Equal parts edification and entertainment, Kempner's tender tribute to a forgotten pioneer of American entertainment is both richly deserved and long overdue.
Equal parts edification and entertainment, Kempner's tender tribute to a forgotten pioneer of American entertainment is both richly deserved and long overdue.
For more than 25 years, Gertrude Berg was one of the most prominent women in American broadcast media and popular culture, as the creator, writer, producer, and star of The Goldbergs, first on radio (where it was originally known as The Rise of the Goldbergs) and then on television. Berg -- who was best-known to the public in the identity of her character Molly Goldberg -- occupied a unique niche in the fabric of American life, and throughout the 1930s, she and Eleanor Roosevelt, the wife of the
president, competed annually in polls for the title of most prominent woman in America. Berg was even called "The First Lady of Radio" at a time when radio was king. Later on, in the television era, she invented the family sitcom as we came to know it, and did battle against the Red Scare and the blacklist. Director Aviva Kempner's documentary gives an intimate and detailed a look at the life of Berg, who died in 1966 virtually forgotten by the executives of the industry that she helped build. In the process, she and the other participants, and their widows and children, as well as admirers such as United States Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, explain how this woman, an articulate and intelligent first-generation Jewish American with little formal background in writing and no knowledge of the media, rose to such success in just a few years -- and why she was forgotten and swept aside almost as quickly at the other end of her career. Participants and interviewees, in addition to Justice Ginsberg, include producer/writer Norman Lear, actor Edward Asner, and writer/producer Gary David Goldberg. ~ Bruce Eder, Rovi
Yoo-Hoo suggests that, yes, Berg broke new ground and, no, she shouldn't be forgotten. But it doesn't explain why she endured, or why she is so forgotten today.
Aviva Kempner's documentary Yoo Hoo, Mrs. Goldberg is a delightful introduction to Berg, who began writing and performing skits at her father's resort hotel in the Catskill Mountains, then studied drama at Columbia University.
Berg's imaginary Bronx family rooted in ethnic pride, captivated at a time of tremendous pressure on immigrants to assimilate and conform, and suppress their unique cultural identity. And while windows nicely substituted for texting.
A remarkable story, all the more remarkable for the era in which it happened, an era when most women had almost no opportunities to become famous, rich and powerful. Gertrude Berg not only triumphed during this time, she was the Oprah Winfrey of her time.
It's puzzling that a paean to Gertrude Berg's Jewish New York housewife, Mrs. Goldberg -- a character so beloved and enduring that she could serve as a travel guide through early-to-mid-20th-century history -- could fall so flat.
No matter the accomplishments during her lifetime, Gertrude Berg remains an integral part of the modern media's formation. Thankfully, we now have a permanent testament to how important - and irresistible - she was.
Stylistically, Aviva Kempner's documentary is no ground-breaker. But its old-school talking-heads/narration/footage format suits its subject matter, and the remarkable story needs no window dressing.
Kempner did her homework in restoring from obscurity this trailblazing sitcom pioneer. The film is well-organized and filled with interesting trivia tidbits.
It's absolutely charming to be reminded of -- or, in most cases, introduced to -- Berg and her particular genius. But too much of the film is too light.
"Yoo-Hoo, Mrs, Goldberg" is a charming and informative documentary about Getrude Berg, nee Tilly Edelstein, who was not only the star of "The Goldbergs," an immensely popular sitcom that originated on the radio, but also wrote the scripts in the days before word processors and computers with bad handwriting that puts
my atrocious handwriting to shame.(One interviewee refers to her as the Oprah of her time.) What's especially noteworthy about "The Goldbergs" is that it is the prototypical family sitcom, influencing many sitcoms in the years to come.(Norman Lear is on hand to testify to this.) Although, to be honest, any television series that lasts for any period of time will have rising stars passing through at some point.
"The Goldbergs" not only has an important place in television history but also in the current events of the times by presenting a Jewish family in New York City without stereotypes in a time of growing anti-semitism in the 1930's. And the television program would be adversely affected by the Blacklist of the 1950's, despite its huge popularity. Sadly enough, "The Goldbergs" has faded somewhat from memory as it has not found a new audience with younger generations which hopefully this fine documentary helps to rectify.
August 14, 2011
Walter M.
Super Reviewer
An informative documentary about Gertrude Berg, the writer, actress, and creator of The Goldbergs, a pioneering family sitcom on radio and then television, forerunner of many more famous ones to come, including 'Seinfeld' and Norman Lear's work. It was an urban sitcom set in the Bronx; late in its run, the setting was
moved to the suburbs like the other family sitcoms, whereupon the show apparently became much less interesting. The movie explains the show's relevance and impact as well as the society it reflected, including the very sad story of a lead actor who was blacklisted in the Red Scare despite attempts by Berg and company to keep him employed. Berg was quite popular in her time and pretty influential. A good look at the life and legacy of a largely forgotten figure in entertainment.
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