Radical Innocence: A Critical Study of the Hollywood Ten

Lexington, Kentucky: The University Press of Kentucky, 1989. Fine condition in a Near Fine dust jacket. Only a little rubbing to the dust jacket. NO chips. NO tears. Sharp corners. Pages are crisp, clean and unmarked. NO owner's name or bookplate. NOT a remainder. NOT a library discard. Chronologies, bibliographies, and filmographies; Notes; Index. Bound in the original black cloth, stamped in shiny silver on the spine. From the dust jacket: "On October 30, 1947, the House Committee on Un-American Activities concluded the first round of hearings on the allege Communist infiltration of the motion picture industry. Hollywood was ordered to 'clean its own house,' and ten witnesses who had refused to answer questions about their membership in the Screen Writers Guild and the Communist party were recommended for, and eventually received, contempt citations. By 1950 the Hollywood Ten, as they quickly became known, were serving prison sentences ranging from six months to a year. Since that time the group, which included writers, directors, and a producer, have been either dismissed as industry hacks or eulogized as Cold War martyrs, but never have they been discussed in terms of their profession. Radical Innocence is the first attempt to focus attention where it belongs -- not on the politics of the Ten but on the work: their short stories, plays, novels, criticism, poems, memoirs, and, of course, films. Drawing on myriad sources, including archival materials, unpublished manuscripts, black-market scripts, screenplay drafts, letters, and personal interviews, Bernard F. Dick describes the Ten's survival tactics during the blacklisting and analyzes the contribution of these ten individuals not only to film but also to the arts. Although basicly a work of criticism, Radical Innocence captures the personality of each of the Ten -- the arrogant Herbert J. Biberman, the witty Ring Lardner, Jr., the patriarchal Samuel Ornitz, the compassionate Adrian Scott, and the feisty Dalton Trumbo...". First Edition. Hardcover. Fine condition/Near Fine dust jacket. Illus. by NOT a library discard. 8vo. (viii), 264pp. + 8 pages photos. Great Packaging, Fast Shipping.