Paul Jarrico | |
|---|---|
| Born | Israel Shapiro (1915-01-12)January 12, 1915 Los Angeles,California, U.S. |
| Died | October 28, 1997(1997-10-28) (aged 82) |
| Occupation |
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| Spouse | |
| Children | 1; Bill Jarrico |
Paul Jarrico (12 January 1915 – 28 October 1997) was anOscar-nominated American screenwriter who wasblacklisted by theHollywoodmovie studios during the era ofMcCarthyism.
Paul Jarrico was born Israel Payssah Shapiro inLos Angeles,California on 12 January 1915. His parents were Jewish immigrants from Russia: his father Aaron fromKharkov, Ukraine and his mother Jennie fromMinsk,Belorussia. Aaron was a lawyer who defended trade unionists, immigrants, and the poor.[1] He was also an ardent socialist (he had once been imprisoned in Ukraine as a "dangerous character"[2]) who shaped his son's political worldview.[3]
While attendingUCLA as a sophomore in 1933, Paul joined theYoung Communist League. In his junior year, he transferred toUC Berkeley where he was further radicalized by theSan Francisco General Strike, the rise offascism in Europe, and otherDepression era events. He soon joined theCommunist Party (CPUSA), which he remained a member of until 1958.[4][5] In January 1936, after having transferred toUniversity of Southern California, Jarrico married his longtime sweetheart, Sylvia Gussin. In June 1936, they both graduated with aBachelor of Arts degree.[6] A few years later, Sylvia's younger sisterZelma married the aspiring novelistMichael Wilson, with whom Jarrico would collaborate on future film projects.[7][4]
Jarrico started working as a screenwriter in the late 1930s. After his agent advised him that "Israel Shapiro" was "too Jewish" of a name, he adopted "Paul Jarrico", which he legally changed in 1940.[2][8] At first,Columbia Pictures hired him to write low-budget comedies and crime dramas such asNo Time to Marry (1937),I Am the Law (1938), andBeauty for the Asking (1939). He then contracted with other studios. His script for theRKO filmTom, Dick and Harry (1941), starringGinger Rogers, was nominated for anAcademy Award for Best Original Screenplay, but it lost toCitizen Kane.[9]
As part of theWWII morale-boosting effort, he co-scriptedThousands Cheer (1943) withRichard Collins. Jarrico also collaborated with Collins on theMGM filmSong of Russia (1943), which was made under pressure from PresidentFranklin D. Roosevelt to stir American support for the Soviets in theirwar against Nazi Germany.[2]
In the latter half of 1943, Jarrico served in theU.S. Merchant Marine and helped deliver supplies toAllied forces in North Africa and Italy.[10] When he returned home, he resumed screenwriting. Among his subsequent credits wereThe Search (1948),Not Wanted (1949), andThe White Tower (1950).[11]
Although Jarrico escaped the first wave of theblacklist, he deeply sympathized with his "Hollywood Ten" colleagues who had defied theHouse Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) in October 1947 and were convicted ofcontempt of Congress. To raise money for their defense, he produced a short documentary film in 1950 entitled "The Hollywood Ten".[12] Then, in February 1951, Jarrico himself was named as a Communist by directorEdward Dmytryk.[13] Within weeks, Jarrico was subpoenaed by the HUAC. He immediately lost his job with RKO. As he described it, "One day my name was in the papers. The next day, when I showed up for work, they stopped me at the studio gates."[14]
On 13 April 1951, Jarrico testified before the HUAC in Washington, D.C. It was the day after he had also been named by his former close friend and screenwriting partner Richard Collins.[15][16] When asked by the Committee about his CPUSA membership, Jarrico invoked theFifth Amendment. During his testimony, he engaged in heated exchanges with HUAC Chief CounselFrank Tavenner and CongressmanClyde Doyle.[17]
Upon returning to Los Angeles, Jarrico found himself blacklisted by the entire motion picture industry. Later in 1951, his passport was confiscated.[2] At roughly this time, he became involved in a legal battle withHoward Hughes, head of RKO. Hughes had removed Jarrico's name as co-writer ofThe Las Vegas Story (1952). Jarrico sued to have his credit restored, but eventually lost the suit under the so-called morals clause for placing himself in public obloquy as a result of his HUAC non-cooperation.[15]
In 1953, Jarrico went toNew Mexico with fellow blacklisteesHerbert J. Biberman and Michael Wilson to makeSalt of the Earth. It was one of the first independent films made outside the Hollywoodstudio system. Wilson was designated as the screenwriter, and Jarrico "hired himself" as producer since there was no one else to take on that responsibility.[18] Because the film was being created by blacklisted artists, it was harassed during production. Before shooting had ended, the lead actressRosaura Revueltas was arrested and deported to Mexico.[12][19]Film laboratories wouldn't process the footage, which delayedpostproduction. Jarrico recalled in a 1983 interview, "I had to trot around the country with cans of film under my arms, putting the film through different labs under phony names. We had a lot of trouble, but we did complete the film, despite the obstacles."[18]Salt of the Earth won international prizes but was blocked from theatrical exhibition in the U.S. After decades as an underground "cult" favorite, the film was deemed culturally significant by the United StatesLibrary of Congress in 1992 and selected for inclusion in theNational Film Registry.[20]
In 1958, Jarrico moved to Europe to escape the blacklist. His time in exile, mostly in Paris, lasted nearly twenty years.[21] The blacklist caused him to be uncredited for many of his screenplays includingThe Paris Express (1952),The Girl Most Likely (1958),Five Branded Women (1960),Der Schatz der Azteken (1965), andThe Desperate Ones (1967). He also used thepseudonym "Peter Achilles" and "Peter A. Chilles" to co-scriptAll Night Long (1962) andWho Killed Johnny Ringo? (1966), as well as an episode of the TV seriesThe Defenders.[11]
In February 1966, Jarrico divorced Sylvia Gussin. Later that year, he married a Frenchwoman, Yvette Le Floc'h, from whom he separated in 1977.
In 1975, Jarrico returned to the U.S. There would be a few more short stays in Europe during the decade, but he primarily settled in California for the rest of his life. In the 1980s, he was hired as a lecturer atUC Santa Barbara. He taught courses on screenwriting, theHollywood studio system, and the social roots of American cinema.[22] He had one additional script made into a film,Messenger of Death (1988), co-written withRex Burns.[23]
Jarrico died on 28 October 1997 in a car crash onPacific Coast Highway.[24] He was driving home toOjai, California after attending a ceremony marking the 50th anniversary of HUAC's first hearings on Communist subversion in Hollywood.[4] He was 82 years old.[25][26]
