Adolph S. Ochs, publisher of the “New York Times”, has denied the statement attributed to him that Cecil de Mille had told him he was sorry for having produced the “King of Kings” and that Mr. Ocbs is of the opinion that the Jews who participated in the production of the film were “a disgrace to their people.”
These statements were attributed to Mr. Ochs by the “California Jewish Review,” Los Angeles weekly, in what purported to be an interview with the publisher. The “Jewish Daily Bulletin” quoted the report of the “California Jewish Review.”
In a telegram despatched yesterday to the “California Jewish Review,” a copy of which was forwarded to the “Jewish Daily Bulletin”, Mr. Ochs, who is now in Cincinnati, deciared:
“You have done me a great injustice by publishing an unauthorized interview with me in your issue of March 9, which has just come to my attention. You will oblige me by publishing this telegram in your next issue. I did not say that Cecil De Mille expressed regret to me for producing the ‘King of Kings.’ I may have said that I think perhaps he does. He said nothing of the kind to me. Nor did I say that the Jews that participated in filming it were ‘a disgrace to their people.’
“I did express my regret that the ‘King of Kings’ was produced and may have said that I regret Jews had anything to do with it. I gave no interview for publication and only had a few moments of incidental conversation with what appeared to be an intelligent, agreeable young gentleman. He disappoints me in placing me in a false position of committing a serious breach of hospitality toward Mr. De Mille in quoting a private talk with him which would be bad enough if true and inexpressibly wicked if untrue as it is.”
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
