Brando, Native American Activist, Gave Money to Irgun Out of Gratitude to Jews Who Helped Him in the Arts

More on artists and Israel. Here is a story my mom sent me, written by a Louie Kemp, a Minnesotan, speaking of his friendship with the late Marlon Brando. Kemp says that in '46 Brando gave tons of money to the Irgun , in part out of gratitude to Jews like acting theorist Stella Adler. "Marlon... told me with great emotion that his success in theater and movies was largely due to the Jewish people in New York who befriended and taught him." Huh.

The late Brando is famous for his activism on behalf of Native Americans. Had a Native American accept his Oscar, etc. I bet he'd be on the Nakba if he were around today...

About Philip Weiss

Philip Weiss is Founder and Co-Editor of Mondoweiss.net.
Posted in Beyondoweiss, Israel/Palestine, Nakba

{ 21 comments... read them below or add one }

  1. This reminds me – I have a tantalising memory of someone, probably from Ben Hecht's crowd – claiming that a few Hollywood zionists built, or re-built, some REAL PLANES, FOR ISRAEL, in a studio back lot, in the late forties. Is this just delirium?

  2. Louis Kemp, a Minnesotan!

    In my own Lutheran way, I bet I love my home state of Minnesota as fervently as the most impassioned Zionist loves Israel!

    Michael Blaine
    http://www.rudelystamped.blogspot.com

  3. Charles Keating says:

    Brando went from one extreme (Jews are the greatest!) to the other (They suck for the bulk of humanity). Any lesson here?

  4. Richard Witty says:

    He probably didn't research the Irgun specifically, and just wanted to support Zionism as a statement of gratitude.

    Not unlike individuals contributing to some Palestinian solidarity organizations, and later finding out that the money was used for terror or propaganda.

  5. Richard Witty says:

    The gifts were attributed to 1946, before the Israel/Arab civil, and at a time when Jews in the US were still suppressed, and only few industries would give Jews free room to create or even work, the theator and film of note.

  6. Chuck says:

    Brando was not always complimentary to Jews. Wikipedia states the following:

    Accusations of Jewish stereotyping
    After the publication of an interview in Playboy magazine in January 1979, Brando was accused of anti-Semitism in regard to his opinion on double-standards set by Jews in Hollywood: "You've seen every single race besmirched, but you never saw an [unfavorable] image of the kike because the Jews were ever so watchful for that—and rightly so. They never allowed it to be shown on screen. The Jews have done so much for the world that, I suppose, you get extra disappointed because they didn't pay attention to that."[22]

    Brando made similar allegations on Larry King Live in April 1996, saying "Hollywood is run by Jews; it is owned by Jews, and they should have a greater sensitivity about the issue of — of people who are suffering. Because they've exploited — we have seen the — we have seen the Nigger and Greaseball, we've seen the Chink, we've seen the slit-eyed dangerous Jap, we have seen the wily Filipino, we've seen everything but we never saw the Kike. Because they knew perfectly well, that that is where you draw the wagons around."

  7. bar_kochba132 says:

    Robert Kennedy was a young cub reporter for a Boston newspaper in 1946 and he visited Palestine. He met ETZEL (Irgun) fighters in the Underground and reported on them favorably.

    As I understand, Marlon Brando apologized for his anti-Jewish remarks. He was a person with a lot of problems in his later years, so I will forgive him and remember all the good he did for Israel and the Jewish people when genocidal antisemitism was so widespread.

  8. bar_kochba132 says:

    Robert Kennedy was a young cub reporter for a Boston newspaper in 1946 and he visited Palestine. He met ETZEL (Irgun) fighters in the Underground and reported on them favorably.

    As I understand, Marlon Brando apologized for his anti-Jewish remarks. He was a person with a lot of problems in his later years, so I will forgive him and remember all the good he did for Israel and the Jewish people when genocidal antisemitism was so widespread.

  9. the Sword of Gideon says:

    Reminds me of the Frank Sinatra Student Center at Hebrew University. Or what used to be there until the Palestinians blew it up.

  10. Jim Haygood says:

    .

    Is this guy Louie Kemp for real? Brando on his left, Bob Dylan on his right (performing an impromptu "Blowin' in the Wind, no less). I suppose John and Jacquelyn Kennedy, Frank Sinatra, and Audrey Hepburn were sitting across the table from them. Just another seder with the stars …

  11. the Sword of Gideon says:

    Haygood, why is it so hard to believe that not everybody loves Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and Hezbollah like you. Some people, even Hollywood stars that aren't Jewish are on Israels side.

    It's too bad Israel doesn't have Vito Corleone in charge, The rag heads wouldn't even be a memory.

  12. Jim Haygood says:

    .

    You completely miss my point. I'm not expressing doubt that any of those people would attend a seder.

    Just wondering whether Kemp's celebrity story is legit. Rabbi Arthur Segal writes, "The above seder took place in 1975 at Temple Israel in Hollywood, California." But the rest of the article, except for his concluding theological remarks, consists of biographical and other information about Brando and Dylan which he culled from third-party sources, as if to bolster his credibility. Strange, no? One would think Rabbi Segal would have shared more of his personal observations.

    http://tinyurl.com/3qpclp

  13. lester says:

    OT- sorry phil.

    http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2003/dec/24/israel1

    chinse workers in israel must sign no sex contract.

  14. Charles Keating says:

    Back in the 1990's, Marlon Brando told Larry King that, essentially, the American Jews control the image of various ethnic groups to be filtered to the unwashed masses, as they please and for their own purpose. No "Kike" will on film or video appear without massive retaliation. Goebbels would understand.
    As would his mentor, the Jewish American marketing mentor, Bernays. Ben Stein subsequently wrote, so what?

    Very like Chaney.

    Of course, it is everything.

  15. the Sword of Gideon says:

    I like the subtle analogy Keating. Goebbels and all. So that makes America Jews really Nazis. And the happy go lucky lads from Hezbollah are what, really Jews.

  16. The idea that Americans should be ranked according to their personal views of Israel and the care or lack of it they take in expressing them is a product of several decades of fascist witch-hunting by Abe Foxman, in conjunction with such friends of democracy as the south african apartheid era secret police. I should drop it, Bill, it doesn't suit today's cultural climate.

  17. Johnny Gentile says:

    "I will forgive him and remember all the good he did for Israel and the Jewish people when genocidal antisemitism was so widespread."

    Gosh, thanks for forgiving him!!!!

    Part of his apology included Brando having to schelp his ass to the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles…

  18. Charles Keating says:

    Propaganda is propaganda. Marketing.

  19. Isn't it rather revealing that bill "sword of gideon" pearlman posts obscene racist hate messages on here EVERY DAY and people just ignore them? Doesn't it suggest that jewish fascism gets a free pass from Phil?

  20. the Sword of Gideon says:

    What's the matter Rowan, did you run out of Gin. Go back to planning the revolution and not brushing your teeth.

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