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After relocating several times for various reasons, Sonia Greenberg blossomed into adulthood into an attractive and bright young woman who had no trouble attracting men. Independent, however, she developed a neediness, a hangover from the fact that the two men closest to her had left her. She thus became manipulative, self-reliant, and a prisoner of her own intelligence. She became an opera devotee, promoter of health foods, and fostered a holistic interest in seeking work in the medical field. Gregory Penn, Sonia's soon-to-be husband, arrived in the United States (from Lithuania) at the same time as the Greenbergs had arrived in the country. Gregory changed his name to Harry, and soon after Harry and Sonia were married. Sadly their marriage ended in divorce. Because of this separation, their son Arthur Penn was rarely able to establish long friendships. He felt that he learned more on the streets than in school. In addition to coping with losing their parents, Arthur and his brother Irving had to cope with the upcoming war.

While the phrase “American new wave” appeared in film circles in the 1960s and has surfaced sporadically in the intervening years, it has generally been replaced by terms like “American independent cinema” and “New Hollywood.” This chapter returns both to the original moment when directors and critics hailed the arrival of a new wave on American shores and to filmmakers who foregrounded the key issues of youth, cities, and the mise en scène of post-WWII modernity. While Arthur Penn, Mickey One, and Bonnie and Clyde figure prominently in any account of an American new wave, this chapter also considers the role of Melvin Van Peebles and John Cassavetes in recreating the city film during a time of suburbanization.

Both Jane Fonda and Arthur Penn agreed that Marlon Brando was an amazing actor. Even though they had already finished Brando's scenes in the Chase, he continued to help in getting the other scenes right through inventing off camera. Fonda articulated how Brandon always had to understanding something but not in the conventional manner that other actors would do in terms of script. There were several intrigues behind the scenes during the Chase in which Brando played the role of Sheriff Calder. While almost all of these problems were initialized by Sam Spiegel, all of these had to be dealt with by Penn in troubled superproduction.

If Hitler allowed him to have a theater, Arthur Penn decided that the theater would be his future after he was drafted. Everything, however, was held at bay because of World War II. Private Penn reported for induction in January 1943 when the “Arsenal of Democracy” was still found to be far from victory. These privates believed that they were being trained to be “replacements” or “repos” for the GIs that would be sent to the front lines to replace the troops that have already fallen. After the induction at Fort Dix, Penn was sent to Fort Jackson in South Carolina where he had basic training. He was destined to be a part of the infantry. During this period, Penn encountered Fred Coe, codirector of the Town Theater. The Fort Boys who served as actors were shipped abroad for combat, and were given a lounge in the Sumter Street structure.