Joseph Burstyn

Joseph Burstyn (born Jossel Lejba Bursztyn; December 15, 1899 – November 29, 1953) was a Polish-American film distributor who specialized in the commercial release of foreign-language and American independent film productions.

Life and career

Burstyn was born as Jossel Bursztyn to a Jewish family in Sokoły, Poland in 1899. On May 7, 1921, he arrived in the U.S. with his family, parents Pinches Herszko (a merchant; born 1871 to Chaim Wolf and Chaja z Wolfów-Pinchesów Bursztyn) and Gittel "Gitla" Rotbart, and siblings Chaim Kielman, Cypa, Berko, Joel Szloma and Bejla. The family settled in Cleveland, where an aunt lived. His legal name was Joseph Burstein but he later spelled it Burstyn. He became a US citizen in 1934.''New York, State and Federal Naturalization Records, 1794-1940'' He initially worked as a public relations representative for the Yiddish theater circuit in New York City before becoming active in film distribution with business partner Arthur Mayer from the late 1930s to the late 1940s.

His most famous releases include '' The Forgotten Village'' (1941) written by John Steinbeck, the Roberto Rossellini classics '' Rome, Open City'' (1945) and '' Paisà'' (1946), '' The Quiet One'' (1948), the Academy Award-nominated '' Little Fugitive'' (1953), and ''Fear and Desire'' (1953), the first feature film directed by Stanley Kubrick.“Burstyn, Film Man, Dies on Sea Flight”, ''New York Times'', November 30, 1953 (fee access required)
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Joseph Burstyn Inc. vs. Wilson

From 1951-53, Burstyn was at the center of ''Joseph Burstyn, Inc. v. Wilson'', 343 U.S. 495 (1952), which resulted in a landmark decision by the United States Supreme Court which helped end film censorship in New York.

The court decision determined that certain provisions of the New York State Education Law allowing a censor to forbid the commercial showing of any non-licensed motion picture film, or revoke or deny the license of a film deemed to be " sacrilegious", was a "restraint on freedom of speech" and thereby a violation of the First Amendment; in this case, the film in question was ''"The Miracle"'', directed by Roberto Rossellini, an Italian short film that was part of the anthology film '' Ways of Love'' (1950).

Death

Burstyn died in November 1953 of a coronary thrombosis during a TWA flight from New York to Rome. He collapsed several hours after the plane took off from Gander, Newfoundland. He was dead when the plane landed at Shannon Airport in Ireland.''Reports of Deaths of American Citizens Abroad, 1835–1974''

Films distributed by Burstyn

;Films distributed by Mayer and Burstyn (1933–48)
*''Bicycle Thieves'' (1948)
*'' The Quiet One'' (1948)
*''Lo Tafhidenu''/''The Illegals'' (1948) documentary in Hebrew directed by Meyer Levin
*'' Paris 1900'' (1947)
*''Shakuntala'' (1947)
*'' Paisan'' (1946)
*'' The Battle of the Rails'' (1946)
*'' Rome, Open City'' (1945)
*'' Marie-Louise'' (1944)
*''Portrait of a Woman'' (1944)
*'' Hymn of the Nations'' (1944)
*'' The Forgotten Village'' (1941)
*''Lights Out in Europe'' (1940)
*'' Louise'' (1939)
*''Crisis'' (1939)
*''Katia'' (1938)
*''Ballerina'' (1937) English title of ''Le morte du cygne''
*''La guerre des gosses'' (1937) French version of '' War of the Buttons'' directed by Jacques Daroy
*''Pépé le Moko'' (1937)
*''The Lower Depths'' (1936)
* ''Women's Club'' (1936)
*'' Die ewige Maske'' (1935)
*''Whirlpool of Desire'' (1935), French film ''Remous'' directed by Edmond T. Gréville
*'' Song of the Streets'' (1933)

;Films distributed by Joseph Burstyn Inc. (1950-55)

*'' Stella'' (1955)
*''Romantic Youth'' (1954)
*''Tanga-Tika'' (1953)
*'' Little Fugitive'' (1953)
*''Fear and Desire'' (1953)
*''Umberto D.'' (1952)
*''Savage Triangle'' (1951) English version of ''Le garcon sauvage''
*''Miracle in Milan'' (1951)
*'' Ways of Love'' (1950)
*'' The Flowers of St. Francis'' (1950)
*''Side Street Story'' (1950)
*''Tomorrow Is Too Late'' (1950)
*''Justice Is Done'' (1950)
*'' The Berliner'' (1948)
*'' A Day in the Country'' (1936) 1950 US release
*''Jofroi'' (1934) 1950 US re-release
*''À Nous la Liberté'' (1931) 1954 US re-release

References

Wittern-Keller, Laura and Raymond J. Haberski, Jr. ''The Miracle Case: Film Censorship and the Supreme Court.''University Press of Kansas, 2008.

External links

*
List of films distributed by Burstyn and Arthur Mayer at IMDBList of films distributed by Joseph Burstyn Inc. at IMDB

{{DEFAULTSORT:Burstyn, Joseph
1899 births
1953 deaths
American activists
American people of Polish-Jewish descent
Polish emigrants to the United States
Place of birth missing
Film distributors (people)
Deaths from coronary thrombosis