Book reviewed: High Noon: The Hollywood Blacklist and the Making of an American Classic by Glenn Frankel

The dark hours of the movie “High Noon”

This is a fascinating book about the impact of McCarthyism and the investigation of the House Committee on Un-American Activities (HUAC) on Carl Foreman, the screen writer for the movie “High Noon.” This turbulent time had serious influence on the life and works of some of the best in Hollywood. The HUAC prepared a long list of names and asked them to testify regarding their alleged communist party activities. Some assisted the committee, many refused, and few relented. Many left the country and found home in Mexico, Europe and Latin America rather than sell out their principles and beliefs. They simply rejected the thought of naming their friends as communist party members. Carl Foreman was one of them. Having been blacklisted in Hollywood, Foreman moved to England where he wrote scripts under pseudonyms. In 1956 he co-wrote the screenplay for the acclaimed film, “The Bridge on the River Kwai” with fellow blacklisted writer Michael Wilson.

This book tells the story how moderate and conservative members of Hollywood assisted McCarthyism penetrate deep into the movie making business. The life of Carl Foreman is illustrated as a shining example. When Foreman wrote for “High Noon,” he had something very specific on his mind. A simple moral, social and a political idea, in short an allegory for McCarthyism. It was a practice of making accusations of subversion and treason without proper evidence. Hollywood was especially targeted because of its influence on American society. Making unfair allegations and using questionable investigative techniques, fueling the fear of espionage by Soviet agents, the anti-communist pursuit was reinforced by Senator Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin. For Carl Foreman, the lead actor, Gary Cooper as Marshall Will Kane of the small town named Hadleyville in New Mexico territory is in fact Carl Foreman himself. The gunmen coming to kill Marshal Kane were none other than members of HUAC, and the citizens of Hadleyvile were like the elite of Hollywood who stood passively and betrayed him as the forces of repression bore down on him. Foreman recalled years later that “As I was writing the screenplay, it became insane, because life was mirroring art and art was mirroring life.”

It is one of the most iconic images of the American cinema. One lone cowboy walking down the street of a deserted Western town for a showdown with four killers. “High Noon” is embedded in American culture and the national memory. It is a favorite film for many presidents, political movements, journalists and movie fans. Shot in just 32 days on a shoestring budget with some of the most notable movie stars working at a fraction of their regular salaries. It was a rush job to fulfill an old contract. A powerful story, top-notch screen writing, superb performance and climatic shootout made it an instant classic. It won four Academy Awards including one for Gary Cooper in the best actor category.

I did not take time to verify the veracity of all the historical details given in the book but I did come across two instances that was different from what I read in other books. Despite this observation, this is a fascinating account, and the Pulitzer Prize winning author Glenn Frankel describes the history beautifully. This book (356 pages) reads flawlessly and makes a wonderful reading for readers interested in the history of Hollywood, the history of making the film “High Noon” and how HUAC influenced Hollywood studios to blacklist uncooperative witnesses.