Synopses & Reviews
Hide in Plain Sight offers a powerful examination of the effects of Hollywood's blacklist era, taking up the question of how blacklistees fared after they were driven out of the mainstream. A good number entered careers in television, with many finding work in children's and family programs, writing for shows like
Rocky and Bullwinkle, Lassie, and
Flipper. Many also wrote adult sitcoms such as
Hogan's Heroes,The Donna Reed Show, The Dick Van Dyke Show, M*A*S*H, Maude, and A
ll in the Family. Ultimately, many returned to Hollywood in the sixties and seventies to work creatively on films that contained a dose of radical politics and influenced the creative outburst of that decade. The list of impressive films from the survivors of HUAC includes
Bridge on the River Kwai, Lawrence of Arabia, and
Midnight Cowboy. Hide in Plain Sight completes Paul Buhle and Dave Wagner's trilogy, which includes
Tender Comrades (1998) and
Radical Hollywood (2002). Together these books provide a thorough and disturbing portrait of the McCarthy era's impact on an important aspect of American culture and society.
Review
"...an illuminating and timely reminder of a dark chapter in Hollywood history."--Stephen Rees,
Library Journal"...the authors shed important new light on this infamous period in our country's cultural heritage."--Carol Haggas, Booklist
"This encyclopedic, riveting study of the Hollywood blacklist's impact follows the careers of targeted individuals to explore the blacklist's effects..."--Publishers Weekly
About the Author
Paul Buhle founded the Oral History of the American Left archive at NYU.
Dave Wagner has co-authored a number of books with Paul Buhle, including the recent
Radical Hollywood.
Table of Contents
The Strangest Saga in Show Biz: From the Theatrical Avante-Garde to the Unwashed (Living Room) Masses * From Grand Theater to Grit and Giggles Theater: The Art of the Television Series * Deep in the Void * The Neorealist Aesthetic * Working Under Cover (and Underpaid) * The Climb Back * The Hollywood Art Film and the Pleasures of Late Vindication * Joseph Losey: The Lucid Outsider * Really the End? The Strangest Saga in Show Biz: from the Theatrical Avante-Garde to the Unwashed (Living Room) Masses * From Grand Theater to Grit and Giggles Theater: The Art of the Television Series * Deep in the Void * The Neorealist Aesthetic * Working Under Cover (and Underpaid) * The Climb Back * The Hollywood Art Film and the Pleasures of Late Vindication * Joseph Losey: The Lucid Outsider * Really the End?