Jew Süss (1934 film)
Jew Süss is a 1934 British historical romantic drama film based on Lion Feuchtwanger's 1925 novel Jud Süß, about Joseph Süß Oppenheimer. Directed by Lothar Mendes, the film stars German actor Conrad Veidt in the role of Oppenheimer. The screenplay was written by Dorothy Farnum and Arthur Rawlinson.
Jew Süss | |
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1934 UK cinema poster | |
Directed by | Lothar Mendes |
Screenplay by | |
Based on | Jud Süß (novel) by Lion Feuchtwanger |
Produced by | Michael Balcon |
Starring | Conrad Veidt |
Music by | |
Distributed by | Gaumont-British |
Release dates |
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Running time | 105 minutes |
Country | United Kingdom |
Language | English |
Budget | £120,000 |
Unlike the Nazis' antisemitic film Jud Süß (1940), the British film was intended to be sympathetic to Jews, and is generally considered to be a faithful adaptation of Feuchtwanger's novel. It was hoped the historical analogy, condemning antisemitism in 1730, would be a successful means of evading the ban by the British censors on political topics in films.
The latter film with the same title, produced in Nazi Germany, is considered by some to be an antisemitic response to Mendes' philosemitic film.