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Rosenwald

Released Aug 14, 2015 1h 40m Documentary List
94% Tomatometer 31 Reviews 97% Popcornmeter 500+ Ratings
In the early 1900s, businessman and philanthropist Julius Rosenwald uses his considerable wealth to build more than 5,000 schools to help African-Americans in the South.

Critics Reviews

View All (31) Critics Reviews
John Hartl Seattle Times Marvelous ... Rated: 3.5/4 Oct 29, 2015 Full Review Marc Savlov Austin Chronicle Despite its overlong running time and a tendency towards the dreaded "PBS Effect," this documentary... is dependably fascinating. Rated: 2.5/5 Oct 8, 2015 Full Review Tom Long Detroit News "Rosenwald" offers a compelling story of a man who obviously believed that giving is living. Rated: B- Sep 25, 2015 Full Review Mae Abdulbaki Movies with Mae Rosenwald does well in balancing both stories as well as taking care to note the importance of the work behind it and its significance. On occasion emotionally stirring, importantly informative, and as humble as Julius Rosenwald was. Rated: 3.5/5 May 2, 2019 Full Review Marc Mohan Oregonian Documentary portrait of Julius Rosenwald, the Jewish-American head of Sears, Roebuck & Co., whose philanthropy gave a boost to African-American education and culture in the first half of the 20th century. Rated: B Nov 17, 2015 Full Review John Beifuss Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN) The story is inspiring, but the film is not cinematic. Rated: 2.5/4 Nov 4, 2015 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (5) audience reviews
Audience Member Amazing how influential this person was -- and no one's ever heard of him! Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/25/23 Full Review Audience Member The incredible story of Julius Rosenwald, who never finished high school, but rose to become the Chairman of Sears. Influenced by Booker T. Washington, this Jewish philanthropist joined forces with African American communities during the Jim Crow South to build over 5,300 schools. Unsung Hero!! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/28/23 Full Review Audience Member A fabulous film showing the impact that one man can have. Rosenwald is the anti-Trump, who considered his wealth the product chiefly of luck, and used it to support African-American schools and a pantheon of artists from Marion Anderson to James Baldwin to Ralph Ellison and Langston Hughes. Bravo for this film. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/16/23 Full Review brent m An informative look at an unlikely (and largely unsung) American hero. Despite some pacing issues in the first 30 and last 20 minutes, the film generally tells its story well and in tremendous depth, with plenty of great archive footage and engaging contemporary interviews. Most of all, though, the picture shows what miraculous results are possible when we make the effort to become involved and make a difference. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member a must see! Actual old film footage and humor add to an inspiring portrait of a man who helped build Sears, Roebuck into the Amazon.com of it's day. He built the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago and refused to have his name on it. How different from today's mega-donors. He helped countless blacks, including Ralph Ellison, Zora Neale Hurston, and Jacob Lawrence, and whites including Woody Guthrie, and Jews living in poverty in the Ukraine. Do not miss seeing this film! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/04/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Rosenwald

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Rosenwald

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Movie Info

Synopsis In the early 1900s, businessman and philanthropist Julius Rosenwald uses his considerable wealth to build more than 5,000 schools to help African-Americans in the South.
Director
Aviva Kempner
Producer
Aviva Kempner
Screenwriter
Aviva Kempner
Distributor
The Ciesla Foundation
Production Co
Ciesla Foundation
Genre
Documentary
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Aug 14, 2015, Limited
Box Office (Gross USA)
$359.2K
Runtime
1h 40m