37 min listen
5. Billy's list
FromHollywood Exiles
ratings:
Length:
30 minutes
Released:
Feb 19, 2024
Format:
Podcast episode
Description
Rumours of communist infiltration in the movie business had circulated for years. Showbiz insider Billy Wilkerson is the first to publicly name alleged Tinseltown “communists”, including Dalton Trumbo, in his paper, the Hollywood Reporter. William R. Wilkerson III speaks about his father’s friendship with billionaire producer Howard Hughes, a rabid anti-communist. He describes how his mostly apolitical father’s anti-communist stance was shaped by a visit to the Soviet Union. Wilkerson III recalls how his father’s close connections with stars like Jimmy Cagney gave him political influence in Hollywood. Oona Chaplin learns how future president Ronald Reagan operated as an FBI informant.
Archive
Ronald Reagan’s 'evil empire' speech, 1983, The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library
Archive
Ronald Reagan’s 'evil empire' speech, 1983, The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library
Released:
Feb 19, 2024
Format:
Podcast episode
Titles in the series (11)
2. Red menace: Oona Chaplin reveals J. Edgar Hoover's campaign to root out communists in Hollywood by Hollywood Exiles