Product Details

• Format: Black & White, Color, NTSC
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Unapix / a-Pix Ent.
• VHS Release Date: March 25, 2000
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 1575239817
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #491,239 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

The tragic, notorious history of the McCarthy era in postwar America is often told from the perspective of predominantly white artists blacklisted in the film, television, and theater industries. But the African American arts community, according to this excellent BET documentary, was also specifically targeted by the far right for its links to a broader civil rights agenda. In other words, by shutting off the artistic prospects of Paul Robeson, Ossie Davis, and Hazel Scott through official and unofficial blacklists, the enemies of racial equality could also hamper the social activism of the same individuals. Scandalize My Name: Stories from the Blacklist is the shocking account of government collusion with a racist cabal of law enforcement, powerful journalists, politicians, and others to suppress African American hopes for a better life after black soldiers played a big part in winning World War II. While the story of Paul Robeson's disgraceful treatment is generally well known, the impositions, career stalls, and humiliations endured by Davis, Scott, Harry Belafonte, Jackie Robinson, and others are not. Fortunately, there were enough survivors of the period to speak on camera today and fill in multiple gaps in our sense of the times. This is easily one of the most important films yet about the great damage of the House Committee on Un-American Activities, and another important window on the history of civil rights in America. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars BLACK LISTED, February 17, 2001

By 

Bonita L. Davis - See all my reviews

This review is from: Scandalize My Name [VHS] (VHS Tape)

The Joseph McCarthy era was known as a time when careers were destroyed and lives broken over having ones' name branded as a "communist". Of the many lives tainted by this era African-Americans of the arts community were especially vulnerable.

Morgan Freeman narrates for us the story of those African-American artists who were caught up in the witch hunt of the House of Un-American Activities. Their names were black listed, they were scandalized and many of their careers were destroyed or pushed into obscurity. Who were these men and women? What did they do?

Some of the names you know. Paul Robeson is the most well known of those who were attacked. Rosetta LeNoire, Dick Campbell, Canada Lee, Hazel Scott and others are lesser known but these too felt the biting sting of betrayal. They were guilty about being outspoken against racism and that alone branded them as communist.

As these individuals tell their story you get the opportunity to see a portion of their work as artists. Morgan Freeman enables you to rediscover these great artists not only as activists but as performers of the highest caliber. Scandalize My Name will make you weep over our artistic losses but it will make you proud of these men and women who refused to allow American facism to compromise their principles.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Captures the fear and paranoia of the "Red Scare" era, July 4, 2000

By 

miditrax (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Scandalize My Name [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Illuminating accounts of the McCarthy era from those who were there. These artists of color were among the many in America who were repaid for their social activism with being branded with the "Scarlet Letter" of the blacklist, their lives and careers thrown into limbo. Most did not even know they were blacklisted until they suddenly found themselves jobless and friendless. Some did not survive at all...