We discuss how Ferrer managed to clear his name through the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) and avoided the blacklist that devastated many careers in Hollywood. Despite the attacks, Ferrer ultimately won the Oscar, but his victory came at a cost for several of his collaborators. Many who worked on Cyrano de Bergerac — including screenwriter Carl Foreman, director Michael Gordon, actor Morris Carnovsky, and cinematographer Franz Planer — were blacklisted and struggled with the aftermath of these accusations.
We’ll also cover the experiences of producer Stanley Kramer, assistant director George Glass, and actors Mala Powers and Bill Prince, all of whom were involved in the film and impacted by Hollywood's intense political climate during this era.
This episode examines how the Red Scare touched even those on top of the industry and explores the personal and professional toll it took on those less fortunate than Ferrer.
Films mentioned :
Cyrano de Bergerac (1950)
High Noon (1952)
Anything Can Happen (1952)
All About Eve (1950)
Sunset Blvd (1950)
The Magnificent Yankee (1950)
Harvey (1950)
Father of the Bride (1950)
Born Yesterday (1950)
Caged (1950)
Robocop (1987)
Dune (1984)
Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
Mrs. Miniver (1942)
Gone with the Wind (1939)
Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
Pillow Talk (1959)
Moulin Rouge (1952)
Joan of Arc (1948)
The House I Live In (1946)
Lillies of the Field (1964)
The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)
VIDEO CHAPTERS
0:00 Cold Opening
05:30 Intro
09:15 Early Years
16:40 Academy Awards of 1951
25:30 Garutso Lens
31:07 HUAC trial
33:25 Blacklisted Artists
44:50 The Oscar Speech
49:30 Anything Can Happen
55:50 The Lost Oscar
01:00:25 End Credits
Contact Us At:
Email: perfdamagepodcast@gmail.com
Twitter: @perfdamage
Instagram: @perf_damage
Letterboxd: Perf Damage