Film: Yoo-Hoo, Mrs. Goldberg
Genre: Documentary
In brief: “Yoo-hoo, Mrs. Goldberg.” Those were the opening words and title of Gertrude Berg’s groundbreaking 1949 TV sitcom. Before that, she had hosted a successful radio show for 17 years and was often known as “The First Lady of Radio.” When approached to write a TV show based on the radio show, Gertrude insisted on playing its star, as well. The network executives agreed but weren’t totally convinced that the plump, motherly Gertrude Berg would be the best person to play Molly Goldberg until the letters of praise poured in. The show was set in a Bronx apartment house, where everyone knew everyone else’s business. In addition to the show’s entertainment value, Mrs. Goldberg… with her Yiddish accent… was a font of knowledge on life and all of life’s issues.
Mrs. Goldberg’s appeal went way beyond Jewish audiences. Somehow, she seemed to touch a note with many ethnic communities across the country. Not many stars could have sold Christmas cookies in a Yiddish accent! FDR publicly credited her with “getting us through the depression.” Since her shows actively took on many current issues, the archived recordings and footage are wonderful historic records. In 1933, following Germany’s legislation banning Jews from holding civil service jobs, she invited a rabbi to conduct a Seder on her show. Mrs. Goldberg was fearless. She successfully stood up for what she thought was right… until the infamous blacklist.
When one of the show’s stars was blacklisted, Gertrude Berg started feeling the pressure to bend with the times. Some decisions made in an attempt to be more mainstream eventually diluted the appeal of the show. In 1955 her time slot was given to I Love Lucy. The country seemed to have lost its collective appetite for shows dealing with real issues… Mrs. Goldberg was bypassed by shows specializing in pure entertainment. What a pity. For some, this movie is a trip down memory lane. For others, it introduces a memorable and wonderful lady we wish we knew better.
3 popped kernels
Popped kernels for showing us a fabulous character many of us didn't remember well enough. Great historic significance.
