Screen Test of Time, Ep. 36: The House of Rothschild

Screen Test of Time is a podcast where Suzan Eraslan and David Daw set out to watch every movie ever nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture, in order, from the first awards season to, eventually, the present day. Each week, they watch and review a different movie, and when they've watched everything nominated in a particular year, they tell you whether the Oscar went to the right one! 

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CONTENT WARNING: This week's film, The House of Rothschild, includes a number of offensive stereotypes about Jewish people, which Suzan and David critique in the episode. Please proceed with caution. 

If you're looking for a master class in how well meaning racism is still racism, look no further than The House of Rothschild, a film that tries to indict anti-semitism while reinforcing anti-semitic stereotypes. Non-Jewish actor George Arliss, who played the eponymous character in Disraeli, nominated for Best Picture in 1929, returns to play not one two members of the family of European bankers, in this tone deaf mess. 

SHOW NOTES: 

Year Eligible: 1934 (Nominated)

Additional audio from The House of Rothschild (1934)