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New York Times
25-04-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
An Exhibition Explores Whether the Red Scare Has Lessons for America Today
For those who wonder if history repeats itself, an upcoming show at the New York Historical, may provide some insight — and a warning. 'Blacklisted: An American Story,' highlights a dark chapter in American history by focusing on two decades of attacks on political leftists and suspected Communists in Hollywood that resulted in destroyed careers, jail terms and pitted many in the entertainment industry against one another. Perhaps there are lessons to be learned. Or, at the very least, 'Blacklisted' may provide something to think about, which is the goal of the exhibition. The exhibition 'is a way to remind people of a time when questions were raised about who is an American and of citizenship,'' said Louise Mirrer, president and chief executive of the New York Historical, in an interview. 'We are asking the same questions today that were there at the genesis of the Blacklist era. This exhibit could not be more relevant and timely.' 'Blacklisted,' which runs from June 13 to Oct. 19, focuses on what became known as the Red Scare. For decades, starting after World War I and returning with greater fury in the 1940s and 1950s, a variety of politicians, government officials and agencies began to root out many individuals for their leftist beliefs and — correctly or not — Communist sympathies. It wasn't hard to find people to attack. The hardships of the Depression in the 1930s led to a growth in membership in the Communist Party in America by those seeking a different economic system. But as the Soviet Union changed from being a World War II ally to a Cold War enemy in the years that followed, hundreds of leftist activists in the 1930s were now under suspicion. The New York Historical (formerly known as the New-York Historical Society) exhibition focuses on the Hollywood blacklist, when actors, writers, musicians and others in the entertainment industry were targeted and often lost their jobs for their real or suspected ties or sympathies to the Communist Party or their refusal to aid government and Congressional investigations by identifying others. 'People are now asking questions about which books can be given to the young,'' said Mirrer, 'or what films can be circulated and what is taught.'' She added, 'It's important to remind people of the things that happened in the past and encourage them to think about today.' For Mirrer, the blacklist era is not in the distant past. 'I remember as a youth in the 1960s, that my mother had many friends targeted by HUAC,'' said Mirrer, referring to the House Un-American Activities Committee, which investigated suspected Communists. 'There were whispers of people who had lost their jobs or had their lives ruined or fled to Canada.' An earlier version of the exhibition was shown in 2023 at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles and was developed in coordination with the Jewish Museum in Milwaukee. It has been expanded in the last two years with around 50 new items added. While the exhibition touches on the anti-Communist campaign by Senator Joseph McCarthy, it focuses mainly on the HUAC hearings, which predated McCarthy's later hearings in the Senate. There are about 150 objects in the exhibition highlighting a number of themes, among them the 1947 HUAC hearings, in which Hollywood actors were forced to testify either about their own political activities or those of others. The exhibition will examine those who named names and those who resisted. It shows how blacklisted writers were forced to write under other people's names, how Broadway served as a refuge for many blacklisted artists and how the blacklist era was finally broken. On display will be photos, posters, film clips, costumes and newsreels from the HUAC committee hearings along with personal narratives from those blacklisted and from film executives and members of Congress. In addition, the show will feature subpoenas from HUAC, telegrams, documents and other personal items. Such Hollywood names as Paul Robeson, Elia Kazan, Lillian Hellman, Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, Lee Grant and Orson Welles are among those featured — for better or worse. One section of the exhibition looks at 'the Hollywood Ten,'' the left-wing screenwriters and directors who refused to answer questions before HUAC and were later jailed in 1950 for contempt of Congress. Prominent among them was the screenwriter Dalton Trumbo, who wrote such films as 'Roman Holiday,' 'Exodus' and 'Spartacus,'' some under a false name and others uncredited at the time. His uncredited work won two Academy Awards. Some items on display came from descendants of blacklisted actors and writers, among them drawings that Mr. Trumbo's daughter sent him while he was in prison. Other items come from Columbia University, the University of Pittsburgh, the New York Public Library and Carnegie Hall. 'It was exciting to reach out to families and descendants to incorporate so many personal items in the show,'' said Anne Lessy, curator of the show. Lessy added that the exhibition shows a 'Red Scare that goes beyond McCarthyism.' The daughter of the actor John Garfield lent an original portrait she made of her father as well as a number of movie posters. His acting career was cut short following his refusal to name names when called before the committee. He was, effectively, blacklisted and later died of a heart attack at age 39. Julie Garfield recalled, in an interview, how her father and her family were constantly followed by F.B.I. agents. The agents even came to the family home after her father's death, which she blames on the stress of that era. While her father was accused of being a member of the Communist Party, he never was. 'We want to show people how awful and messed up the country was,'' said Garfield, who is an actress and teacher. 'And how it was intimidated by one or two people who were allowed to ruin the lives of people. People were destroyed because of their beliefs.' In terms of lessons that the exhibition may impart, Mirrer outlined a dark side and a more hopeful one. 'I would like people to know that there were people of great courage who took the view that American democracy was of the utmost importance and had to be sustained,' she said. 'They saw to it, and the period came to an end. ''
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Did Stabler Flash Benson? The Week's Roughest Fireman Loss? Why'd Yellowjacket Strip in Snow? Did Survivor Cheat Reward? More TV Qs!
We've got questions, and you've (maybe) got answers! With another week of TV gone by, we're lobbing queries left and right about Law & Order: Organized Crime, Matlock, Chicago Fire and more! 1 | Can characters please stop pushing Gabriela into relationships? Can't she just flirt with and maybe date a guy without having it being framed as her Next Great Epic Romance? (Her track record is not great!) Also, how did Audrey know all the switches, levers and knobs to turn on/operate a snow canon? More from TVLine 9-1-1 Trailer Offers Heartbreaking First Look at [Spoiler]'s Funeral: 'He's Not Supposed to Be Dead!' Chris Meloni Reveals Which Law & Order: Organized Crime Season 5 Scene He Had to Cut Mariska Hargitay Out Of (And Why) - Watch Law & Order: Organized Crime Premiere: Stabler and Benson Reunite Under Dire Circumstances as Season 5 Begins - Read Episodes 1 and 2 Recap 2 | Blacklist fans, were you surprised (delighted even!) when you tuned into Sunday's Tracker and saw Diego Klattenhoff had been cast as Colter's friend Roger? ▼ 3 | Suits LA/Arrow viewers, did you get a kick out of Harvey telling Stephen Amell's character to 'suit up'? And how did Harvey get into Ted's home? Does he have a key? 4 | Wait, why again did Yellowjackets' Mari take off her clothes and shoes while running for her life in the snowy woods…? 5 | Who did Ellie get to tattoo over her original bite mark without asking questions? 6 | Did any other Righteous Gemstones viewers spend most of this week's episode distracted by Young Kelvin's very obviously stuffy nose? 7 | Once you realized that go-to TV villain Robert Knepper was playing the Dark Winds priest, did you sense a sinister twist was coming? 8 | — and Mario — fans, who wore it best? ▼ 9 | NCIS: Origins' murder of Bugs seemed too easy. Are prison yards really ever within sight of a neighboring rooftop? Was Wheeler ('Are you telling me Roger is Sandman?!') acting more stoned than drunk? Also, we haven't pointed out anachronistic dialogue in a minute: Were people declining offers with 'Pass!' in 1991? 10 | First when s Matt said to Karen, 'We need an army,' and later when entered the front room at Josie's to meet the first members of that army, did you very much expect to see at least one of the Defenders among them? (Or at last the silhouette of a large bald man or brunette woman?) And how did Karen arrive in NYC from San Francisco the same night she learned Matt had been shot? 11 | We get that background extras cost money, but… couldn't put a few friends and family in the bleachers at the much-ballyhooed PD vs. FD football game? 12 | As dark as the show has gotten, is The Cleaning Lady the last TV series you'd expect to do a rom-com-esque 'fake marriage' storyline? (Not that we're complaining about it!) And for those of you who watch this show and Big Brother, did you clock BB24 contestant Daniel Durston as the man behind the Elvis impersonator at Thony and Jorge's 'wedding'? ▼ 13 | On The Handmaid's Tale, were you surprised by how sweet the normally ascerbic Commander Lawrence is with his cherubic stepdaughter, Angela? 14 | Chicago Fire fans, are you baffled by the decision to let go of Carver, who's one of the better new characters in recent years and has a will they/won't they romance with Violet? Speaking of, were you disappointed that Violet wasn't part of Carver's return episode this week? 15 | Was it fair of to stick an advantage clue in a bowl at the taco reward, seeing as seating was oddly assigned to specific cast members? ▼ 16 | Did The Conners' final season skip over the part where Becky finished grad school? And what tech company would be based in Lanford and hire a new psychologist, straight out of school with no prior experience, to manage an entire mental wellness department? 17 | After watching Jackson Kelly play troubled teen David throughout Season 1 of The Pitt, how jarring was it to see him play Missy's boyfriend Todd on this week's episode of Georgie & Mandy? ▼ 18 | Ghosts fans, were you surprised to learn during this week's episode that Pete and Donna are still a thing? 19 | Where was Law & Order: SVU's Velasco during the big crossover? 20 | On , Joe Jr. is absolutely in touch with Bernie, despite Randall's assumption that she's imagining things, right? How uncomfortable was it watching Randall flirt with Benson as they stood at Stabler's bedside? Were any other EO 'shippers intrigued by the editing after Stabler said, 'You can either help me out and start your car, or just stand there and watch me get naked'? (Benson agreed to help… but we never got a shot of her walking away as he began to remove his hospital gown.) And who wants to tell Peacock that Organized Crime Season 5 is a weekly release, not a binge drop? ▼ 21 | If Doctor Odyssey manages to get a Season 2 renewal, can we get two Joshua Jacksons every week? Or would they have to pay him double? 22 | Would 's Senior — a$$hole dad or not — really have not told Julian ahead of time that he was making Olympia partner over his own son? How many times did your heart swell and then break during that 'Landslide' montage? Plus, do any other fans choose to believe that gym receptionist Kelsie is Madisynn's sister? ▼ 23 | Towards Zero viewers, do you ever find yourself distracted from the murder mystery by the gorgeously detailed wardrobe, hair and makeup styling? 24 | OK, when is Grey's Anatomy putting out the Dr. Whipple and Super Surgeon graphic novel? ▼ Also, did you find that you liked Winston and Jules as a potential couple more than you thought you would? 25 | How soon do you think 9-1-1's Powers That Be will regret killing off Peter Krause — that is, if they don't already? Hit the comments with your answers and any TV Qs of your own! Best of TVLine Weirdest TV Crossovers: Always Sunny Meets Abbott, Family Guy vs. Simpsons, Nine-Nine Recruits New Girl and More ER Turns 30: See the Original County General Crew, Then and Now The Best Streaming Services in 2024: Disney+, Hulu, Max and More
Yahoo
30-01-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Netflix adds a convenient feature for iOS users to download an entire TV season at once
Netflix announced on Wednesday that it's giving iOS users a new feature that allows them to download an entire season of their favorite TV show with one tap. The feature first became available to Android users. The Season Download button is available in the Netflix app, located next to the Share button on a show's display page. Users can select the option to quickly download all episodes from a selected season of a TV series. The entire season will be available in the Downloads section under the My Netflix tab. The new feature is especially useful for travelers and anyone who often finds themselves in areas with limited or no internet access. Previously, users could only download one episode at a time, which made the process tedious and time-consuming. Now viewers can easily prepare for their journeys by downloading longer shows, such as 'Blacklist,' which has about 22 episodes per season. Wednesday's announcement comes on the heels of the company's fourth-quarter earnings, which showed the addition of a record-setting 19 million subscribers. This article originally appeared on TechCrunch at
