Blacklisted Writers

Nora Sayre’s piece on the campaign of the Writers Guild of America to restore blacklistee credits (Opinion, April 13) is right on, but in singling me out for having “galvanized” the campaign, she slights the guild’s director of credits administration, Cathy R. Reed, and the other members of our blacklist credits committee, former guild presidents Del Reisman and George Kirgo.

Sayre’s piece, moreover, perpetuates one factual error. Though Albert Maltz has now been awarded the co-screenplay credit on “The Robe” that he should have had in 1953, he had nothing to do with “The Defiant Ones.” That film was written by Nedrick Young and Harold Jacob Smith, as corrected by the guild some time ago.

PAUL JARRICO

Ojai

* Sayre says that the name of harmonica virtuoso Larry Adler was expunged from U.S. prints of the British film, “Genevieve,” and that he couldn’t perform on any TV shows in the 1970s. She neglected to say that Adler was nominated for an Academy Award for composing the score for “Genevieve,” which was released in 1954. He didn’t get his nomination certificate until 1986. You see, someone else’s name had been on the film.

As for his not being on TV shows in the ‘70s, even though at the age of 83 he maintains an active performance schedule, including recordings, frequent concert dates and nightclub appearances in the U.S., when was the last time anyone saw this legendary performer on American television? I guess that 50 years later the blacklist continues to claim its victims.

STEVE BARR

Culver City