By Nate Bloom
Contributing Columnist
Marty Supreme and Something Serious
“Marty Supreme,” opens in theaters on Dec. 25. I could tell you more about the plot, but the very detailed plot will be in many reviews that come out on Dec. 25, and you can read those reviews in print or online.
Here’s the ‘Jewish stuff’:
“Marty Supreme” is a comedy/drama film loosely based on the life of MARTY REISMAN (1930-2012), a top (Jewish) table tennis player. JOSH SAFDIE, 40, directed the film and co-wrote it.
TIMOTHEE CHALAMET, 29, plays Marty. The film is set in the ‘50s. The Marty in the film is a hustling, working class, Jewish New Yorker.
All these descriptions apply to the real-life Marty Reisman. However, because the filmmakers opted to not really follow Reisman’s real life, they opted to give Marty a different last name — “Mauser.”
Chalamet’s American mother is Jewish. His father was born and raised in France, the son of a Protestant pastor. While Timothee isn’t religious, he identifies as Jewish. He was born in Manhattan and grew up there.
There are 29 cast members in “Marty,” and nine are Jewish: Chalamet, GWYNETH PALTROW, 53 (as Kay Stone, a socialite who befriends Marty); ODESSA A’ZION, 25 (plays Rachel Mizler, a Jewish character. Rachel is married and she’s having an affair with Marty, her life-long best friend); FRAN DRESCHER, 68 (plays Rebecca Mauser, Marty’s mother). SANDRA BERNHARD, 70 (a small role as “Judy”); ISAAC MIZRAHI, 64, is, of course, a famous designer. He acts now-and-again. (He plays “Merle”) EMORY COHEN, 35 (plays Ira Mizler, Rachel’s husband); DAVID MAMET, 77, the famous writer, has a small role as Director Glenn Nordmann; and FRED HECHINGER, 25 (small role as Troy).
Chalamet got a 2024 best actor Oscar nomination for playing a “real Jew” (BOB DYLAN), and I am quite sure he will get a 2025 best actor nomination for playing Marty Reiser, another “real Jew.”
I have written about ROB REINER many times. I have also often written about his father, CARL REINER. I have frequently noted how talented they were and what good human beings they were.
I am not going to repeat the vile comments made about Rob Reiner and his wife, MICHELLE SINGER REINER, by President Trump in a social media internet posting. It was posted just one day (Dec. 15) after Rob and Michelle were murdered. Trump followed up, on the 15th, with more disparaging remarks about Rob Reiner. These remarks were said in front of reporters.
“Enough,” I said to myself. Right away I thought of a few words that say it all. (Just read down.)
In 1954, Senator Joseph McCarthy was the chair of a Senate committee that was investigating whether there were Communists in the Army. For years, McCarthy slurred the reputations of many people (mostly in government).
ROY COHN (1927-84), who went on to be Trump’s lawyer and advisor, was McCarthy’s chief counsel. Cohn made a deal with Joseph Welch, an attorney hired to defend the Army. Welch would not bring up the fact that Cohn had never been subject to the draft. Clearly, powerful people got Cohn “out of the draft.”
In return, Cohn promised that the background of Fred Fisher, a young attorney (and WWII vet) in Welch’s firm would not come up in the hearing. While in law school, Fisher had been a member of the National Lawyers Guild, an organization with ties to the Communist party. (Any former tie of any size to the Communist Party could destroy careers in the ’50s).
McCarthy broke the deal during the hearing and brought up Fisher’s connection to the Guild. Here is part of what Welch said:
“Until this moment, Senator, I think I have never really gauged your cruelty or your recklessness. Fred Fisher is a young man who went to the Harvard Law School and came into my firm and is starting what looks to be a brilliant career with us…You’ve done enough. Have you no sense of decency, sir? At long last, have you left no sense of decency?”
Reiner is not the only person that Trump has attacked in nasty postings and in news conferences. The really ugly attacks find most Republican politicians saying nothing or saying that the attacks were “just Trump being Trump”.
The response by everyone to Trump’s attacks should begin with Welch’s words: “You’ve done enough. Have you no sense of decency, sir? At long last, have you left no sense of decency?”
Not much more, really, needs to be said.
