Morningstar & Marital Woes

Molly Picon, 1898 – 1992

"I was getting work that no longer required his presence in my career. He was no longer the mentor of my future, and it obviously rankled [him]... Yonkel had always babied me and never realized I was a grown up woman..."

The success of Picon's Yiddish films led to broad enough name recognition that at 41 years old, she was cast for the first time as a mature and sophisticated Jewish woman in Sylvia Regan's Morningstar. Picon's increasing independence and her desire for a more equitable relationship with Kalich created tensions in their marriage. After a brief separation, they were able to reunite as personal and professional equals for the first time.