He lived until 1999, so it’s entirely possible. I’ve heard that Bette Davis heard about the song, “Bette Davis Eyes”, and was amused and flattered.
Dmytryk was a complex man. It’s easy to condemn him for naming names, but he also only did so after being in prison for months, which was a lot longer than most people held out. I think he felt screwed by both sides. It’s interesting that he did “The Caine Mutiny”, afterward, as that’s a very morally complex film about tyranny and how you can twist yourself out of shape resisting it.
I have a much harder time with Elia Kazan, but I also think no one in Hollywood fared well during McCarthyism. They all had to make compromises to survive it. McCarthyism was just vicious, ignorant, mindless evil done out of sheer malice and a thoughtless desire for self-aggrandisement. It’s easy to criticise it now, but there are still many people who will happily jump right back to it whenever the conditions are right.
thesnowleopard Premium Member about 12 years ago
He lived until 1999, so it’s entirely possible. I’ve heard that Bette Davis heard about the song, “Bette Davis Eyes”, and was amused and flattered.
Dmytryk was a complex man. It’s easy to condemn him for naming names, but he also only did so after being in prison for months, which was a lot longer than most people held out. I think he felt screwed by both sides. It’s interesting that he did “The Caine Mutiny”, afterward, as that’s a very morally complex film about tyranny and how you can twist yourself out of shape resisting it.
I have a much harder time with Elia Kazan, but I also think no one in Hollywood fared well during McCarthyism. They all had to make compromises to survive it. McCarthyism was just vicious, ignorant, mindless evil done out of sheer malice and a thoughtless desire for self-aggrandisement. It’s easy to criticise it now, but there are still many people who will happily jump right back to it whenever the conditions are right.