By: Jennifer Vintzileos
The Actor’s Studio has highlighted some of the most prominent names in film. James Dean, Marlon Brando, Paul Newman and Ben Gazzara…each were iconic in their own style and method of acting. But what about the first director with a membership, Jack Garfein? Directed by Tessa Louise Salomé, with narration by Willem Dafoe, The Wild One pays homage to Garfein’s legacy in not only film but also as a co-founder of Actors Studio West with Paul Newman. Yet even more prevalent than his storytelling ability on camera is the way that Garfein’s own upbringing played a large part in his profound contribution, especially through his experience as a Holocaust survivor.
Jack Garfein was a man ahead of his time, looking to push the envelope with the kinds of films he itched to create. After arriving in New York in 1946 at the age of fifteen, Garfein’s traumatic experience of losing his family and bouncing around concentration camps until the end of the war influenced his decision to work in film and create characters that brought depth and emotion to his productions. Having to adapt to survive during his stay at the some of the most notorious concentration camps during World War II, Garfein was able to parlay those emotions into powerful work for films such as The Strange One and Something Wild. It was also within his time at the Actor’s Studio that Garfein met and married actress Carroll Baker in 1955 and together they sought creative license to make films through their own production company until their divorce in 1969.
Salomé has the magic touch when it comes to The Wild One. She is able to share Garfein’s story through the medium of Garfein’s style so appropriately throughout the documentary. In a sense, you wonder whether Salomé and Garfein were kindred creative spirits. The flair in dramatization and authenticity create the ideal talking space for Garfein and those who knew him best.
But Garfein’s story was so much more than a Hollywood pipe dream. He was a survivor, a visionary and a filmmaker whose films were not afraid to delve into the dark underbelly of context. While his portfolio was limited to a handful of films and a smattering of television shows, it is the content and themes of his own work that truly stands out and by today’s standards…would be considered relevant filmmaking. Salomé can finally give Garfein the long overdue respect and recognition that he deserves – not by telling us, but in the proof of his ability to create stories that parallel and speak to his own experiences…even having Garfein himself recalling his memories to the camera. Unfortunately, Garfein passed away in 2019.
What truly struck a note were those parallel storylines from Garfein’s rise to prominence with the Actor’s Studio and his childhood in Czechoslovakia during World War II. He faced real atrocities, not just the ones that made it to the cutting room floor. His family perished in concentration camps while he managed to survive until the British arrived at Bergen-Belsen and liberated him. And, most importantly, he lived to tell the tale…only to find that the world was not quite ready to listen. Add in the soft, ominous timbre of Dafoe’s voice to fill in the gaps and The Wild One truly draws you in.
While watching Garfein’s films may have you seeking empathy for the characters, it is Garfein’s life story that is the true gem. He went to hell and back and lived his dream and also sought the soul of the actors whose lives he educated and molded. And even until his death, after a lifetime of work, he felt he always had just one more story to tell.