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A U.S. resident from childhood, Ukranian-born Sidney Goldin was active with the Yiddish theatre in the Midwest. After racking up considerable stage experience as both actor and director, Goldin entered films at the Chicago studios of Essanay in 1912. He went on to direct at Imp (later Universal), a studio managed by another prominent Jew, Carl Laemmle. Aiming his films at Jewish audiences in America, England, and Europe, Goldin directed some of the most celebrated Yiddish-language personalities in the business, most notably Molly Picon (Ost und West, East Side Sadie). He transferred to Vienna in 1926, where he set up his own film production company. Back in America in 1930, he helmed his first talkie, Uncle Moses. The drop-off in the international market for Yiddish films in the 1930s made it difficult for Goldin to continue financing his productions. After five years' inactivity, he produced and directed his final film, The Cantor's Son in 1937. Sidney Goldin became terminally ill during production, and was forced to relinquish the directorial reins to Ilya Motyleff.