Overture to Glory

The famous Polish composer Stanislaw Moniuszko journeys to a synagogue in Vilnius to see the acclaimed cantor Yoel Duvid Strashunsky perform. Upon hearing his magnificent voice, Moniuszko declares that Yoel is the only one who can sing his recently competed opera. Going against the wishes of his rabbi, Yoel accepts the composer's offer to star in the new opera about to open in Warsaw. The cantor leaves his wife and child behind in Vilnius, despite his rabbi's warning that he cannot live in two worlds. Soon Yoel's voice has made him a sensation in Warsaw, and he is entertaining multiple offers from the Gentile cognoscenti. Word suddenly arrives that his son is deathly ill. Yoel rushes back home, fearing his need for acceptance has cost him the life of his firstborn…

Overture to Glory was the last of three Yiddish language pictures made by Moishe Oysher, the famous cantor and singer. Similar to the characters he played in these films, Oysher was a cantor for multiple New York synagogues while juggling a successful singing and acting career. Overture to Glory is considered the best of the Oysher pictures, mostly due to the artful direction of German émigré Max Nosseck and the inventive camerawork of Larry Williams and Don Malkames. Nosseck had established himself in his homeland with comedies such as Mischievous Miss (1930) and All is at Stake (1932). When the Nazis came to power, he was forced to immigrate to America where he would later craft thrillers like Dillinger (1945) and The Hoodlum (1951). At the time of Overture to Glory's filming in Hudson Heights, Manhattan, Nosseck did not even have proper working papers. The film's budget was only $20,000. Austrian-born actor Jack Mylong-Münz, who plays Moniuszko, would have a long career using the shortened name John Mylong. He specialized in playing German characters in films such as His Kind of Woman (1951), Captain Scarface (1953) and Robot Monster (1953). Sadly, Overture to Glory would be one of the last Yiddish films produced, due to the effects of World War II. Considering Overture to Glory's brilliance, it is left to speculation what heights the genre could have risen if it had continued.

In Yiddish with English subtitles.