His People

1925
Passed
1h 33m

IMDb RATING

YOUR RATING

Arthur Lubin, Rosa Rosanova, and Rudolph Schildkraut in His People (1925)

The two sons of a poor Russian-Jewish pushcart peddler on New York's Lower East Side are causing their father grief. As Morris and Sammy stray from traditions cherished by their parents, eac... Read allThe two sons of a poor Russian-Jewish pushcart peddler on New York's Lower East Side are causing their father grief. As Morris and Sammy stray from traditions cherished by their parents, each generation learns to accept change to preserve the family as a source of love and respec... Read allThe two sons of a poor Russian-Jewish pushcart peddler on New York's Lower East Side are causing their father grief. As Morris and Sammy stray from traditions cherished by their parents, each generation learns to accept change to preserve the family as a source of love and respect.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

7.7/10

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Awards
- 2 wins total

Trivia
A Jewel release. Not owning a theater network, Universal utilized a 3-tiered brand system to sell its product until 1929: Red Feather (low budget programmers), Bluebird (mainstream) and Jewel (big budget prestige releases capable of drawing roadshow ticket prices).

Connections
Referenced in Mamadrama: The Jewish Mother in Cinema (2001)

User reviews2

Review

Featured review

8/10

A loving, warm and humorous portrayal of Jewish immigrant life in New York City

A loving, warm and humorous portrayal of a Jewish immigrant from Russia and his family. David (husband), Rose (wife), Morris (eldest son) and Sammy (second son) live in an immigrant ghetto that is populated by a mix bag of people with different country origins. The narrative revolves around two archetypal stories. First, how obeisance to traditions by elders clash with the carefree assimilation to a dominant culture by a younger generation. Second, the "good" son that turns out to be bad versus the "bad" that turns out "good".

This is a film from the closing years of the silent era. As such, the emotions are clearly laid out on the screen. Being an Hollywood product made to entertain immigrant crowds, redemptive and happy endings are expected. It is a reflection of the optimism of those who came to improve their lot in the land of opportunity.

The outside shots appear to have been filmed in New York City. The elevated subway line that shows up in a number of scenes no longer exists, so it is an interesting record of a faraway era.