Early TV Writers Faced Blacklist

Patrick Goldstein’s articles on Hollywood blacklisting covered the tragic consequences of both those whose careers were destroyed and those who suffered years of torment for having cooperated (“Cornered Rats and Personal Betrayals,” Calendar, Oct. 20).

I can understand how the siren call of the Communist Party in those years would attract young, idealistic, intellectual writers to the clubby discussion meetings. What I don’t understand is how equally idealistic writers would adopt McCarthyist tactics to fight fellow writers.

In 1952, a group of television writers decided something had to be done for writers of the new medium who were working for low salaries and no benefits. We had gathered about 35 people together and declared ourselves the Television Writers of America. I was the first president of this first TV writers union. Jess Oppenheimer of “I Love Lucy” fame was vice president.

We applied for certification from the National Labor Relations Board and were immediately challenged by the Screen Writers Guild, which claimed jurisdiction even though there was only one filmed show then, “Fireside Theatre.” Almost everything on TV was being written by Television Writers of America writers.

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As we began to prepare for the NLRB hearings, we were horrified to see rumors printed in a Hollywood industry newspaper saying we were communist-backed. An executive friend at NBC called me on his private phone to say the FBI had been into his office to ask if anyone at the network thought I was a communist.

In the midst of the McCarthy hysteria, a small group of screenwriters had one of their members, Martin Berkeley, a screenwriter who had been before the House Un-American Activities Committee as an admitted communist, write an article for the American Mercury magazine titled “Reds in Your Living Room.” In it, several of us were named. The article was picked up by the press and read into the Congressional Record.

Our names began appearing on crackpot lists. A friend of my wife called to say that her daughter, who was attending an exclusive Hollywood girls school, had brought home a list that a teacher had handed her that named the officers and board of Television Writers of America and told parents to write sponsors of the shows bearing our names to threaten boycotts.

The advertising agency for American Tobacco, which was sponsoring Danny Thomas’ “Make Room for Daddy,” asked its writers to sign loyalty oaths. Some refused, but wrote for the show under pseudonyms.

Though I later lost out on some choice positions, I did survive because NBC was happy with the show I was writing. Also the FBI had said I was “clean” and, as some authority put it, I had served in battle actions as a gunner in the 7th Amphibious Force and therefore I must be patriotic. Later another NBC executive called to say I was now on another hate list, but in good company with Marlon Brando, the Ford Foundation and Chet Huntley.

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Despite the vicious attacks, we won the NLRB election. However, since we were neither backed by communists, nor were we backed by anyone else either, we were barely able to pay the rent on our tiny office or even our typewriter, which was also rented. The long fight had taken its toll and Television Writers of America had an ideological split. Some writers had their own agendas and our goal to put a floor under the writers was evaporating.

I had come to the end of my term and did not run again for president. Several of us felt the months of effort, financial investment and being targeted with smears were too much and resigned. A stalemate existed for months and then cool, weary heads at Television Writers of America and the Screen Writers Guild prevailed. The unions merged to become the Writers Guild of America West.

Well, time marches on. McCarthyism may be over, but unfortunately there’s another deadly strain of prejudice in the industry. The current whisper is, “Don’t hire him, we think he’s over 45, or has been associating with someone over 45.”

Charles Isaacs was a writer for, among others, Jimmy Durante, Red Skelton, Bob Hope, Johnny Carson, Dean Martin and Al Jolson. He lives in Westwood.