Editing George Cukor (section)

==Early life==
Cukor was born on the [[Lower East Side]] of Manhattan, the younger child and only son of [[Hungarian-Jewish]] immigrants Viktor, an assistant district attorney, and Helén Ilona Gross. His parents selected his (first and) middle name in honor of [[Spanish–American War]] hero [[George Dewey]]. The family was not particularly religious (pork was a staple on the dinner table), and when he started attending temple as a boy, Cukor learned Hebrew phonetically, with no real understanding of the meaning of the words or what they represented. As a result, he was ambivalent about his faith and dismissive of old world traditions from childhood, and as an adult he embraced [[Anglophilia]] to remove himself even further from his roots.<ref>McGilligan, pp. 5–6.</ref>

As a child, Cukor appeared in several amateur plays and took dance lessons, and at the age of seven he performed in a recital with [[David O. Selznick]], who in later years became a mentor and friend.<ref>McGilligan, p. 11.</ref> As a teenager, Cukor frequently was taken to the [[New York Hippodrome]] by his uncle. Infatuated with theatre, he often cut classes at [[DeWitt Clinton High School]] to attend afternoon matinees.<ref>Kipen, David. [http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2001/08/29/DD141675.DTL "Flawed look at career of blacklisted director"], ''[[San Francisco Chronicle]]'', August 29, 2001. Accessed September 14, 2009. "The American 20th century went to high school at DeWitt Clinton High in the Bronx. Multicultural before there was a name for it – at least a polite one --Clinton nurtured such diverse and influential figures as Bill Graham, James Baldwin, George Cukor, Neil Simon and Abraham Lincoln Polonsky."</ref><ref>McGilligan, p. 10.</ref> During his senior year, he worked as a [[supernumerary actor|supernumerary]] with the [[Metropolitan Opera]], earning 50¢ per appearance, and $1 if he was required to perform in [[blackface]].<ref>Levy, Emanuel, ''George Cukor: Master of Elegance''. New York: William Morrow & Company, Inc. 1994. {{ISBN|0-688-11246-3}}, pp. 26–27.</ref>

Following his graduation in 1917, Cukor was expected to follow in his father's footsteps and pursue a career in law. He halfheartedly enrolled in the [[City College of New York]], where he entered the Students Army Training Corps in October 1918. His military experience was limited; [[Armistice of 11 November 1918|Germany surrendered in early November]], and Cukor's duty ended after only two months. He left school shortly afterwards.<ref>McGilligan, p. 19.</ref>