BRANDO APOLOGIZES TO JEWISH LEADERS.

Byline: Dinos Lambropoulos Associated Press

Speaking at times in Yiddish, a tearful Marlon Brando apologized to Jewish leaders during a private meeting Friday for saying Hollywood is run by Jews who perpetuate ethnic stereotypes in movies.

``His basic reaction was that he never meant it to sound that way,'' Rabbi Marvin Hier, founder of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, told reporters at the center's Holocaust Museum.

``I told him it was important for him to tell it to the world,'' Hier said, adding that he's convinced Brando is no anti-Semite.

Irv Rubin, the Jewish Defense League leader who had promised to make Brando's life ``a living hell,'' delayed Hier's news conference with shouts that Brando should apologize on CNN's ``Larry King Live.'

Brando, 72, the Oscar-winning star of ``On The Waterfront'' and ``The Godfather,'' had made his remarks on the talk show April 5, causing demands for an apology from numerous Jewish leaders.

``Hollywood is run by Jews,'' Brando had told King.

``It is owned by Jews and they should have a greater sensitivity about the issue of people who are suffering,'' Brando said.

David Ross, a lawyer representing Brando, said the actor would soon explain himself in an article for a major newspaper and on television. He didn't say in which paper or on which programs Brando would appear.

``Because of the time constraints (on the King show), it was difficult and impossible for him to express himself,'' Ross said.

Ross, who represented one of the illegal immigrants beaten by Riverside County sheriff's deputies, told reporters he's a friend of the actor.

``Mr. Brando is known to the Jewish community as highly supportive of Jewish culture and religion for many decades, and a profound humanitarian concerned with human rights for all people and races,'' Ross said.

Hier said Brando spoke in Yiddish as well as English, and at one point broke into tears, during the private three-hour meeting.

The rabbi said he told Brando that the actor's comments were similar to stereotypical statements made against Jews in the past.

``I said to him, `Mr. Brando, for thousands of years people have said about Jews that there's a secret society' '' trying to control various industries.

But he added: ``After meeting with him for three hours, Marlon Brando is not an anti-Semite.''

Brando expressed remorse to Hier in a telephone call Monday and the rabbi had said the actor would appear publicly at the center to apologize. The appearance was canceled because Brando preferred the private meeting, center officials said.

CAPTION(S):

2 Photos

Photo: (1) Rabbi Marvin Hier, left, speaks during a news conference in Los Angeles on Friday, saying that a tearful Marlon Brando had apologized privately to Jewish leaders earlier in the day.

Associated Press

(2) Brando