Why I Wrote ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD: From the Secret Files of Harry Pennypacker

[Michael]

ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD started out as a mockumentary film script, but then I decided that I could have more fun with the subject matter if I expanded it into a book.

Being a former publicist and also a Hollywood historian, I wanted to poke fun at the facades created by the studio system and also the tabloid press of that Golden Era, which would expand any irrelevant piece of information about a star...just to get a headline story. It made no difference to them if the story was true or not.

Just look at all the stories about Jennifer, Brad and Angelina, and you'll see that, sadly, this kind of "journalism" still exists today.

[Shane]

I am friends with Chase Masterson (Star Trek Deep Space Nine), Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca from Star Wars), and acclaimed writer/director James Kerwin (Yesterday was a Lie.)James was telling me about a golden age actress that was black listed for being a supposed communist. She received a lifetime film award in St Louis, but for the life of me, I can't recall her name.

Being a Hollywood Historian, can you tell me who she was?

Thanks a ton!

~Shane

[Michael]

Author Sir Shane wrote: "I am friends with Chase Masterson (Star Trek Deep Space Nine), Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca from Star Wars), and acclaimed writer/director James Kerwin (Yesterday was a Lie.)James was telling me about a..."

There were certainly a lot of people blacklisted back in the day. I don't know about the St. Louis honor, but the only two names that come to mind are Karen Morley, who co-starred in the original SCARFACE, and Oscar-winner Gale Sondergaard, who was married to one of the Hollywood Ten.

[Shane]

No, I know Gale died in the 80's and I don't think it was Karen Morley. Thanks for the help. I will have to suck it up and admit I did not pay attention at the movie premier. LOL

I DI recommend you see the film; "Yesterday was a Lie." It is GREAT! (But, I am biased.)

[Robert]

Michael wrote: "ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD started out as a mockumentary film script, but then I decided that I could have more fun with the subject matter if I expanded it into a book.

Being a former public..."

I don't know about St. Louis, but Karen Morley, who indeed had been blacklisted, received the the Society for Cinephiles' Career Achievement Award at Cinecon 32 in Hollywood in 1996. I helped arrange Karen's appearance with Frank Thompson. Karen did not like talking about her career because of her blacklisting, but she was hard up for money and I suggested to Mragarita Lorenz, who ran Cinecon that year, that the society offer Karen a $1,000 honorarium. Karen treated the appearance as a job, and even though she hated every minute of it, the attendees never sensed it. She was gracious and friendly with all the fans who approached her that Labor Day weekend. It may have ben her greatest performance.

[Michael]

I recall meeting Karen Morley at an autograph show in N. Hollywood a few months before she passed away. I think she was residing at the Motion Picture Vountry Home then.

I was also lucky enough to meet and lunch with Gale Sondergaard whenI was writing a column for Coronet Magazine back in the 1970s. She was a very interesting and charming lady.

[Donald]

Oscar winner Ann Revere was blacklisted too.

[Michael]

The list of blacklisted actors/writers/directors seems endless.

[Shane]

It was fairly common to label anyone a communist to try to destroy their career. And many did so with much success, I might add.

[Brett]

Michael:

So how is Once Upon A Time doing in the marketplace?
The area of old Hollywood publicity is my area of interest/expertise.

[Michael]

Brett wrote: "Michael:

So how is Once Upon A Time doing in the marketplace?
The area of old Hollywood publicity is my area of interest/expertise."

It's only been out for a little over a week, but my publisher says it's selling quite well and the feedback has been good.

Are you a publicist?

[Brett]

Glad to hear the book is off to a good start.

I'm an urban historian (LA, Washington, DC with a specialty in history of sexuality).
The Hollywood book I wrote is Hollywood Bohemians: Transgressive Sexuality and the Selling of the Movieland Dream, so you can see why gossip columns, and other descriptions of Hollywood (Hollywood novels, and studio movies about Hollywood from the 20s and 30s) are of great interest to me.