Gentleman’s Agreement (1947)

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Gregory Peck stars as a widowed magazine reporter who spends six months pretending to be Jewish while researching for an article about anti-semitism. He’s startled to discover the ways bigotry manifests in his undercover life — openly at ‘restricted’ clubs and secretly in hiring practices, coming from bullies in his son’s schoolyard and even from other Jews who don’t want to draw attention to their differences. But the most painful discovery comes from his fiancee’s (Dorothy McGuire) inability to handle the charade.

Leave it to director Elia Kazan (East of Eden, A Face in the Crowd) to open another sociological can of worms. His essayed, multi-faceted approach on the subject works extraordinarily well — especially in its spotlight on Christian privilege, a concept people still wrestle with today. One of the most resonant scenes is one in which John Garfield, as Peck’s Jewish boyhood friend, helps Dorothy McGuire to understand the concept. In her Oscar-nominated performance, McGuire lays bare before the camera her humiliation and regret as Garfield helps her understand that by not condemning the discrimination of others, she’s effectively condoning it. It’s one thing for a film to handle controversial sociological ills, but it’s even more commendable when that film can offer a remedy.

Kazan rounds up a hell of a cast here. Peck is ever-reliable and as mentioned above, McGuire is arguably at her best here. But the supporting cast is just as rich, with Anne Revere playing Peck’s ailing but supportive mother and young Dean Stockwell giving a surprisingly naturalistic performance as Peck’s precocious son. But it’s Celeste Holm who is the most memorable in the film. She won an Oscar for her warm, ebullient portrayal of a good friend who secretly pines for Peck. Actors would be wise to study her masterful balance of wry comedy and quiet, reserved strength.

With Jane Wyatt and Sam Jaffe.

Academy Awards: Best Picture, Supporting Actress (Celeste Holm), Director (Elia Kazan)

Oscar Nominations: Best Actor (Gregory Peck), Actress (Dorothy McGuire), Supporting Actress (Anne Revere), Screenplay (Moss Hart), Film Editing (Harmon Jones)