The Artist — Norman Garbo

Born in Russia, Duvid Karlinsky comes to America in the hold of an immigrant ship at the turn of the 20th century and fights his way to the top as the first great Jewish-American painter. No ivory tower artist, he portrays the harsh life of New York's Lower East Side ghettos and takes part in both world wars, confronting Prussian cavalry in one and Nazis bent on destroying his people in the other.