Seymour Stern: American Film Critic, Guardian and Prophet

The article on Seymour Stern/D. W. Griffith that appeared in the last issue of ACS (Vol. IV No. 3) has occasioned many positive responses from our readers. Not only does Griffith remain an elusive figure of scholarship, but Stern himself has been unjustly neglected. We anticipate that Mr. Gallen's series on both will continue in the Fall or Winter issue of ACS. For now, two letters are quoted here.

From Mrs. Alex A. Straus of Miami Beach, Florida: "I read the article by Ira H. Gallen on Seymour Stern . . . It was excellent-I sure hope Mr. Gallen will continue to write for the magazine. He is very knowledgeable and does marvelous research on his subjects."

And from Dr. Irving Sussman of Laguna Beach, California: "I have just finished reading the Spring, 1980 edition of your excellent magazine.

I found the entire issue most interesting and informative, but I wish to compliment in particular the Seymour Stern-D. W. Griffith article by Ira Gallen.

Not only has Mr. Gallen written a scholarly (without stuffiness) carefully researched work on Seymour Stern and Griffith, but has managed to produce an essay of literary value.

My wife and I have known Seymour for over forty years and know what a complex, ardent and dedicated man he was- there was something of Melville's Captain Ahab in Seymour, neither self-destruction nor the hatred spewed on him by the "Hollywood establishment" could keep him from pursuing his dream, a dream that obsessed him all his life.

Ira Gallen has captured the essence of a sensitive, tortured, kindly and at times an intelectually violent genius, Seymour Stern.

I look forward to more on the D. W. Griffith series in which, I am sure, some of Seymour Stern's sense of humor, his remarkable ability as an actor and mimic plus some of his philosophical beliefs and doubts will be dealt with.

Judging by this first article in the series, there is no doubt that Mr. Gallen will satisfy on all counts. Thanks...to Mr. Ira Gallen for a delightful, scholarly, entertaining job, well done."