Joseph In The Land Of Egypt (film)
Joseph in the Land of Egypt was a 1932 film, considered to be the first talkie film in Yiddish. Produced in the United States by Joseph Green and directed by George Roland, the film was intended to exploit the burgeoning Yiddish-speaking theater-going in America by introducing them to the new medium of film. Rather than creating an original film, Green took an Italian silent film of Jewish interest and dubbed it in Yiddish. Green, the producer, also took the starring role of Joseph for himself.
The film was well received by audiences in both the United States and Europe. That summer, Green took his film to Poland, then the largest Jewish center in Europe. Although most theater owners were reluctant to show it there, fearing that it would spark anti-Semitism, he eventually found two theater owners who were willing to show the film during the week of Passover. According to one story, the theater owners barred the door of their office with their bodies and declared that Green could not leave until he agreed to allow them to show the film.
Joseph in the Land of Egypt was an immediate success and had a 30-week run at that theater before making its way through the rest of the country. With the film's success, Green went on to produce several more films in Poland, all of which were considered highlights of the Yiddish cinema.
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