Ayn Rand and Song of Russia : Communism and anti-Communism in 1940s Hollywood
Author(s)
Bibliographic Information
Ayn Rand and Song of Russia : Communism and anti-Communism in 1940s Hollywood
Scarecrow Press, 2005
- : pbk
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Note
Includes bibliographical references (p. 205-208) and index
Description and Table of Contents
Description
In October 1947, more than twenty years after leaving Russia, Ayn Rand testified before the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), which was investigating communist infiltration of the motion picture industry. The focus of that testimony was Song of Russia, a 1944 pro-Soviet film that Rand decried for its unrealistic, absurdly flattering portrait of life in the communist country. Ayn Rand scholar Robert Mayhew focuses on this controversial period of American and Hollywood history by examining both the film and the furor surrounding Rand's HUAC testimony. His analysis provides the first detailed history of any of the pro-Soviet films to come out of 1940s Hollywood. Mayhew begins by offering a brief synopsis of the MGM film, followed by an account of its production, as well as its reception. Most significantly, Mayhew analyzes Rand's appearance before HUAC and discusses the response to her much-maligned testimony. By carefully scrutinizing this one episode in the history of communism and anti-communism in 1940s Hollywood, Mayhew presents a more accurate picture of those times and the issues surrounding them. His study allows for a re-evaluation of the role of communism in Hollywood, the nature of the HUAC, and even the Hollywood Ten. This book should be of interest to anyone interested in the life and thought of Ayn Rand, as well as to anyone interested in the history of Hollywood communism and of American film.
Table of Contents
Part 1 Acknowledgments Part 2 A Note on the Hollywood Ten and the Lubyanka Thousand Part 3 Part I: Distorting Facts: Song of Russia Chapter 4 Chapter 1. Song of Russia: A Synopsis Chapter 5 Chapter 2. The Making of Song of Russia Chapter 6 Chapter 3. Reactions to Song of Russia Part 7 Part II: Ayn Rand's 1947 HUAC Testimony Chapter 8 Chapter 4. From Russia to Washington, D.C., via Hollywood Chapter 9 Chapter 5. Ayn Rand on the House Un-American Activities Committee Chapter 10 Chapter 6. Big Lies: Song of Russia versus Soviet Russia-An Analysis of Ayn Rand's HUAC Testimony, Part 1 Chapter 11 Chapter 7. Noble Lies: Reflecting the Standard Defense of Song of Russia-An Analysis of Ayn Rand's HUAC Testimony, Part 2 Chapter 12 Chapter 8. Russian Smiles: The Leftist Response to Ayn Rand's HUAC Testimony Part 13 Conclusion Part 14 Appendix 1: Ayn Rand's HUAC Testimony Part 15 Appendix 2: Files on Song of Russia at the Margaret Herrick Library Part 16 Appendix 3: From the FBI Files: The Schedule for the 1947 HUAC Hearings Part 17 Appendix 4: From the FBI Files: The Motion Picture Alliance and the "Other Blacklist" Part 18 Select Bibliography Part 19 Index Part 20 About the Author
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