Ring Lardner, Jr.

Ring Lardner, Jr. (1915-2000) was interviewed for three hours in New York, NY.  Mr. Lardner described his work as a screenwriter and one of the most closely identified victims of the Hollywood blacklist.  Mr. Lardner described his career as a writer on such films as A Star Is Born (1937), in which he contributed the movie’s famous ending; Woman of the Year (1942), for which he and co-writer Michael Kanin won an Academy Award; and Laura (1944), the classic film noir for which he contributed uncredited.  He described the Hollywood “red scare” which halted his career and placed him on an industry blacklist.  He described his testimony as an “unfriendly” witness before the House Committee on Un-American Activities (HUAC) that landed him in jail as one of the “Hollywood Ten.”  He spoke in detail about his work in television, which he did under pseudonym during the blacklist era, working on such series as The Adventures of Robin Hood (1955-58), The Buccaneers (1956-57), The Adventures of Sir Lancelot (1956-57), and Ivanhoe (1958).  Mr. Lardner talked about his emergence from the blacklist in the mid-sixties that culminated with his win of the Academy Award for best adapted screenplay for M*A*S*H (1970).  The interview was conducted by Michael Rosen on July 1, 1999.