Michael Parkinson Show: John Wayne: On The Hollywood Blacklist, The American Way of Life & High Noon

Source: Eyes on Cinema-

Source:The New Democrat

I sort of see John Wayne as the original 20th Century Tea Party leader and defender of what he and people who thought like him of American values and their American way of life. And that people who disagreed with them politically and culturally were somehow Un-American. Wouldn't surprise me at all if John Wayne was Phyllis Schlafly's and Michele Bachmann's, and many other Tea Party figures, was their favorite actor. John Wayne here defending the Hollywood Blacklist and saying that it was necessary at the time because he didn't want Far-Left and in many cases Communists and that way of thinking, involved in Hollywood and writing and producing movies.

The Hollywood Blacklist was right-wing and even Far-Right fascism being imposed on Socialists and Communists in Hollywood, simply because they were Socialists and Communists and had a fringe political point of view on the Far-Left. If you're  someone who actually believes in free speech and just doesn't say that, then you don't have a problem with having people, beliefs, and values in the country that you disagree with. If you're a fascist whether you're on the Right or on the Left, the only speech that you believe is worthy to be heard or read and considered, is speech that comes from your side. So John Wayne who is supposed to be this champion of conservative values in Hollywood and one of those values is free speech, saying that some Americans don't have a right to be heard and even work, simply because they have beliefs that John Wayne views as Un-American.

I'm a Liberal, so of course I believe in free speech like all real Liberals do. Which means I believe in America because we're a liberal democracy where all people and all political beliefs have a constitutional First Amendment right to be heard. Whether it's Tea Party Nationalists on the Right, who believe left-wingers should be silenced because they see those views as Un-American. Or Socialists and Communists on the Far-Left, who believe right-wingers should be silenced because they see their views as bigoted and just promoting what they see as the materialistic racist American empire as they would see it. What John Wayne is telling Michael Parkinson in this 1974 interview coming from the Right or even Far-Right, is that Far-Leftists back in the 1940s and 1950s, didn't have a right to speak or work in Hollywood, because he saw their views as Un-American. Which is dangerous fascist thinking.
Source:Eyes on Cinema

Foundation Interviews: Betty Garrett- On Meeting Senator Joseph McCarthy

Source: Foundation Interviews- Actress and Hollywood 10 member Betty Garrett. 

Source:The New Democrat

That must have been a meeting where you would want to have a camera and video rolling so you always have that memory with you and can always remember it accurately and share with everyone else. Actress Betty Garret, an actual Communist and a one-time member of the Communist Party USA in the 1940s and 1950s. Senator Joseph McCarthy, a right-wing demagogue what we would call today and perhaps back then a Nationalist as well as tribalist, fascist even. Who believed he and people who thought like him were the only true Americans and people who dissented from him like Communists, Socialists, and Liberals, were Un-American. And should be in jail or at least not allowed to speak out and express themselves politically and otherwise.

How would a meeting like that go? A Communist meeting a right-wing Nationalist-tribalist. The 1950s version of Governor George Wallace, or Donald Trump today. What would a Communist who is as Far-Left as you can get politically and believes all aspects of private ownership should be illegal and would work to eliminate all aspects of individualism including, freedom of religion in society ( if Betty Garrett was truly a hardcore Communist ) say to a Nationalist-fascist who believes people shouldn't even be allowed to believe in communism, let alone practice those politics and be a political activist. It must have been like President Richard Nixon going to China in 1971 or President Ronald Reagan negotiating with Russia over nuclear weapons reduction in the mid and late 1980s.

Betty Garrett I believe was right about Joe McCarthy at least in this aspect. That McCarthy didn't have any sense of morality in the sense that he had a mission and to hell with who he hurts along the way to try to accomplish that mission. Apparently including himself since a Republican Senate censored him over his activities during his tenure as Chairman of the Investigations Committee in 1953-54. McCarthy was full speed ahead to try to accomplish his mission which was to eliminate all Communists and perhaps Socialists in general from the U.S. Government and use that as a launching pad to run for President probably in 1960. We've had plenty of bad people who have served in Congress including racists and KKK members, but Joe McCarthy was certainly one of the worsts we've ever had.
Source:Foundation Interviews

BCP Theater: Featuring Marsha Mason & The Cast of Chapter Two!

Source: BCP Theater-

Source:The New Democrat

Not saying Chapter Two is one of my favorite movies, at least not yet. Maybe after I've seen it another 10-20 times which will probably happen, then maybe it will become one of my favorite movies. Chapter Two is certainly one of my favorite Marsha Mason movies as well as James Caan. And is certainly one of my favorite dramatic comedies. And this is exactly what it is. A movie with a lot of humor, with very funny people and not the just the two main players, but Joe Bologna and Valerie Harper as well. But also a  movie with serious drama with a man dealing with serious issues about not getting over the death of his first wife and not ready to move on from her, but not realizing that until he remarries a beautiful woman that he truly loves.

Dramatic comedy to me at least and speaking as a fan of Alfred Hitchcock who I at least believe is the master of both dramatic comedy but suspense comedy, is comedy about serious issues. If you look at the great sitcom M*A*S*H you see exactly what dramatic comedy is. People who find themselves in crazy but serious situations but then find a way to make fun of that as a way to let out how they feel about their situation, as well as a way to maintain their sanity. If you watch the movie Chapter Two, the first hour or so of the movie is all comedy and sarcasm about romance and romantic relationships that the four main characters have been involved in life. With the characters being very open and honest about their struggles and successes with their relationships.

The Joe Bologna character Leo essentially saying that he loves his wife, but he loves women more and can't be satisfied with just one woman. He loves being married, but he can't handle being settled down with just one woman. The George Schneider character (played by James Caan) not ready to move on from his first wife who is dead, but is pressured by his brother Leo to start dating again. Talking about his last few dates and how awful and flawed the women that he went out with were. And being very funny about those dates and the women he went out with.

The whole way that Jennie (played by Marsha Mason) and George get together is funny. Neither one sure they want to go out with the other, but are intrigued attracted enough with the other that they don't want to let the opportunity go and share a few funny and charming phone calls together before they finally set up a pre-date with each other. And spend 5-10 minutes together starting to get to know each other before deciding that they want to go out on a real date.

And then the drama, well depression really as far as George sets in and he goes into this deep mental shell. After it sets in that he's married again to a different woman  a beautiful adorable charming witty woman in Jennie and now has officially moved on from his dead wife and starts taking out his frustrations on his new wife. And the rest of the movie becomes about whether George and Jennie will stay together. Will George break out of his shell and bring his new beautiful wife into his life.

Chapter Two is a great movie for people who are fans of both drama and comedy, because you get the best of both worlds. very dramatic serious scenes involving very serious and honest people, who have a great way of expressing those feeling with very quick and smart humor. This is not a softball comedy about very ordinary or less than ordinary people who find themselves way in over their heads and as a result commit all sorts of screw ups. Or a heavy-hitting drama that can leave people crying half way into the movie because of how dramatic and depressing the movie is. But instead a movie about good honest people who find themselves going though rough times, but use smart humor as a way to express how they feel and get though those situations in life.
Source:BCP Theater