"JEW SUSS."

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 170, 20 July 1935, Page 2 (Supplement)

"JEW SUSS."

THE SCREEN PLAY PUBLISHED,

A curiosity in the double world of screen and "literature is the series of scenarios that Methuens are publishing in book form. "Jew Suss," the scenario of the film, is the version in 700 scenes produced by the Gaumont British Corporation, and is edited with a very informative introduction by Ernest Betts. Technically the volume has unusual interest, for it tells in studio language what the scenes arc, and how they are "shot." The dialogue is given and there are liberal stage directions. Even the regular cinema patron will be surprised at the number of the scenes. The student of literature may amuse himself by comparing this skeletonised story prepared for the screen with the original tale. The introduction shows what a task it was to prepare this large, opulent, crowded and tragic novel for the screen. Ten "treatments" or outlines were prepared, and this number is not out of the way. Adaptation of "Jew Suss" took many months and the production several more, with sometimes four studios in use. We are not told what the cost was, but it is stated that the original intention was to spend £50,000 —"a mere flea-bite" —and it is indicated that this was far exceeded. British films were striving to enter the American market, and money had to be spent lavishly to keep up with American standards. "The Private Life of Henry VIII." forced a way in, and "Jew Suss" followed. Mr. Betts says it was an act of courage to make "Jew Suss" into a film. Jt proved to the world that British films had something to say and were bent on saying it as well as possible. For that reason, apart from its excellence as a piece of scenario wiiting, he considers it deserves to be distributed in book form.