Symphony of Six Million

After David O. Selznick became RKO's head of production in late 1931, he put the melodrama Symphony of Six Million (originally titled Night Bell after the Fannie Hurst story it is based on) into production, overseen by Pandro S. Berman. Selznick insisted that the original screenplay be rewritten to reclaim the ethnic touches from Hurst's story. Selznick likely wanted the film to serve as a mirror on to Jewish life, both of immigrants and their assimilated children. He himself changed the name of the film (a reference to New York City's population) as it was "more dramatic and dignified" than Night Bell. He also directed RKO music department chief Max Steiner to use symphonic music for the score and to have music throughout the picture.^[2] This was innovative as "talkies" rarely had an extensive score.^[1]

The film never mentions the word "Jew" or specifically points out that the characters are indeed Jewish. But it does include Jewish prayers, such as the Shema, recited in Hebrew, and many of the musical motifs are based on identifiably Jewish folk and liturgical tunes. The plot also incorporates a Pidyon Ha-Ben, the Jewish ritual Redemption of the First Born. The film incorporates newsreel footage with recreations of the Lower East Side to provide a sense of verisimilitude.^[3]

The movie was a box-office and critical success and helped to establish Irene Dunne as an up-and-coming star. Both Selznick and Berman were proud of the picture, with Berman later saying it was the "first good movie" he had produced. Selznick, too, was proud of the movie as it was one of his most personal films.^[1]

Movie critic Mordaunt Hall of the New York Times gave the film a positive review:

It elicits steady attention during its every second... There are a number of excellent scenes of the thronged east-side thoroughfare and here and there some light touches of this Jewish family life....^[1]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Symphony of Six Million.

• Symphony of Six Million at IMDb
• Symphony of Six Million at the TCM Movie Database
• Symphony of Six Million at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films
• Symphony of Six Million, Immortal Ephemera
• Symphony of Six Million, Lolita's Classics