Inside Out: A Memoir of the Blacklist

By Walter Bernstein

Book Overview

During World War II, Walter Bernstein was a correspondent for the U.S. Army magazine Yank; after the war, he joined the Communist Party. When Senator Joseph McCarthy began his notorious witch hunt for Communists in the late 1940s, Bernstein -- a writer for film and television -- found himself blacklisted. For a decade he would scrape a living together by selling scripts through front men. Jonathan Yardley of the Washington Post has called Inside Out "a lovely piece of work . . . a memoir of the blacklist that, without minimizing any of its offenses or forgiving any of its architects, finds humanity and humor in the period." The author vividly recalls an entertainment community torn between those who were willing and those who refused to denounce their friends, and he provides unforgettable glimpses of leading Hollywood figures such as Burt Lancaster, Elia Kazan, Bette Davis, and Zero Mostel. The Cleveland Plain-Dealer has hailed this as, simply, "the best personal account of the era."

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0306809362
• ISBN13: 9780306809361
• Release Date: May 2000
• Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.4" x 8.2"

Customer Reviews

Thought provoking and timely...

Having met Walter Bernstein prior to finishing the book probably helped me in understanding his point of view about the Blacklist. I believe that the pain and betrayal of colleagues such as Elia Kazan are downplayed in the book when Mr. Bernstein could have really exacerbated them. It is not an expose - but his personal memoirs about a time in his life when he struggled to earn a living due to government paranoia. I don't think that Mr. Bernstein's reason for becoming a member of the communist party has any relevance, which is his point. It is not unlike the experiences that certain Americans are experiencing today based on their beliefs and backgrounds. I think this is an interesting and thought provoking story which should be shared and revived to remind us of the dangers of censorship and government control.

A fine personal story

A very well-written memoir of the blacklist years. Bernstein is not vitriolic, vengeful. He is also not apologetic about the idealism that led him to the Communist Party. His times of despair also include not only acts of random kindness but a bonding with fellow blacklisted writers that resulted in their mutual support of each other in doing what they did best, writing, with a front, someone who agrees to have their name on the blacklisted writer's script. Bernstein does not shout but with his quiet dignity allows the readers to shake their heads as to how we allowed this hysteria to go on for so long. And how much we lost during this period when so many talented people were unable to do what they did best.

Every American should read this book

Although Inside Out would make remarkable reading at any time, it's especially appropriate this year -- the 50th anniversary of the investigative hearings by the House Committee for Un-American Activities that resulted in hundreds of directors, actors, and screenwriters being blacklisted and forced to endure personal and professional hardship through the late forties, the 50s, and even into the 60s. A screenwriter with many wonderful films to his name, Bernstein has an unaffected writing style and dry wit, which make this book all the more appealing and powerful. Whether you are interested in memoir-writing, in the industry we call Hollywood, or in a shameful not-so-distant era in our country's history, Walter Bernstein's book is for you.