When Harry met Gracie

Occasionally a piece of trivia just falls into your lap. This one came completely from left field, and shows if nothing else that there were Jewish songsmiths in Britain in the 1930s who operated at the very top level. Two of them co-wrote one of the most iconic songs in British musical history.

My story began when I was researching a tune called Mazeltov which had been played by the Joe Loss Band in 1939.

Jews playing Italians and Italians playing Jews

One unusual aspect of film and television history is the frequency with which Jews play Italians and Italians play Jews. Also that some of the main Italian film gangsters have been played by Jews.

 Let’s go through them.

Italians portraying Jews:

Alex Rocco – Moe Green – The Godfather

 This was only a small part but memorable. Moe is shot in the eye by Michael Corleone’s hitman after refusing an ‘offer’ made to him for the Corleone Family to take over the Las Vegas hotels.