Ring Lardner Jr.

Ringgold W. Lardner Jr. (August 19, 1915-October 31, 2000), was an American journalist and Oscar winning screenwriter who was blacklisted by the Hollywood movie studio bosses during the era of McCarthyism.

Related Topics:
August 19 - 1915 - October 31 - 2000 - American - Journalist - Oscar - Screenwriter - Blacklisted - Hollywood - Movie studio - McCarthyism

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Born in Chicago, Illinois, he was the son of the famous journalist and humorist, Ring Lardner. After being educated at Princeton University he became a reporter on the New York Daily Mirror.

Related Topics:
Chicago, Illinois - Journalist - Ring Lardner - Princeton University - Reporter - New York Daily Mirror

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Ring Lardner Jr. moved to Hollywood where he worked as a publicist and "script doctor" before writing his own material. This included Woman of the Year, a film that won him an Academy Award for Writing Original Screenplay in 1942. Other notable scripts include Laura (1944), Brotherhood of Man (1946) and Forever Amber (1947).

Related Topics:
Hollywood - Publicist - Woman of the Year - Film - Academy Award for Writing Original Screenplay - 1942 - Laura - 1944 - Brotherhood of Man - 1946 - Forever Amber - 1947

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Lardner held strong left-wing views and during the Spanish Civil War he helped raise funds for the Republican cause. He was also involved in organizing anti-fascist demonstrations. Although his political involvement upset the owners of the film studios, he continued to be given work and in 1947 became one of the highest paid scriptwriters in Hollywood when he signed a contract with Fox at $2,000 a week.

Related Topics:
Left-wing - Spanish Civil War - Republican - Fascist - 1947 - Fox

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After the Second World War the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) began an investigation into the Hollywood motion picture industry. In September, 1947, the HUAC interviewed 41 people who were working in Hollywood. These people attended voluntarily and became known as "friendly witnesses". During their interviews they named several people who they accused of holding left-wing views.

Related Topics:
Second World War - House Un-American Activities Committee - Hollywood - September - 1947

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Lardner appeared before the HUAC on October 30, 1947, but like Alvah Bessie, Herbert Biberman, Albert Maltz, Adrian Scott, Dalton Trumbo, Lester Cole, Edward Dmytryk, Samuel Ornitz and John Howard Lawson, he refused to answer any questions. Known as the "Hollywood Ten", they claimed that the First Amendment to the United States Constitution clearly gave them the right to do this. The HUAC and the courts during appeals disagreed and all were found guilty of contempt of Congress. Lardner was sentenced to 12 months in Danbury Prison and fined $1,000. He had been sacked by Fox on October 28, 1947.

Related Topics:
October 30 - 1947 - Alvah Bessie - Herbert Biberman - Albert Maltz - Adrian Scott - Dalton Trumbo - Lester Cole - Edward Dmytryk - Samuel Ornitz - John Howard Lawson - Hollywood Ten - First Amendment to the United States Constitution - Contempt of Congress - October 28

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Blacklisted by the Hollywood studios, Lardner worked for the next couple of years on the novel, The Ecstasy of Owen Muir (1954). He moved to England for a time where he wrote for television series such as The Adventures of Sir Lancelot under several pseudonyms before the blacklist was lifted when producer Martin Ransohoff and director Norman Jewison gave him screen credit for writing 1965's The Cincinnati Kid. Lardner's follow-up work included M*A*S*H (1970), for which he won the Academy Award for Writing Adapted Screenplay, and The Greatest (1977).

Related Topics:
Blacklist - Novel - 1954 - Television - The Adventures of Sir Lancelot - Pseudonym - Martin Ransohoff - Norman Jewison - Screen credit - The Cincinnati Kid - M*A*S*H - 1970 - Academy Award for Writing Adapted Screenplay - The Greatest - 1977

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Ring Lardner, Jr. died in Manhattan, New York in 2000. He was the last surviving member of the Hollywood Ten.

Related Topics:
Manhattan, New York - 2000

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