New biography on Robert Taylor now available
Linda Alexander
Paperback: 364 pages
Publisher: Tease Publishing LLC (April 30, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1934678643
ISBN-13: 978-1934678640
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Reluctant Witness: Robert Taylor, Hollywood, and Communism
PRESS RELEASEThe House Un-American Activities Committee Hollywood Media Circus – 60 Years Later:
How Did it Affect Film Industry Conservatives?
Sixty years after Robert Taylor’s infamous House Un-American Activities Committee appearance, Linda Alexander, multi-published author, announces the sale of her latest book, “Reluctant Witness: Robert Taylor, Hollywood, & Communism.” As a recognized Taylor biographer, Alexander has spent years engrossed in his life’s details, particularly the historically single most remembered period . . . his appearance in front of international cameras for the 1947 House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) meeting.
Robert Taylor was ultra-conservative, active in local and national politics, with a keen eye on the international stage. In 1947, he led the Motion Picture Alliance for the Preservation of American Ideals (MPA). Like-minded industry professionals, most of whom worked for MGM, were determined to preserve what they believed was the “American Way.” On their watch, Communism—the biggest threat of their time—would not infiltrate their country.
Taylor was subpoenaed in front of the HUAC in Washington, DC, on October 23, 1947, the only movie star whose appearance was pre-announced to the media, and the event was, in Taylor's words, a "circus." Alexander’s book reveals that he was originally officially classified as a “Reluctant Witness” but through studio and government coordination, he became the face to blame for the “Hollywood Ten’s” imprisonment and blacklisting.
“Reluctant Witness” shows Taylor’s many facets—beginning as son of a strict Midwestern father and histrionic mother; meteoric rise as a Hollywood heartthrob and longest-running studio contract player in film history; and a tumultuous personal life, including affairs with well-known women. He finally found peace through his second marriage, to German model/actress Ursula Thiess, with whom he had two children, and supported her two children from a previous marriage.
Linda Alexander has written about Taylor since 1993. She was a Featured, and a Keynote, Speaker at Nebraska conferences held in his name, and has written many articles about him. Her book will be published in May, 2008, with an e-book version due in March. Her publisher, Tease Publishing LLC, is a small press in North Carolina.
Years of entertainment interviews, with articles in Soap Opera Update, The Washington Times, Spotlight Magazine, regional publications like The Baton Rouge Advocate, and others, gives Alexander a strong background in listening—to the heart of a life story, and the essence of that life. Author of four published books, 2 novels and 2 biographies, she has long-standing experience in bringing character—and characters—to life . . . and back to life.
Source: MBSTIA
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