Leo Hurwitz
| Leo Hurwitz | |
|---|---|
| Born |
June 23, 1909 Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York City, New York, United States |
| Died |
January 18, 1991 (aged 81) Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States |
| Alma mater | Harvard University |
| Occupation | Documentary filmmaker |
| Years active | 1936–1981 |
| Spouse(s) |
Jane Dudley Peggy Lawson Nelly Burlingham |
Leo Hurwitz (June 23, 1909 – January 18, 1991) was an American documentary filmmaker. Among the films he directed were Native Land and Verdict for Tomorrow, the Emmy Award- and Peabody Award-winning film of the Eichmann trial. He was blacklisted during the McCarthy period for his strong left-wing political beliefs.
Born to Russian immigrants, Hurwitz grew up in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn. His siblings included dancer Sophia Delza and psychoanalyst Marie Briehl. He saw his first film at the age of four. Mesmerized by this medium of expression, he subsequently immersed himself in it. While in high school, he discovered the Harvard Club scholarship and decided to sit for the exam. Highly gifted and hard working, Hurwitz won the scholarship and attended Harvard University.
Although he graduated summa cum laude, he was not granted an international merit-based fellowship for which he'd applied. His tutor, among others, attributed this rejection to his Jewish roots. Despite his great achievements and education, Hurwitz then struggled to secure employment during the Great Depression. In his first few postgraduate years, he was the editor of New Theater Magazine and cameraman and co-writer of the acclaimed film The Plow That Broke the Plains (1936) among others.
Eventually, Hurwitz discovered the Workers Film and Photo League. The League, created in March 1930, included directors and photographers such as Paul Strand, Irving Lerner, Willard Van Dyke, Ralph Steiner, Lionel Berman, Ben Maddow, Sidney Meyers, Jay Leyda, and Lewis Jacobs. The organization was formed in the midst of the Depression and in response to the widespread social and economic disparities and despair of the era. There was a wealth of young intellectuals who, regardless of their education, had no outlet for their creativity. Between 1931 and 1934, there was an enormous increase in workers' art movements across the US. Dozens of leagues formed to support dancers, artists, and eventually filmmakers whose roots were in the working class. Although the Film and Photo League did provide a creative outlet, its main goal wasn’t artistic, and many of the filmmakers aimed to provoke audiences through their work without much regard to the aesthetic value of their films.
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