Politics and Popular Culture – not a new phenomenon. During the Postwar/Cold War period, the Red Scare sweeping over America was seemingly everywhere – from Hollywood to Chewing gum. The paranoia of subversives appearing from nowhere and turning average American citizens into fire-breathing zombies for Moscow was at fever pitch.
And nowhere was it more prevalent than in Hollywood. From the infamous Hollywood Ten hearings of 1947 to the naming of names by such then-Hollywood stars as Larry Parks – it was a circus; one which unfortunately ruined innocent lives. Bear in mind, the Communist Party was a legitimately recognized Party in the U.S. until it’s official banning in 1954. Prior to that, you were free to belong to any political party you wanted to. But from 1947 until the HUAC hearings ended, everyone with even a passing interest in the Communist Party was considered subversive. And so . . . .
This episode of the Hollywood Gossip program Let’s Go, Hollywood!, hosted by George Fisher, includes an interview with Congressman Donald Jackson, who was a member of HUAC and part of the hearings on Capitol Hill. He discusses the hearings and alleges several communist cels throughout Hollywood, continuing to operate.
On the brighter side of the coin – the gossip side. Fisher gives news about rumored divorces and reviews the just-released movies of the week (September 12, 1951) – he also has an interview with famed Hollywood makeup artist Gordon Bau, who was head of makeup for Warner Bros. studios.
Interesting slice of popular culture, from September 12, 1951 – what concerned people 64 years ago. Names forgotten by a lot of people and films, in some cases, rarely seen. But it was big stuff then.
