"This is the book we've been waiting for! The true story of the much mythologized 'Hollywood Ten' by a scion of Hollywood royalty. As the son of Marx Brothers screenwriter Morrie Ryskind--who testified against the Hollywood Ten back when there were still patriotic Hollywood power brokers--author Allan Ryskind grew up having to shush Groucho Marx practicing his jokes at Hollywood Stars baseball games. He went on to become a massively influential writer--particularly on Ronald Reagan, who religiously read Allan's front-page editorials in Human Events (his favorite publication) and even called Allan to the White House to confront the big spenders in his own cabinet. Now, Allan gives us the truth about the Hollywood Ten."
--Ann Coulter, author of ten New York Times bestsellers, including Treason: Liberal Treachery from the Cold War to the War on Terrorism"Allan Ryskind opens up a forgotten part of postwar history, Hollywood, and the Cold War--and we discover that most of what Americans thought about that period wasn't true. Whether it is the Hollywood Ten, the Blacklist, or just how influential Soviet penetration of the U.S. entertainment industry was during and after World War II, Ryskind spells it out with complete documentation. The influence of this period on such noted Americans as Ronald Reagan and actor Robert Taylor is also explained. Coming from one who has not only studied the postwar period in Hollywood but actually lived in it, Hollywood Traitors offers a rare perspective that is sure to prompt discussion and re-examination of the time when Stalin drew higher praise in some U.S. motion pictures than he did in Russian films."
--John Gizzi, White House correspondent and chief political columnist, Newsmax
"A real-life thriller about the movies, exploding the fifty-year myth that the Hollywood Ten were innocent victims of a witch hunt. Ryskind shows that they, as well as numerous other screenwriters, were in fact hard-core Stalinists bent on subverting U.S. society and culture. Must reading for students of Cold War history."
--M. Stanton Evans, author of Blacklisted by History: The Untold Story of Senator Joe McCarthy and His Fight against America's Enemies
From the Back Cover
There's a myth about the Hollywood blacklist-- and perhaps even you have fallen for it. According to the legend, noble Hollywood figures--creative screenwriters, brilliant directors, and beloved actors--were dragged before the dreaded House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) and grilled on their personal beliefs and associations, in flagrant violation of the First Amendment. Only by "taking the Fifth" could they escape turning informant against their innocent friends and colleagues. The brave and conscientious "Hollywood Ten" were the heroes of the hour. They refused to "name names" of Communists in Hollywood (most of whom were simply slightly misguided liberals, according to the legend) and were jailed for contempt of Congress. And then, in what was a terrible loss for the cinematic art, they were completely shut out of working in Hollywood.
Now, however, you can learn the real story from an authoritative source: longtime Human Events editor Allan Ryskind, who, as the son of Marx Brothers screenwriter Morrie Ryskind, grew up in Hollywood and knew many of the key players in this real-life Hollywood drama.
In Hollywood Traitors: Blacklisted Screenwriters--Agents of Stalin, Allies of Hitler, Ryskind reveals how the alleged "victims" of the Hollywood blacklist were actually ideological thugs: enthusiastic Stalinists committed to bringing about a socialist utopia in America--by violent revolution, if necessary. These screenwriters prostituted their talent in the service of Communist propaganda, which included pro-Nazi propaganda during the Hitler-Stalin Pact.
About the Author
Allan Ryskind is the son of Hollywood screenwriter Morrie Ryskind, who co-wrote many screenplays on the Marx Brothers and many Broadway musicals. His father, along with Ronald Reagan, John Wayne, Walt Disney, and many others, led the charge against the Communist movement in Hollywood.
Mr. Ryskind, who covered Capitol Hill during much of the Clinton presidency, has been a reporter and editor with Human Events since 1959. He currently serves as editor-at-large for the online publication. He is also the author of a well-regarded biography of Hubert Humphrey, the Democratic challenger that narrowly lost the presidency to Richard Nixon in 1968.
Mr. Ryskind resides in the D.C. metro area with his family.
