Set of four scene stills from the movie “Sons of Liberty” (1939)
Extent and Medium
1: Height: 8.250 inches (20.955 cm) | Width: 10.000 inches (25.4 cm)
2: Height: 8.125 inches (20.638 cm) | Width: 10.000 inches (25.4 cm)
3: Height: 10.000 inches (25.4 cm) | Width: 8.000 inches (20.32 cm)
4: Height: 8.250 inches (20.955 cm) | Width: 10.000 inches (25.4 cm)
Creator(s)
- Warner Bros. Pictures (Production Company)
- Ken Sutak (Compiler)
Biographical History
The Cinema Judaica Collection consists of more than 1,200 objects relating to films about World War II and the Holocaust as well as Jewish, Israeli, and biblical subjects, from 1923 to 2000, from the United States, Europe, Israel, Canada, Mexico, and Argentina. The collection was amassed by film memorabilia collector Ken Sutak, to document Holocaust-and Jewish-themed movies of the World War II era and the postwar years. The collection includes posters, lobby and photo cards, scene stills, pressbooks, trade ads, programs, magazines, books, VHS tapes, DVDS, and 78 rpm records. Sutak organized these materials into two groups, “Cinema Judaica: The War Years, 1939–1949” and “Cinema Judaica: The Epic Cycle, 1950–1972” and, in conjunction with the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion Museum (now the Dr. Bernard Heller Museum in New York), organized exhibitions on these two themes in 2007 and 2008. Sutak subsequently authored companion books with the same titles.
Archival History
The scene stills were donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2018 by Ken Sutak and Sherri Venokur.
Acquisition
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection, Gift of Ken Sutak and Sherri Venokur
Scope and Content
Set of four scene stills from the American short film “Sons of Liberty” released by Warner Bros. Pictures in May 1939. The film won the Academy Award for Best Short Subject (Two-Reel) in 1940. Scene stills are photographs taken on or off the set of a motion picture and are then used as marketing and advertising tools. “Sons of Liberty” tells the story of Haym Salomon’s role as a financier of the American Revolution and a spy for the secret American paramilitary political organization, the Sons of Liberty. Salomon was a Polish born Jew who immigrated to America in the 1770s. His actions in support of the American Revolution helped to establish a legacy of Jewish-American heritage that dates back to the founding of the United States. This object is one of more than 1,200 objects in the Cinema Judaica Collection of materials related to films about World War II and the Holocaust as well as Jewish, Israeli, and biblical themes.
Conditions Governing Access
No restrictions on access
Conditions Governing Reproduction
Restrictions on use. Copyright status is unknown.
Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
1: Black and white, photographic scene still from the movie, "Sons of Liberty." The photograph depicts the protagonist, Haym Salomon, sitting in a chair with his wife, Rachel, knelt down in front of him, clutching his hand. A 7-branched candelabra is on a small stand behind them, against a wall. The upper two corners of the still have small creases. The back of the photograph has a small sticker in the bottom center and bottom left corner. From left: Claude Rains as Haym Salomon and Gale Sondergaard as Rachel Salomon 2: Black and white, photographic scene still from the movie, "Sons of Liberty." The photograph depicts the protagonist, Haym Salomon, lying on the dirt floor in a crowded jail cell. Several prisoners stand and sit along the stone walls of the cell and look down at him. In the back, through the open cell door stand three redcoats looking at Haym on the ground. The back of the photograph has a small sticker in the bottom center and bottom left corner. Center: Claude Rains as Haym Salomon, others unidentified 3: Black and white, photographic scene still from the movie, "Sons of Liberty." The photograph depicts the protagonist, Haym Salomon from the waist up in ¾ right profile wearing a white and black Tallit prayer shawl over his shoulders. The background around Haym is white. Center: Claude Rains as Haym Salomon 4: Black and white, photographic scene still from the movie, "Sons of Liberty." The photograph depicts the protagonist, Haym Salomon, in his house, standing and facing several redcoats who just entered through the door. The back of the photograph has a small sticker in the bottom center and bottom left corner. From left: Claude Rains as Haym Salomon, others unidentified
.1 back, bottom left corner, on sticker, printed, black ink : RL926 back, bottom center, on sticker, printed, black ink : Claude Raines – Gale Sondergard / “Sons of Liberty” [Rains misspelled as Raines, Sondergaard misspelled as Sondergard] .2 back, bottom left corner, on sticker, printed, black ink : RJ791 back, bottom center, on sticker, printed, black ink : Claude Rains / “Sons of Liberty” .4 back, bottom left corner, on sticker, printed, black ink : RS 292 back, bottom center, on sticker, printed, black ink : Claude Rains / “Sons of Liberty”
People
- Rains, Claude, 1889-1967.
- Sondergaard, Gale, 1899-1985.
- Salomon, Haym, 1740-1785.
Corporate Bodies
- Warner Bros. Pictures (1923-1967)
Subjects
- Patriotism in motion pictures.
- Historical films.
- Stills (Motion pictures)
- Motion pictures--History--20th century.
- United States.
- Imprisonment in motion pictures.
- Short films--United States.
- Academy Awards (Motion pictures)
Genre
- Film stills.
- Photographs
- Object