Caught In The Crossfire: Adrian Scott And The Politics Of Americanism In 1940s Hollywood

In the summer of 1947, Crossfire, a controversial thriller exposing American anti-Semitism, was a critical and box-office hit, and RKO producer Adrian Scott was at the pinnacle of his career. Within several months, however, Scott became infamous as a member of the Hollywood Ten, blacklisted for his refusal to cooperate with the House Un-American Activities Committee.

"Caught in the Crossfire: Adrian Scott and the Politics of Americanism in 1940s Hollywood" reconstructs the production and reception of Scott's major films, exploring the political and creative challenges faced by Hollywood radicals within the studio system and reassessing the relationship among film noir, antifascism, anticommunism, and the politics of Americanism.

In the Summer of 1947, Crossfire, a controversial thriller exposing American anti-Semitism, became a critical and box-office hit, and RKO producer Adrian Scott was at the pinnacle of his career. Several months later, however, he became a member of the Hollywood Ten, blacklisted for his refusal to cooperate with the House Un-American Activities Committee. Jennifer Langdon-Teclaw uses the career of Adrian Scott to explore the political and creative challenges faced by Hollywood radicals in the studio system during the 1940s. Referring to studio correspondence, screenplays, production schedules, marketing materials, film reviews, and newspaper editorials, Langdon-Teclaw reconstructs the production and reception of Scott's major films to reassess the relationship between film noir and the antifascist, antiracist politics of the Popular Front.