À dix heures

Caza de Brujas

Tras la Segunda Guerra Mundial, los angloamericanos y soviéticos tenían una relación de desconfianza y provisionalidad, debido a un enfrentamiento entre dos ideologías, la capitalista y la comunista.

After the Second World War, the Anglo-Americans and Soviets had a mistrust and provisional relationship, due to a confrontation between the two powers: Capitalism and Communism.

En Estados Unidos, hubo una gran represión contra los intelectuales, especialmente en el mundo del cine, ya que fueron perseguidos por el Comité de Actividades Antiamericanas impulsado por el senador de Wisconsin, Joseph McCarthy. Este proceso denominado <<maccarthismo>>, o <<caza de brujas>> se limitaba a perseguir, acusar infundadamente, coaccionar y terminar con la carrera de artistas que tuvieran indicios de pertenecer al Partido Comunista. Como consecuencia, muchos guionistas o escritores tuvieron que usar un pseudónimo o publicarlo a través de otra persona, como hacía el guionista Dalton Trumbo, y en la película The front (1976), protagonizada por Woody Allen y dirigida  por Martin Ritt (víctima de la <<caza de brujas>>), también se ve reflejado. Otros, decidieron inmigrar a países europeos, por ejemplo, los casos de Charles Chaplin y Jules Dassin, aunque muchos no tuvieron la misma suerte porque les fueron retirados sus pasaportes. 

In USA, there was a big repression against the intellectual sector, especially in the world of cinema, since they were prosecuted by the House Un-American Activities Committee, whose leading promoter was the senator of Wisconsin: Joseph McCarthy. This process was called “McCarthyism” or “witch hunt” and consisted on the prosecution of people. It involved unfounded accusations and coercions with the purpose of destroying the careers of artists accused of belonging to the Communist Party. As a consequence, many scriptwriters and writers were forced to use a pseudonym or publish their plays and books using the name of other people. This is the case of the scriptwriter Dalton Trumbo and the film The Front (1976), starring Woody Allen and directed by Martin Ritt (who was a victim of the “witch hunt”). This movie was a clear reflection of what was happening at that moment. Others decided to immigrate to different European countries, for instance, Charles Chaplin and Jules Dassin, although there were many others who weren’t so lucky: their passports were taken away.

 Joseph McCarthy

Woody Allen en 'The front'

 Charles Chaplin

Jules Dassin

Las principales víctimas fueron los Diez de Hollywood, que encabezaron las grandes listas negras. Al comienzo de esta etapa, fueron interrogados y encarcelados, a pesar de determinar en sus juicios que la conducta del comité y el senador era anticonstitucional, por lo tanto, antidemocrática. Los componentes de este grupo fueron: Alvah Bessie, Herbert Biberman, Lester Cole, Edward Dmytryk, Ring Lardner Jr., John Howard Lawson, Albert Maltz, Samuel Ornitz, Adrian Scott, y Dalton Trumbo,

Del director Herbert Biberman, encontramos una película basada sobre su vida en este período titulada One of the Hollywood Ten (2001) dirigida por Karl Francis. Esta cinta la recomiendo claramente porque muestra lo que verdaderamente pasó y el gran trabajo y empeño que puso Biberman en sacar adelante su película The Salt of the Earth (1954), para reivindicar la situación de precariedad laboral de los obreros en Nuevo México. Cabe destacar, que en la mítica del 54, debido al boicot que sufrió, ningún actor quiso colaborar con él por las consecuencias que suponía, y trabajó con los verdaderos obreros.

Por otro lado, Edward Dmytryck, traicionó a sus principios confesando su arrepentimiento por pertenecer al partido comunista y revelar los nombres de veintiséis compañeros suyos. Después, recuperó su trabajo rápidamente.

Como he mencionado anteriormente, Dalton Trumbo, consiguió seguir trabajando tras usar pseudónimos y tapaderas en las publicaciones de sus obras. En Roman Holiday (1953) ganó el Óscar bajo la tapadera de Ian McLellan Hunter. Posteriormente, en 1960 ya logró utilizar su verdadero nombre en películas como Spartacus o Exodus. De este gran guionista encontramos un documental publicado en 2007, titulado Trumbo y dirigido por Peter Askin, en el que actores de la talla de Michael Douglas o Liam Neeson analizan su carrera y realzan su figura.

Dentro de las víctimas no podemos dejar atrás al matrimonio Julius y Ethel Rosenberg, que fueron acusados de pasar secretos atómicos a Rusia, y que sin tener pruebas claras y suficientes, fueron condenados a muerte. Fallecieron tras ser ejecutados en la silla eléctrica en la prisión de Sing Sing en junio de 1953, hecho degradante e indignante, que es anticonstitucional y va también en contra de los derechos humanos. 

The main victims were the Hollywood Ten, who were in the top of the big three blacklists. They were interrogated and imprisoned at the beginning of this period, despite of having considered that the behavior of the Senator and the committee was unconstitutional. Therefore, they were also undemocratic during the trials. The components of this group were: Alvah Bessie, Herbert Biberman, Lester Cole, Edward Dmytryk, Ring Lardner Jr., John Howard Lawson, Albert Maltz, Samuel Ornitz, Adrian Scott and Dalton Trumbo.

We can find a movie about the Herbert Biberman’s life, which is based on his own experiences in the period we are speaking about. This film is titled One of the Hollywood Ten (2001) and was directed by Karl Francis. I totally recommend it, since it is a clear proof of what really occurred and, in addition, it shows how hard Biberman worked in order to get his movie through: The Salt of the Earth (1954). His aim was to claim for the precarious employment situation of workers in New Mexico. It is worth stressing that, no actor wanted to collaborate with him, due to the boycott the director suffered while he was doing that mythical film. The reason was that they were afraid of the possible consequences for them, so Biberman had to do it with real workers.

Furthermore, Edward Dmytryck betrayed his principles when he confessed he regretted having belonged to the Communist Party. It was the reason why he revealed the names of twenty-six of his colleagues. After this, he regained his job quickly.

As I told before, Dalton Trumbo could keep on working after using pseudonyms and other elements as covers in the publications of his works. In Roman Holiday (1953) he got the Oscar under the name of Ian McLellan Hunter. Later, in 1960, he could finally use his real name in films such as Spartacus or Exodus. You can find a documentary about this director, which was published in 2007, titled Trumbo and directed by Peter Askin. Michael Dougals and Liam Neeson were only two of the actors who analysed and praised the work of Trumbo.

Among these victims, we cannot forget the couple formed by Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, who were accused of revealing atom secrets to Russia. Even though there weren’t enough and clear evidence, they were condemned to death - the electric chair-and executed at Sing Sing Prison in July, 1958. This was a degrading and outrageous fact, apart from being unconstitutional and a violation of international human rights.

Los Diez de Hollywood

Herbert Biberman

Cartel 'Salt of the Earth'

Edward Dmytryc

Dalton Trumbo

Julius y Ethel Rosenberg

Los acusados, recibieron apoyo de sus compañeros de trabajo con la movilización del Comité de la Primera Enmienda, que contaba con la presencia de Gregory Peck, Humphrey Bogart, Katherine Hepburn, Lauren Bacall, y Burt Lancaster, entre otros. Sin embargo, había otros afines a McCarthy, entre los que se encontraban, Gary Cooper, Robert Taylor, Martin Berkeley y Adolphe Menjou. Estos dos últimos se llevan la palma. El primero, tiene el record de 126 denuncias a sus compañeros, y el segundo, soltaba perlas, como que los comunistas estadounidenses debían ser enviados a los desiertos de Texas, para que les matasen los texanos.

The accused received support from their work colleagues with the mobilization of the Committee for the First Amendment, formed by Gregory Peck, Humphrey Bogart, Katherine Hepburn, Lauren Bacall and Burt Lancaster, among others. However and on the other hand, there were people who supported McCarthy, for example Gary Cooper Robert Taylor, Martin Berkeley and Adolph Menjou. These last ones catch the attention in a special way. The first reached the record of 126 reports, and the second one allowed himself to say that the American communists should be sent to the Texas deserts and be killed by the people living there.

Actores contra la <<caza de brujas>>  

Igualmente, en este ciclo me gustaría destacar a Elia Kazan. El director cuenta con una carrera impecable, pero a su vez, manchada por la <<caza de brujas>>, ya que delato a compañeros suyos de su comienzo en el Partido Comunista. ¿Ese hecho puede cambiar su inigualable carrera? Elia Kazan es considerado por el mejor director de actores, como apreciamos en la mayoría de sus películas, por ejemplo, A Streetcar named Desire, On the Waterfront (en esta emplea matices justificativos ante su actuación) o East of Eden que mencioné en mi anterior post. No obstante, como Hollywood no perdona, muchos artistas criticaron que recibiera el Óscar honorífico en la gala del 21 de marzo de 1999, y ni siquiera aplaudieron en la recogida de su galardón. Solo le respaldaron actores, como, Lauren Bacall o Karl Malden, que afirmaron que había que tener en cuenta su carrera cinematográfica, y que lo que hizo,  no debe influir. Sabiendo todo esto llego a una conclusión, ¿qué pesa más la moral, o la calidad artística?

Similarly, I would like to highlight Elia Kazan. The director had an impeccable career, but, at the same time, tainted by this “witch hunt”, given that he betrayed some of his partners from his beginning in the Communist Party. Could this fact change his unmatched career? Elia Kazan was considered the best director and, in addition, worked with actors you can see in the vast majority of his films, for instance: A Streetcar Named Desire, East of Eden or On the Waterfront – in this he used supporting connotations- which I mentioned in the previous post. Nevertheless, since Hollywood doesn’t forgive, many actors criticized that he was given the Honorary Oscar in March of 1999. They didn’t even applauded. Only actors such as Lauren Bacall or Karl Malden supported the director. These claimed that what the Academy had to take into account was his career, not what he did. After all, I reach to the following point: what is more important, the moral or the artistic quality?

 Elia Kazan

Elia Kazan y Marlon Brando en el rodaje de 'On the Waterfront'

El filme de George Cloony, Buenas noches, y buena suerte, también trata sobre este tema, concretamente, el enfrentamiento del periodista de la CBS, Edward R. Murrow, contra el senador Joseph McCarthy, criticando su método de opresión contra los intelectuales, y la caída de su ideología.

The film of George Clooney, Good Night, and Good Luck, is also about this subject, in particular, the confrontation between the journalist of the CBS, Edward R. Murrow, and the senator Joseph McCarthy. Murrow critized the oppression against the intellectuals and the fall of his ideology.

David Strathairn encarnó a Edward R. Murrow en la película.

Finalmente, McCarthy comienza a decaer en 1954, gracias a la opinión pública y una serie de decisiones judiciales. El senador falleció en 1957, a causa de una cirrosis y hepatitis.

Finally, McCarthy started to decline in 1954, thanks to the public opinion and some judicial decisions. The senator died in 1957 because of cirrhosis and hepatitis.

Traducción: Esther Ojeda.