Scholar Thomas Doherty describes how the HUAC hearings swept onto the blacklist those who had never even been particularly active politically, let alone suspected of being Communists:[O]n March 21, 1951, the name of the actor Lionel Stander was uttered by the actor Larry Parks during testimony before HUAC. "Do you know Lionel Stander?" committee counsel Frank S. Tavenner inquired. Parks replied he knew the man, but had no knowledge of his political affiliations. No more was said about Stander either by Parks or the committee—no accusation, no insinuation. Yet Stander's phone stopped ringing. Prior to Parks's testimony, Stander had worked on ten television shows in the previous 100 days. Afterwards, nothing.
Ouch! Jeeze Louise. Nasty stuff. Nathty. But props to Stander in how he replied when he finally was brought before the committee:
When Stander was himself called before HUAC, he began by pledging his full support in the fight against "subversive" activities:
I know of a group of fanatics who are desperately trying to undermine the Constitution of the United States by depriving artists and others of Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness without due process of law.... I can tell names and cite instances and I am one of the first victims of it.... [This is] a group of ex-Fascists and America-Firsters and anti-Semites, people who hate everybody including Negroes, minority groups and most likely themselves.... [T]hese people are engaged in a conspiracy outside all the legal processes to undermine the very fundamental American concepts upon which our entire system of democracy exists.
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Last year, I realized that this material is not really being taught to American high school students anymore. I began my philosophy course last year by having my students read The Crucible. Most had read it in high school, but most had never been told anything about Arthur Miller or his connection to the trials. Likewise, most had never heard of Joseph McCarthy. I was horrified. Of course, they all said that the work made a lot more sense--and seemed more meaningful--now that they knew something about its history. But man... Scary to think about how primary education has been censored since 9/11.
Sadness.
Read the play "Are You Now Or Have You Ever Been?" which has highlights of the testimony by Lionel Stander (my dad) and many other actors and writers.
Ooh thanks, I shall!
And your cat is very cute.
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