The Singing Blacksmith (1938)

Synopsis: Edgar G. Ulmer directed this Yiddish musical drama based on David Pinski's classic story "Yankl der Schmid." A town blacksmith in Czarist Russia has a weakness for wine and a lust for the... Edgar G. Ulmer directed this Yiddish musical drama based on David Pinski's classic story "Yankl der Schmid." A town blacksmith in Czarist Russia has a weakness for wine and a lust for the woman-next-door (Florence Weiss). He struggles to resist temptation and live righteously for the sake of his sickly wife, Tamare (Miriam Reiselle). Moische Oysher, an accomplished Yiddish cantor, stars in the title role. This production of the Yiddish Art Theater takes place in an authentic outdoor recreation of a Jewish "shtetl" and features a rich cast of supporting characters. The film's vivid tapestry of music, humor, romance, and folklore make it a valuable recording of Jewish culture, and one of the more accessible and enjoyable works of its cinema. Author Pinski penned the script himself; it's in Yiddish, with English subtitles. Director Edgar Ulmer gives the film a starkly expressionistic grandeur that defies its low budget. He would later go on to direct films like DETOUR and THE MAN FROM PLANET X. [More]

Starring: Miriam Riselle, Florence Weiss, Moishe Oysher, Ben-Zvi Baratoff

Starring: Miriam Riselle, Florence Weiss, Moishe Oysher, Ben-Zvi Baratoff, Herschel Bernardi, Michael Goldstein

Director: Edgar G. Ulmer

Director: Edgar G. Ulmer

[See More Credits]