The Truth about the "Hollywood Ten"

FrontPageMagazine.com ^ | April 18, 2005 | Art Eckstein

[Borges]

I concede that I was not as clear as I should have been. What I meant was that artists shouldn't be persecuted even if they do have far left wing beliefs. That's all. I wasn't defending the practical value of those beliefs. I immigrated to the U.S. from the Soviet Union in the 1970s and would be the last person on Earth to be a Communist. :-) Regards.

[rlmorel]

Ann Coulter's description of the hearings really took me by suprise. I took McCarthy to be a red-mongering witch hunter as the liberal history writers would like me to accept. After all, I never heard any OTHER interpretation of those events.

After I read her book, I did some research, downloaded the transcripts of the hearings from the appropriate government web site that makes them available, and then I sat and read through them.

I must say...her version sounds a lot more like what is reflected in the transcripts than anything I had ever heard over the years, and by a long shot, too.

I now believe Joseph McCarthy was a real American hero. As Ann Coulter said in her book, he bought us time, and made being a Communist a stain, as it should have been. Our country owes him a lot. We should honor his service as faithfully as any serviceman who lost his life in combat, which in my opinion, he did, if you know how he died.

[Calpernia]

That was a great post. Pardon me while I emphasize it.

Ann Coulter's description of the hearings really took me by suprise. I took McCarthy to be a red-mongering witch hunter as the liberal history writers would like me to accept. After all, I never heard any OTHER interpretation of those events.

After I read her book, I did some research, downloaded the transcripts of the hearings from the appropriate government web site that makes them available, and then I sat and read through them.

I must say...her version sounds a lot more like what is reflected in the transcripts than anything I had ever heard over the years, and by a long shot, too.

I now believe Joseph McCarthy was a real American hero. As Ann Coulter said in her book, he bought us time, and made being a Communist a stain, as it should have been. Our country owes him a lot. We should honor his service as faithfully as any serviceman who lost his life in combat, which in my opinion, he did, if you know how he died.

[Liz]

Please. I used the word "technicolor" as a writing device to emphasize a point, not to suggest Riefenstahl's work was in color. Why don't you try to think bigger thoughts, instead of relying on your ambitious provincialism?

BTW, that Disney was the only one to meet with Riefenstahl is a popular agenda-centric myth.


Most interesting is the number of German emigres who settled in Hollywood through the help of networks. Hollywood mogul Carl Laemmle helped fellow Germans out during the Nazi era. By one researcher’s account, Laemmle provided at least 300 affidavits, documents that guaranteed that an applicant for a US visa would be employed in Hollywood (and not become a public charge).

This concentrated milieu of immigrants had an inordinate and profound influence on films for years to come.

[Borges]

Please. I used the word "technicolor" as a writing device to emphasize a point, not to suggest Riefenstahl's work was in color. Why don't you try to think bigger thoughts, instead of relying on your ambitious provincialism?

Sorry about the midunderstanding.

BTW, that Disney was the only one to meet with Riefenstahl is a popular agenda-centric myth.

Here's one source:

"For her Hollywood stay Riefenstahl booked a bungalow at the Beverly Hills Hotel. Despite a hostile press and the billboard equivalent of “Leni Go Home!,” the world's most famous (or infamous) female director gained an audience with Walt Disney, although he did refuse her offer of a private showing of Olympia. He was just too afraid of a possible boycott of Disney films. Other studio heads treated her like the pariah she had become, refusing to see her at all. An invitation to meet with Gary Cooper was suddenly and “regretfully” cancelled. Even Disney would later make the unconvincing claim that he hadn't known who Riefenstahl really was."

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/biography/lriefenstahl.html

This concentrated milieu of immigrants had an inordinate and profound influence on films for years to come.

I agree. What's your point? Immigrants often appreicate the greatness of America more then the native born.

[Casloy]

Lillian Hellman was a stupid communist who defended Stalin until Kruschev denounced him. She wasn't just a liberal she was a communist till the end. Whether the blacklist was as perfasive as this article suggests or not, she was still defending a country that was enslaving millions and wanted to the same thing to the US. It's as if a present day actor was defending Bin Laden.

[wtc911]

He wasn't guilty of communism, just contempt of Congress, is that not right?

--------------------------------

That is not right. Americans have the right to be quiet. He invoked that right. btw...how is one guilty of communism? When did belonging to any party become a crime in the USA?

[wtc911]

Perhaps Mr. DaSilva was wronged. But many men have been sent to prison for crimes they DID NOT commit. THat doesn't mean we should change our minds on theft, murder, rape and the like or the necessity for going after (In some way, shape or form) those responsible....

_---------------------------------------

Pleae show me where I even hinted that my thoughts include what you wrote in your second paragraph.

[Borges]

The issue is that people belonged not just to a home grown American radical leftist party but the Soviet Communist Party which was actively working to overthrow the American goverment.

[wtc911]

No, the issue in all my posts is that Howard DaSilva was black listed for ten years with not even the accusation that he ever was a member of the communist or any party.

[Borges]

Oh I know. My contention has always been that apart from a select few most of the blacklisted film artists were political dilettantes going wherever the chic wind was blowing and did not pose a threat to national security.

[Antoninus]

Of the 10 listed as the Hollywood 10, is there any freeper commenting on this thread who can point to a crime than any one of them committed?

In my mind, they were no worse than that neo-nazi professor who recently got sh!t-canned by his university once his political ideas were exposed. As for the Hollywood 10, their "unpopular ideas" were simply that the US should abolish the constitution and adopt Soviet-style communism. Personally, I think "freedom of speech" ends when someone is advocating the abolition of the First Amendment.

These guys were all guilty of contempt of congress and got off easy for it. If you've ever watched the video tape of their "testimony," you know that they wanted to create a national media circus to help advance the cause. If you ask me, they all should have been thrown in jail.

[Antoninus]

Get it? No work for ten years because of what someone else said about him...that's not right.

He should have testified before Congress. Remaining silent wasn't an option--it was contempt of Congress. Based on his reaction, I'd say he probably was a communist.

[Calpernia]

VERY relevant thread

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1386807/posts
'Schindler's List' Co-Producer Sentenced

[Rastus]

It would help if you even knew what you were talking about. The blacklist did not originate with the government. It was the studios. Do the studios have a right to hire whomever they choose? It's called capitalism, baby. Hire a known communist, nobody goes to see your movie, and that's a lot of money down the drain. As for the precious little angels who refused to comply with a Congressional committee and were thus jailed for contempt, I'm sorry if they aren't above you or me. We'd be jailed for the same thing. And if you'll read the linked article, that son-of-a-bitch Trumbo was gladly willing to name names when it helped the Soviets. He named people who sought out his own book because he had disavowed said book once Hitler invaded Poland. To Hell with these people. They took a pledge to defend the Soviet Union against the United States if it came to that, everything they did was in support of the Soviet Union, and I'm not too broken up about Congress bringing that information to light. Interestingly, they didn't cry foul when HUAC was investigating the KKK.

[Borges]

Interesting fact...in 1941 there was a Senate subcommittee formed to investigate 'warmongers' (read: Jews) in Hollywood who were supposedly making films to propagandize Americans enter the current European war. After Pearl Harbor it was quickly disbanded.

[what's up]

how is one guilty of communism?

Your not. That's my point. Lefties often think that this is what the Ten were charged with. This is not true. It was contempt of Congress...the fact that they did not cooperate was their crime.

[dmz]

It would help if you would read before ranting. Just a thought.

[television is just wrong]

The list will be way longer this time around most people making movies in Hollywood are very Un-american.

[wtc911]

Da Silva mey well have been a party member but he was never officially accused of anything and never convicted of contempt of congress. The HUAC Hollywood hearings was a blot on our freedoms of association and speech. Equating a studio actor (somebody with zero power of any kind) with anyone like the Rosenbergs (genuine traitors and deservedly executed)doesn't make the injustice any less distasteful to those who respect those freedoms.

My opimion on this has nothing to do with communism, it is all about the rights of speech and association.