The Robber and the Jew

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Contains antisemitic stereotypes

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The Robber and the Jew

1 Jan 1908
Silent
5m

A Jewish man with a bag of gold is targeted by roadside robbers in this early comedy short reflecting antisemitic stereotypes

Robbers wait by the roadside ready to spring upon a series of passing travellers, gleefully hiding their stolen plunder in a hollow tree. When a Jewish man comes along with a bag full of gold, the villains treat him worse than the others and tie him to the tree. One of the earliest surviving depictions of a Jewish person in British cinema, this comedy short reflects antisemitic stereotypes prevalent at the time, which played on fears of the 'Other'.

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From the collection

Jewish Britain

Jewish life on screen: a century of insights and hidden histories

This collection uncovers insights, injustices and hidden histories across a century of Jewish life on British screens. It brings together documentary and first-person accounts of Jewish life in the UK, alongside historical dramas and artists’ work exploring the 20th century Jewish experience. The earliest surviving depictions of Jewish characters in British cinema offer a troubling insight into antisemitic representation, yet prejudice was later tackled head-on, with newsreels documenting the anti-fascist movement of the 1930s.

Drop in on joyous family weddings and community gatherings, and see the ways in which UK Jewry supported Jews young and old, and those fleeing persecution, in a selection of fascinating films from the 1900s to the 1980s.

This collection is generously supported by the Neil Kreitman Foundation, Shoresh Charitable Trust, John S Cohen Foundation, and Harold Hyam Wingate Foundation.