The Wandering Jew (1933 film)

The Wandering Jew is a 1933 British fantasy drama film produced for the Gaumont-Twickenham Film Studios and directed by Maurice Elvey. It recounts the tale of a Jew (played by Conrad Veidt) who is forced to wander the Earth for centuries because he rebuffed Jesus while he was carrying his cross. The other cast members included Peggy Ashcroft, Francis L. Sullivan, and Felix Aylmer. This film is a remake of the 1923 silent film of the same name, based on a play of the same name by E. Temple Thurston.

The Wandering Jew
Directed by	Maurice Elvey
Written by	H. Fowler Mear from the play by Temple Thurston[1]
Produced by	Julius Hagen
Starring	Conrad Veidt Marie Ney Anne Grey
Cinematography	Sydney Blythe
Edited by	Jack Harris
Music by	Hugo Riesenfeld
Production company	Julius Hagen Productions
Distributed by	Gaumont British Distributors
Release date	15 November 1933 (1933-11-15)
Running time	111 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English

Plot

The plot follows the eponymous character's epic journey. He is finally burnt at the stake by the Spanish Inquisition. As he burns, he is forgiven by God and finally allowed to die. The story is a retelling of the myth of the Wandering Jew, dating back to the 13th century. The story bears a resemblance to the legend of the Flying Dutchman.

Cast

• Conrad Veidt as Mathathias
• Marie Ney as Judith
• Basil Gil as Pontius Pilate
• Cicely Oates as Rachel
• Anne Grey as Joan de Baudricourt
• Dennis Hoey as Lord de Baudricourt
• Bertram Wallis as Prince Bohemund of Tarentum
• Hector Abbas as Isaachar the Miser
• Kenji Takase as Phirous
• Jack Livesey as Godfrey, Duke of Normandy
• Joan Maude as Gianella
• John Stuart as Pietro Morelli
• Arnold Lucy as Andrea Michelloti
• Peggy Ashcroft as Ollala Quintana
• Francis L. Sullivan as Archbishop Juan de Texada
• Abraham Sofaer as Zapportas
• Felix Aylmer as Ferera
• Ivor Barnard as Castro

Portrayal of Jews

Unlike the Nazis' 1940 antisemitic propaganda film, this film portrayed Jews as the victims of unjustified persecution throughout history, such as during the Spanish Inquisition. The version made under the Third Reich, by contrast, was intended to be virulently antisemitic.^[2]