◆ SpookStack

“Wrong-Way Frank’--See Editorial Page . Bawaen fal Eeant Cinetre wae atothinel? criticized vocal SAUL OCAE AL 2 ell ee ee ee eee re v w fo hiring a film writer labeled a comunist by Congress. Hl Sen. Mundt (R.-S. D.), in Washington, branded the ection “shocking” and the actor's film associates in Holly- wood opposed it in terms ranging from mild rebuke to out- raged indignation, Of the hiring of Albert Maltz, one of the notorious “Hollywood Ten” convicted in 1947 of contempt of Congress, producer Robert Lippert sald: “Perhaps Frank Sinatra should repeat: You're sick, sick, sick!’ his own phrase, while he ix looking in the mirror to- morrow morning, and repeat it duriig each shave for a week.” Said actor Robert Taylor: : realize that Mr, Sinatra is completely within his legal rights in hiring anyone he chooses—which, 1 guess, makes hin) and Mr. Maltz both very lucky, H " “However, I can’t help speculating that, had Mr. Plalts been a Russian national and taken the same stand toward Russia that he once took toward the United States, hit present availability would he no problem—he’d cither be in 2 Siberian concentration-camp or would have been ‘liquidated’ Iong ago. “Maybe ihe communists have got something there.” ant fiepber had tris Novelist and screen writer Tian Gruver fag ss comment: ; . “This is chauvinism in reverse. Mr. Sinatra should kiss the ground he walks on in thanks for America, truly the land of the free.” And director Henry. King said: . “We are guaranteed our freedom by the Constitution to do many things, It’s too bad ‘that one of the basic ones is what Frank Sinatra has utilized.” ; 4 A spokesman for the Writers Guild of America, West, sald: “4 good many members of the Guild won't like it, but Mbltz will have to be accepted as a Guild member ween A alified by Mr. Sinatra. — “We have an anti-Communist clause in oar constitutign, ut it applies only to those convicted of irying to overthr: he government, not te those convicted of contempt bf Congress, as Maliz was. “Writers like Maltz can take advantage of this loop- hole when a producer qualifies them for membership in our guild by hiring them and sending in their screen credits. Whether we like it or not, we'll have to accept Maltz.” i Sen. Mundt, only member of the House Un-American Activities Committee of 1947 who is still in Congress, declared: “Fn these uneasy times it is hard to understand that people will grant new opportunities for the injection of com- munist propaganda into motion picture fare.” The emoment of the Senator, who served on the panel probing Reds in Hollywood, was drawn by Mr. Sinatra's hiring of Maliz to write the film adaptation of “The Execution of Brivate Slovik,” the story of the only American soldier #x- uted for desertion in either World War. } I at The senator also was referring to we hiring of ol -. ea writers by producer-directors Otte Preming t Stanley Kramer, . . aeran Maltz seyved 10 months in a Federal Toad camp when he refused to say whether he was or had been. a member of the Communist Party, . : oo A photostat os a Communist Party card No. 87196, da’ Noy. 30, 1944, was introduced into evidence during the 19 hearings as belonging to Maltz. ; Maltz has been living in Mexi¢o recently, writing Amerl- can movies under pseudonyms. . te He will begin work on the. film in January next : year with Mr. Sinatra, who in 1947 said of the Un-American - Activities Committee: oS Te “Once they get the movies throttled, how Jorg. wil ft b before the committee gets to work on freedom of the ir? Asked in Miami yesterday if he -were fearful of the reaction in Hollywood, Mr, Sinatra replied: — - 4 “We'll find that out later. We'll see what happens,