Son Sorry Hor Hollywood Blacklist---The son of The Hollywood Reporter founder Billy Wilkerson has apologised for both his father's and the trade paper's role in the 1947 blacklist that destroyed the careers of writers, actors and directors accused of having communist ties.
In an article published by The Hollywood Reporter, Willie Wilkerson, 61, called the blacklist era "Hollywood's Holocaust" and said: "On the eve of this dark 65th anniversary, I feel an apology is necessary."
He says his father supported the Hollywood Blacklist to exact revenge against the titans he felt denied him entry to their club when he wanted to establish a film studio in the late 1920s.
Billy Wilkerson founded The Hollywood Reporter in 1930 and after the Second World War, used the paper as a vehicle for a series of editorials attacking communist sympathisers and their influence in Hollywood.
"In his maniacal quest to annihilate the studio owners, he realised that the most effective retaliation was to destroy their talent," Willie Wilkerson wrote. "In the wake of this emerging hysteria surrounding communism, the easiest way to crush the studio owners was to simply call their actors, writers and directors communists. Unfortunately, they would become the collateral damage of history. Apart from being charged with contempt, for refusing to name names, none of these individuals committed any crimes."
Studios dominated the industry and denied work to those named on the blacklist. Some writers worked under pseudonyms. Many actors and their families moved overseas to look for work. The Hollywood Reporter named names and ceaselessly covered the issue.
Read more: http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/world-news/son-sorry-for-hollywood-blacklist-16239875.html?r=RSS#ixzz2Crk6kqKQ
In an article published by The Hollywood Reporter, Willie Wilkerson, 61, called the blacklist era "Hollywood's Holocaust" and said: "On the eve of this dark 65th anniversary, I feel an apology is necessary."
He says his father supported the Hollywood Blacklist to exact revenge against the titans he felt denied him entry to their club when he wanted to establish a film studio in the late 1920s.
Billy Wilkerson founded The Hollywood Reporter in 1930 and after the Second World War, used the paper as a vehicle for a series of editorials attacking communist sympathisers and their influence in Hollywood.
"In his maniacal quest to annihilate the studio owners, he realised that the most effective retaliation was to destroy their talent," Willie Wilkerson wrote. "In the wake of this emerging hysteria surrounding communism, the easiest way to crush the studio owners was to simply call their actors, writers and directors communists. Unfortunately, they would become the collateral damage of history. Apart from being charged with contempt, for refusing to name names, none of these individuals committed any crimes."
Studios dominated the industry and denied work to those named on the blacklist. Some writers worked under pseudonyms. Many actors and their families moved overseas to look for work. The Hollywood Reporter named names and ceaselessly covered the issue.
Read more: http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/world-news/son-sorry-for-hollywood-blacklist-16239875.html?r=RSS#ixzz2Crk6kqKQ
