Rabbi Louis Newman Directs Charges Against I. O. B. B. Leaders on Pacific Coast (Jewish Daily Bulletin)
A denial that Cecil de Mille’s next picture, “The Godless Girl,” contains any material reflecting upon the Jewish people was made in telegrams addressed to Rabbi Louis I. Newman of Temple Emanu El by Mr. de Mille and Jeanie MacPherson. the author of the scenario.
Rabbi Newman, in a statement he issued, formulated a series of accusations in connection with the de Mille production, “King of Kings” and its alleged Jewish endorsement.
“I have seen the ‘King of Kings’ and now I shall speak.” Rabbi Newman declares in his statement.
“I accuse!
“I accuse Cecil de Mille and his minions of having planned and promoted through the educational medium of the motion picture a work offensive to Christian and Jew alike, misrepresenting the personality and teachings of Jesus, and maligning the religion of Judaism and its adherents.
“I accuse Jeanie MacPherson, the scenario writer, of having deliberately twisted out of character the story of the New Testament, misquoting texts, interpolating unhistoric and untruthful sentences, and misusing the Gospel story with dangerous results.
“I accuse those Rabbis in and about Los Angeles who aided de Mille in the details of the picture, supplying information concerning Jews and Judaism which de Mille employed in the basest fashion. The names of these Rabbis are known through their own statements.
“I accuse Rudolph and Joseph Schildkraut of having through their interpretation of Caiaphas and Judas betrayed the honor and safety of the Jewish people.
“I accuse the Anti-Defamation Committee of the B’nai Brith District Grand Lodge No. 4 of having failed to take the necessary steps to prevent the filming of ‘The King of Kings’; of having submitted either through shortsightedness or lack of courage to the issuance of the picture; of having supplied the National Anti-Defamation Committee with incorrect and inadequate information whereby it could make its decision; of having refused to take responsible leaders and the Jewish public into its confidence in order to awaken Jewish public opinion to combat the picture; of having sought to silence and crush any critic who dared charge the Pacific Coast Anti-Defamation Committee with dereliction of duty; of having, in short, entrapped the Jewish people into a situation from
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