by Hal Erickson
synopsis
Having produced a steady stream of films for the Yiddish-language market since 1912, director Sidney Goldin made his all-talkie bow with 1929's Eternal Prayer (original title: Ad Mosay) This sentimental story of the trials and tribulations of a 12-year-old aspiring cantor featured several members of New York's Yiddish Art Theater, including Lucy Levine, Anna Appel, Mark Schweid and Lazar Freed. The youthful cantor was played by a lad who billed himself as Shmelikel, whose singing talents far exceeded his acting ability. Per the film's title, the story closes with an emotional rendition of the "Kaddish," or the "eternal prayer" of memoriam. Running four reels (36 minutes), Eternal Prayer was nonetheless advertised as a feature.
