description
xi, 303 pages : illustrations ; 25 cm
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN
9781512600483
  • Acknowledgments
  • Introduction
  • 1. Immigrants, Criminals, and Actors (1892-1908)
  • 2. A Vaudeville Education (1908-1916)
  • 3. The Jewish Wise Guy (1916-1919)
  • 4. A Snappy Headliner (1919-1923)
  • 5. Makin' Whoopee With Ziegfeld (1923-1930)
  • 6. Voice of the Depression (1929-1938)
  • 7. Radio With a Jewish Accent (1931-1938)
  • 8. The Fight Against Nazism (1933-I939)
  • 9. Cantor Goes to Church (1939-1941)
  • 10. It's Time to Smile Again (1941-1945)
  • 11. Postwar Struggles (1945-1950)
  • 12. The Last Comeback (1950-1952)
  • 13. Fading Away (1952-1964)
  • Epilogue: Eddie Cantor's Legacy
  • Notes
  • Index
Review by Library Journal Review

Weinstein's (The Forgotten Network: DuMont and the Birth of American Television) well-researched, generously documented biography of one of America's most successful entertainers posits that more than any other Jewish entertainer of his generation, -Eddie Cantor (1892-1964) "helped his coreligionists in America and abroad though offstage activism." As Jewish life became more central to cultural and political life in New York in the 1920s, Cantor's influence on the stage and beyond also increased. With detailed analyses of some of Cantor's most famous sketches, Weinstein shows how the performer was able to present Jewish characters to the broader American public. His role in the anti-Nazi effort is also illuminated, as are his concerns about the anti-Semitism expressed by the influential Catholic priest Father Coughlin. These moral stands cost him sponsorships and radio air time. -Cantor's opposition to -McCarthyism and the -Hollywood blacklist was a major focus in the early 1950s. Later sections follow Cantor's career in his twilight years, including his controversial and increasingly anachronistic use of "blackface" on his popular Colgate Comedy Hour. Failing health caused Cantor to fade from public prominence in the late 1950s, but his legacy is documented in an epilog. VERDICT This highly recommended book will be of keen interest to readers in fields of Jewish culture and politics.-Herbert E. Shapiro, Lifelong -Learning Soc., Florida Atlantic Univ., Boca Raton © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.