On Wednesday, September 1 at 6:30 p.m., a distinguished panel will honor the late actor and union activist Philip Loeb at the Museum of Jewish Heritage-A Living Memorial to the Holocaust. The panel will include: Aviva Kempner, director, Yoo-Hoo, Mrs. Goldberg; Anna Berger, actress on The Goldbergs; Jim Brochu, Actor and playwright of Zero Hour, a play about Zero Mostel who was a friend of Loeb's ; Peter Friedman, actor who is writing a play about Loeb; Dr. Steve Loeb, Loeb's grandnephew; Dr. Glenn Smith, Loeb biographer; and other special guests.
Philip Loeb, accomplished actor and teacher, was a leader of the Actors' Equity Association. At the height of his career in 1949 Loeb was blacklisted for his union activities as he was playing Jake Goldberg on the very popular Goldbergs show. Producer and co-star Gertrude Berg (Molly Goldberg) fought in vain to keep him on the show by attempting to get new sponsors. The demise of his career is featured in the film Yoo-Hoo, Mrs. Goldberg, a captivating, eye-opening documentary, excerpts of which will be shown along with other clips related to Loeb's career. Loeb committed suicide on September 1, 1955; this program commemorates the 55th anniversary of his death.
Tickets are free with suggested donation and can be reserved in advance online at www.mjhnyc.org or in person after 1 p.m. on the day of the screening. Actors' Equity Association is a proud sponsor of An Evening in Honor of Actor Philip Loeb.
Yoo-Hoo, Mrs. Goldberg will be released on DVD on August 24.
About the Panelists
The daughter of a Holocaust survivor and US Army officer, Aviva Kempner is the writer, producer, and director of Yoo-Hoo, Mrs. Goldberg. She is also the writer, director, and producer of The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg (2000). Hank Greenberg was awarded top honors by the National Society of Film Critics, the National Board of Review, the New York Film Critics Circle, and the Broadcast Film Critics Association. The film also received a George Peabody Award and was nominated for an Emmy. She is also the producer and co-writer of Partisans of Vilna.
Anna Berger is an actress who has had an active television and film career since the 1950s. She has appeared on countless shows including The Sopranos, Law & Order, Murphy Brown, and Ryan's Hope.
Jim Brochu is the recipient of the 2009-2010 Drama Desk Award for Best Solo Performance. Recently, Jim has been leading a double life - both as himself and as the great Zero Mostel in his multi-award winning play, Zero Hour. Touring the country, he has won two Ovation Awards in Los Angeles (Best Play), the Helen Hayes Award in Washington, DC, (Best Actor), three L.A. Drama Critics Circle Awards, as well as nominations for The Lucille Lortel, and The Outer Critics Circle Awards (both for Best Solo Performance of 2010).
Peter Friedman is a Tony and Drama Desk nominated actor. His stage credits include featured roles in Ragtime and Twelve Angry Men on Broadway. On television, he is best known as George Silver on Brooklyn Bridge.
Dr. Glenn Smith is the author of Something of My Own: Gertrude Berg and American Broadcasting 1929-1956 (Syracuse University Press, 2007). He is an assistant professor of Communication at Mississippi State University and is currently writing a biography of Philip Loeb.
