MovieChat Forums > Rafter Romance (1933) Discussion > Swastikas

Swastikas

posted 17 years ago by PeterPangloss
10 replies | jump to latest

A couple of the user comments mentioned the scene where the young Jewish boy is drawing swastikas on the wall, his father reprimands him, and the boy says they are good luck. One commentator assumed this had to do with Nazism, while another said no way.

I also wondered about this, since the movie was made in the same year that the Nazis came to power in Germany. It seems almost too much of a coincidence to believe there was no connection. I'm thinking the boy was unaware of the political implications of what he was doing (the swastika is historically a good luck symbol), while the father was quite cognizant of the Nazi connection. Why else was he upset? Certainly a Jewish immigrant would have been aware of the situation in Europe at the time. At any rate, I imagine the point was lost on much of the contemporary audience.

As a side note, if I'm not mistaken, the boy was drawing left-facing swastikas, but the Nazi symbol was right-facing. I'm not attributing any significance to this; I just happened to notice it.

[–] 17 years ago

[deleted]

[–] PeterPangloss 17 years ago

And who knew in 1933 what would actually be going on in Germany ten years later? It's ironic and chilling.

[–] bobbison 17 years ago

The swastika has been used for a long time for several reasons. The name comes from Sanskrit and means something like "good luck". It is a symbol in both Hinduism and Buddhism.
It was "re-discovered" in the West as a result of the 19th century excavations of Troy where it was used a lot. It became a popular symbol in the West in the early 1900's.
I have seen it as a decorative tile in 3 old apartment buildings in NYC and Chicago. The building used in Rafter Romance is the fourth that I have seen. All the versions that I have seen were left-facing. The ancient versions are both left-facing and right-facing. Were any right-facing tiles destroyed after the right-facing swastika was used by the Nazis? Or was the popularized version only in the left-facing form?

[–] snucky0 16 years ago

The swastikas that Julius was drawing ARE the "good luck/sanskrit" version, which was popular as a decorative image in the 20's and 30's. In the Nazi version of the swastika, the image moves in a clockwise direction; what Julius was drawing goes counter-clockwise. The Eckbaums are clearly Jewish (Yiddishism abound in the film), and it is entirely possible that the father's anger towards the swastikas are political in nature. It's not so much that Julius is drawing on the wall; it's WHAT he's drawing that concerns his father. Being Jewish, I realize that perhaps some of the portrayals in t he film are not kind to Jews, however, I found the Eckbaums to be a warm family. I mean...if Mr. Eckbaum were such a jerk, he would have kicked both tenants out for not paying their rent for three months! All of that aside, I see a direct line between this film and "You've Got Mail", except I think this film is funnier. And more clever.

[–] maydom04 16 years ago

The nazis were using the swastika symbol for several years before this film., and the anti-semitic nature of the nazis was well reported in the media.
I was not surprised of the fathers anger...I am sure it was meant as revulsion of what nazism stood for. The boy was probably not aware of this significance, and this sequence was writtin into the plot for comic results.
I am sure there were Jews or aquaintances of Jews involved in the writing and I believe it was their intention to make a joke of these bumbling stupid nazis, who were considered misguided bufoons by many people at the time ..there being little prescience I'm sure of the deadly future awaiting.

[–] AliciaHuberman59 15 years ago

"Whoopee" (1930), starring Eddie Cantor, features a musical number (a take-off of a Native American tribal dance, choreographed by Busby Berkeley, whose muscials, BTW were favorties of A. Hitler) in which they appear. (I don't remember if they're right or left-facing). It disturbed me to see them, as well.

[–] borodinrodin 15 years ago

In the movie I thought about how the child Julius has NO association as to what the 'symbol' meant. Hence, humor in father's disdain twofold writing on wall and likely an adult understanding of what the connotation may have meant to those of Jewish background who were experiencing the beginnings of rise of Hitler's Nazism/

The 'Swastika' symbol was in use more than 3000 years before by the ancient Mycenaens. Just proves the old saying about symbols are whatever you read or associate them to. For instance ever notice in old photos how popular the moustache that Hitler wore was before Hitler wore it? Now you never see it worn.

As a funny aside, since it seems from photos Hitler did a lame version of a comb over why the hell didn't THAT go out of style? :p

[–] AliciaHuberman59 15 years ago

Good point, borodinrodin.

: )

[–] Gheelnory 14 years ago

I agree with the premise that the filmmakers intended a bit of political commentary there, while providing a moment of humorous family interaction. The boy had no notion of the current (in 1933) use of the swastika, while the father plainly did.

Such a scene would not have been possible after the world learned of the death camps...any attempt at a 'gentle moment of family humor' would be drowned in horror. This 1933 scene was possible only because no one in Hollywood could have dreamed of what was to come.

[–] notmtwain 10 years ago

My jaw dropped when I saw that. Guess I wasn't the only one.

Somebody put the Swastika clip from Rafter's Romance up on Youtube--http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ecIuTN6bAZwe.

It does show the left-facing Swastikas.

As far as political comment, I'm not sure. Having the kid draw them and say that they are "good luck" makes it seem more innocent. If they wanted to make a political comment, they would have had somebody draw the Swastikas on the outside of his building.

Maybe there are more hints. The Jewish landlord calls his son something in what must be a mixure of English and Yiddish that sounds like, "You Hammah" and continues later "You loafer". (Perhaps that's all that "hammah" means.)

I suppose audiences back then might also have been able to identify the slug he pulled out of the phone. It looks like a subway token to me. The slug has visible writing on it in the clip which I can't read.