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Original Articles

The Friendly Persuasion (1956) Screenplay Controversy: Michael Wilson, Jessamyn West, and the Hollywood blacklist

Pages 491-514 | Published online: 02 Aug 2010

  • Reagan , Ronald . 1988 . “ Toasts of the President and General Secretary Gorbachev of the Soviet Union at the State Dinner in Moscow ” . In Public Papers of Ae Presidents of the United Stales: administration of Ronald Reagan, 1988: Book 1: Jan. 1-July 1, 1988 680 Washington, DC
  • Ibid., p. 72.
  • Ibid., pp. 80-81.
  • Ibid., pp. 109-110. Michael Wilson mentioned to interviewer Joel Gardner that he left the Communist Party in 1956. He did not present his reasons at the time of these interviews (May 1975). Unfortunately, ill health prevented Wilson from continuing the oral history interview at a later date.
  • Laskey , Marlene L. 1994 . Rebel and Architect: Zelma Wilson 43 Los Angeles Ibid., p. 27. Also: Zelma Wilson, interviewed by. Completed under the auspices of the Oral History Program, University of California, Los Angeles. Department of Special Collections, Oral History Program, Charles E. Young Research Library, UCLA
  • Ceplair , Lariy and Englund , Steven . 1980 . The Inquisition in Hollywood: politics in the film community, 1930-1960 301 Garden City, NY
  • Wilson , M. Sum , 105 – 106 .
  • Wilson , Z. Rebel , 112
  • Wilson , M. Stan , 94
  • Ibid., p. 126.
  • 1976 . Writers Guild of America, West , May : 21 Michael Wilson Papers (Collection 52) Box 48, Folder 9, Arts Library Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research Library, University of California, Los Angeles. Foreman Awards screen Laurel, Newsletter,. (A biographical sketch of Michael Wilson was prepared by Dalton Trumbo, and read by screenwriter Carl Foreman, 25 March 1976, at the presentation of the Guild's 'Laurel Award for Screen Writing Achievement' honoring Wilson)
  • Wilson , Z. Rebel , 136
  • Wilson , Z. Rebel , 151
  • Ibid., p. 137. Zelma Wilson said her husband's screenplay of Look Homeward, Angel was 'absolutely spectacular, one of the best', but claimed a clause in Thomas Wolfe's will prevented the script from ever being produced.
  • McBride , Joseph . 1992 . Frank Capra: the catastrophe of success New York Wilson was subpoenaed on 13 June 1951 for his September HUAC appearance, and was subsequently fired by Daryl Zanuck from Twentieth Century Fox; p. 586
  • Wilson , Z. Rebel , 115
  • 1951 . Communist Infiltration of Hollywood Motion-Picture Industry--Part 5 1676 Washington, DC Hearings before the Committee on Un-American Activities, House of Representatives, Eighty-Second Congress, First Session
  • Ibid.
  • Ibid., p. 1677.
  • Ibid., p. 1679.
  • Jo Buhle , Mari , Buhle , Paul and Georgakas , Dan , eds. 1998 . Encyclopedia of the American Left 324 New York Hollywood blacklist,
  • Navasky , Victor . 1980 . Naming Names 345 New York
  • West . Dream 49 – 50 .
  • Tuchman , Mitch and Wilson , Michael . 1978 . Take One , 6 : 34
  • To See the Dream was dedicated to William Wyler's assistant, Stuart Millar, and his brother, Robert Wyler: 'For Sm who got me into it and Robert who helped me out of it.'
  • Madsen , Axel . 1973 . William Wyler: the authorized biography 327 New York
  • West . Dream 193 – 194 .
  • West . William Wyler 6
  • Madsen . William Wyler 318
  • Michael Wilson Papers, UCLA, Box 45, Folder 10. Credits Manual far Members of the Screen Writers' Guild, Inc. (undated). This was Michael Wilson's copy of the Manual, which was published prior to 1949; p. 6.
  • Ibid., p. 7.
  • Ibid., p. 10.
  • West . Dream 49 183
  • Michael Wilson Papers, UCLA, Box 10, Folder 14.30 November 1956 letter from Michael Wilson to the editors of Ladies' Home Journal; sent c/o Margolis, McTeman and Branton, p. 1.
  • Ibid.
  • Ibid., p. 2.
  • Buhle , M. Encyclopedia of the American Left 326
  • William Wyler Papers, UCLA, Box 14, Folder 7. Clipping: Hollywood Variety, 15 May 1957, Wyler muffles political sounding board set up at Cannes by Michael Wilson.
  • Trumbo , Dalton . 1970 . Additional Dialogue: letters of Dalton Trumbo, 1943-1962 449 New York 1972),
  • Navasky . Naming Names 345
  • Wilson , Z. Rebel 140
  • Trumbo . Additional Dialogue 446
  • Michael Wilson received a posthumous Academy Award in 1985 for his screenplay (with Carl Foreman) for Bridge on the River Kwai (1957); the Writers Guild had acknowledged this credit in 1984. The Oscar was presented to Zelma Wilson and her daughters at a special Motion Picture Academy ceremony.
  • Wilson , Z. Rebel 364 – 365 .
  • Robb , David . 1996 . WGA still busy erasing blacklist . Hollywood Reporter , 30 July : 1 The Writers Guild of America recognized Michael Wilson as co-author of the screenplay of Lawrence of Arabia (1962) 33 years after the movie's release (and following the deaths of director David Lean, and screenwriter Robert Bolt); in 1998, the Guild credited Wilson (and Paul Jarrico and Ivo Perilli) with the screenplay of Five Branded Women (1960); Michael Wilson received screenplay credit (with Alfred Levin) for The Two-Headed Spy (1959) in 1999. His screenplay for The Tempest (1960) still remains uncredited. (additional information provided by the Writers Guild of America: www.wga.org)
  • Wyler , William . 1978 . Credit where credit is due . Los Angeles Times , 16 April : 2 Sunday Calendar,
  • Holden , Anthony . 1993 . Behind Ae Oscar. the secret history of the Academy Awards 480 New York 'Robert Rich' was awarded the 1956 Best Adapted Screenplay Academy Award, for The Brave One. This caused significant embarrassment to the Motion Picture Academy because 'Robert Rich' was the pseudonym of blacklisted author Dalton Trumbo. He did not acknowledge his authorship until 1960. Trumbo was finally awarded the Oscar shortly before his death in 1976.
  • Dmohowski , Joseph F. 1994 . From a common ground, the Quaker heritage of Richard Nixon and Jessamyn West . California History , 73 : 216 – 239 .
  • West , Jessamyn . 1943 . The Friendly Persuasion New York 1944, 1945). Although West's stories span a 40-year period in the lives of the Birdwell family, William Wyler's motion picture Friendly Persuasion is set during the Civil War, in 1863. The plot centers on the Quaker family's reaction to the threat of an attack by Confederate raiders in southern Indiana
  • West , Jessamyn . 1956 . To See the Dream 132 – 133 . New York 1957),
  • Cull , Nicholas J. 1999 . Richard Nixon and the political appropriation of Friendly Persuasion . Historical Journal of Farn, Radio and Television , 19 : 239 – 246 .
  • West . Dream 4
  • 1947 . George Stevens not in deal . Hollywood Reporter , 14 April : 1 Paramount Production Materials, Box 165, Friendly Persuasion-scenario costs. Margaret Herrick library, Department of Special Collections, Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences. 'In April of 1946 Frank Capra bought the property for the sum of $17,500,00.'[8] Paramount acquires Liberty Films: few details, including tax matters, to be ironed out;. Liberty Films Inc. Clipping File, Herrick Library
  • Gardner , Joel . 1982 . I Am aie Sum of My Actions 25 Los Angeles Michael Wilson, interviewed by. Completed under the auspices of the Oral History Program, University of California, Los Angeles. Department of Special Collections, Oral History Program, Charles E. Young Research Library, UCLA

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