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Ayn Rand and Song of Russia: Communism and Anti-Communism in 1940s Hollywood
In October 1947, more than twenty years after leaving Russia, Ayn Rand testified before the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), which was investigating communist infiltration of the motion picture industry. The focus of that testimony was Song of Russia , a 1944 pro-Soviet film that Rand decried for its unrealistic, absurdly flattering portrait of life in the communist country.
Ayn Rand scholar Robert Mayhew focuses on this controversial period of American and Hollywood history by examining both the film and the furor surrounding Rand's HUAC testimony. His analysis provides the first detailed history of any of the pro-Soviet films to come out of 1940s Hollywood. Mayhew begins by offering a brief synopsis of the MGM film, followed by an account of its production, as well as its reception. Most significantly, Mayhew analyzes Rand's appearance before HUAC and discusses the response to her much-maligned testimony.
By carefully scrutinizing this one episode in the history of communism and anti-communism in 1940s Hollywood, Mayhew presents a more accurate picture of those times and the issues surrounding them. His study allows for a re-evaluation of the role of communism in Hollywood, the nature of the HUAC, and even the Hollywood Ten.
This book should be of interest to anyone interested in the life and thought of Ayn Rand, as well as to anyone interested in the history of Hollywood communism and of American film.
Ayn Rand scholar Robert Mayhew focuses on this controversial period of American and Hollywood history by examining both the film and the furor surrounding Rand's HUAC testimony. His analysis provides the first detailed history of any of the pro-Soviet films to come out of 1940s Hollywood. Mayhew begins by offering a brief synopsis of the MGM film, followed by an account of its production, as well as its reception. Most significantly, Mayhew analyzes Rand's appearance before HUAC and discusses the response to her much-maligned testimony.
By carefully scrutinizing this one episode in the history of communism and anti-communism in 1940s Hollywood, Mayhew presents a more accurate picture of those times and the issues surrounding them. His study allows for a re-evaluation of the role of communism in Hollywood, the nature of the HUAC, and even the Hollywood Ten.
This book should be of interest to anyone interested in the life and thought of Ayn Rand, as well as to anyone interested in the history of Hollywood communism and of American film.
- GenresFilm
230 pages, Paperback
First published December 3, 2004
About the author
Robert Mayhew
53 books7 followersRobert Mayhew is a professor of philosophy at Seton Hall University, where he has taught for over twenty years.
Dr. Mayhew’s primary research interests are in ancient philosophy. His most recent publication in the field is Theophrastus of Eresus: On Winds (Brill). Other books are Prodicus the Sophist (Oxford UP); Aristotle: Problems (Harvard UP); and Plato: Laws 10 (Oxford UP). He recently completed a book on Aristotle’s lost Homeric Problems.
Dr. Mayhew also has a serious scholarly interest in Ayn Rand. He is the author of Ayn Rand and “Song of Russia”: Communism and Anti-Communism in 1940s Hollywood, and editor of a collection of essays on each of her four novels. He has also edited some of Ayn Rand’s previously unpublished works: Ayn Rand’s Marginalia, The Art of Nonfiction, Ayn Rand Answers, and most recently, Ayn Rand’s The Unconquered (a play based on We the Living).
Dr. Mayhew serves on the boards of the Ayn Rand Institute and the Anthem Foundation for Objectivist Scholarship.
Dr. Mayhew’s primary research interests are in ancient philosophy. His most recent publication in the field is Theophrastus of Eresus: On Winds (Brill). Other books are Prodicus the Sophist (Oxford UP); Aristotle: Problems (Harvard UP); and Plato: Laws 10 (Oxford UP). He recently completed a book on Aristotle’s lost Homeric Problems.
Dr. Mayhew also has a serious scholarly interest in Ayn Rand. He is the author of Ayn Rand and “Song of Russia”: Communism and Anti-Communism in 1940s Hollywood, and editor of a collection of essays on each of her four novels. He has also edited some of Ayn Rand’s previously unpublished works: Ayn Rand’s Marginalia, The Art of Nonfiction, Ayn Rand Answers, and most recently, Ayn Rand’s The Unconquered (a play based on We the Living).
Dr. Mayhew serves on the boards of the Ayn Rand Institute and the Anthem Foundation for Objectivist Scholarship.
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May 16, 2025*Ayn Rand and “Song of Russia”* is a concise and politically charged examination of Ayn Rand’s critique of pro-Soviet propaganda in American media during the World War II era. Specifically, it focuses on Rand’s testimony before the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) in 1947, where she analyzed the 1944 MGM film *Song of Russia* as an example of subtle communist propaganda being produced in Hollywood under the guise of wartime alliance with the USSR.
The book, authored by Robert Mayhew, presents Rand’s detailed argument that *Song of Russia* romanticizes life in the Soviet Union and intentionally omits the oppressive realities of Stalinist rule. She contends that such films misled American audiences about the nature of communism and played a role in shaping a false, sympathetic image of the Soviet regime during a time of strategic alliance in WWII.
Rand’s analysis is rooted in her firsthand experience of Soviet life. As a Russian émigré who fled Bolshevik rule, she brought a personal intensity and ideological clarity to her critique. She argued that presenting Soviet citizens as joyful, free, and artistically expressive while omitting forced labor, censorship, and repression was not merely inaccurate—it was morally and politically dangerous.
The book includes Rand’s testimony, along with commentary and context from Mayhew, situating the episode within the broader cultural and political climate of postwar America. It also sheds light on how Rand’s views on collectivism, totalitarianism, and individual freedom shaped her stance on art and media.
More than a film critique, the book reflects Rand’s broader philosophy of Objectivism. It highlights her belief that art is not value-neutral, and that culture—including cinema—can either uphold or undermine freedom and rational values, depending on the ideas it projects.
Ultimately, *Ayn Rand and “Song of Russia”* serves both as a historical document and an ideological statement. It captures Rand’s fierce opposition to totalitarianism, her defense of artistic integrity, and her insistence on the moral responsibility of intellectuals and creators. The book is a pointed reminder of how political ideologies can influence art—and how art, in turn, can shape political perception.
The book, authored by Robert Mayhew, presents Rand’s detailed argument that *Song of Russia* romanticizes life in the Soviet Union and intentionally omits the oppressive realities of Stalinist rule. She contends that such films misled American audiences about the nature of communism and played a role in shaping a false, sympathetic image of the Soviet regime during a time of strategic alliance in WWII.
Rand’s analysis is rooted in her firsthand experience of Soviet life. As a Russian émigré who fled Bolshevik rule, she brought a personal intensity and ideological clarity to her critique. She argued that presenting Soviet citizens as joyful, free, and artistically expressive while omitting forced labor, censorship, and repression was not merely inaccurate—it was morally and politically dangerous.
The book includes Rand’s testimony, along with commentary and context from Mayhew, situating the episode within the broader cultural and political climate of postwar America. It also sheds light on how Rand’s views on collectivism, totalitarianism, and individual freedom shaped her stance on art and media.
More than a film critique, the book reflects Rand’s broader philosophy of Objectivism. It highlights her belief that art is not value-neutral, and that culture—including cinema—can either uphold or undermine freedom and rational values, depending on the ideas it projects.
Ultimately, *Ayn Rand and “Song of Russia”* serves both as a historical document and an ideological statement. It captures Rand’s fierce opposition to totalitarianism, her defense of artistic integrity, and her insistence on the moral responsibility of intellectuals and creators. The book is a pointed reminder of how political ideologies can influence art—and how art, in turn, can shape political perception.
Displaying 1 of 1 review