When I wrote The Broadcast 41, I made a decision to write the book about a cohort--a group of women making their way in media in the 1930s and 1940s--rather than as a series of case studies. Part of the reason wasn't that ALL the stories were so compelling, but mainly I wanted to pass the baton to other scholars and give them enough so that they could devote attention to the individual stories.

When Donald Trump told his followers in April that “CBS should lose its license, and the cheaters at 60 Minutes should all be thrown out, and this disreputable ‘NEWS’ show should be immediately terminated,” it wasn’t the first time conservatives have gone on the offensive against CBS. J. Edgar Hoover had a similar outburst in 1950. 

This wonderful documentary about musician, performer, and activist Hazel Scott tells the story of Scott's many successes and her subsequent disappearance because of the blacklist. 

Dorothy Parker's distaste for Hollywood was legendary and all too understandable. Not crazy about the opening to this article on Gail Crowther’s new book (Dorothy Parker in Hollywood), but Hollywood had fewer more trenchant and intelligent critics than Parker.

When she's remembered, Judy Holliday is mainly known for her role in Garson Kanin's Born Yesterday as gun moll turned citizen.

Recently, an article in Esquire (behind a paywall, of course), cited Mary McCarthy's infamous putdown of writer Lillian Hellman in a 1978 interview: “I can’t stand her. I think every word she writes is false, including ‘and’ and ‘but.'” Writers on the right and left love this line. What's better than a catfight, first of all?

A nice (and short!) profile of filmmaker Nicole London, whose beautiful documentary about performer and activist Hazel Scott is in post-production. This is a long overdue film about Scott's impact, influence, and art.

Turns out that film noir classic Laura, written by blacklisted screenwriter and novelist Vera Caspary, has a perfect 100 on Rotten Tomatoes. In a recent article, Kelcie Mattson (who coincidentally graduated from Stephens College, where blacklisted actor Jean Muir once taught acting) describes the film as depicting "the ways realistic women move within stifling conditions, and how men react when women breach patriarchal expectations." As such, she adds, "Laura stands tall as a minor miracle."

Great piece by Martha Fischer, who I had the pleasure of meeting when she visited to read Jean Muir's papers (which are archived at the University of Oregon). Can't wait to read the biography she is writing.