Elia Kazan - Great Director, Bad Decision

Elia Kazan is a brilliant director.  His films include A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE, ON THE WATERFRONT and EAST OF EDEN.  These films by themselves are quite an accomplishment, but Kazan also directed lesser know, but equally powerful films, such as A TREE GROWS IN BROOKLYN, A FACE IN THE CROWD and GENTLEMAN'S AGREEMENT.

Kazan, born to Greek parents, fell under the spell of theater in the 1930's and began acting. Shortly there after he and a group of  talented artists would go on to create New York's avant-garde Group Theater troupe.  Kazan also became a member of the Communist Party.  He eventually began directing theater, bringing "Death of a Salesman" and "A Streetcar named Desire" to Broadway.  It was here that Elia first met talented artists such as writer Abraham Polonsky, actor John Garfield and acting teacher Lee Strasberg, the man who created method acting (practiced by Marlon Brando, James Dean and Montgomery Clift).

In the early 1950's the House Committee on Un-American Activities (HUAC) met with Kazan. He was pressed by New York Congressman Bernard Kearney to supply the committee with the names of other members in the Group Theater he had known to be Communists. At first Kazan admitted that he had been a member of the Party while with the Group Theater. He quit the Party, he claimed “in disgust”. He denied the accusation that the Group Theater was a “front” organization, and that its members where Communists. But soon after, with pressure from his studio bosses, Kazan changed his mind and this is where the controversy began.

Kazan "Named Names" claiming he had no loyalty to his fellow artists. He wasn't going to stick his neck out for something he didn't believe in. Many people felt that Kazan, the most influential director at the time, could have stood up against the Hollywood witch hunt and stopped it in it's tracks. His decision to do just the opposite caused the blacklisting of many of his fellow artists. One of those named by Kazan was actor John Garfield. At the time Garfield was as big as Humphrey Bogart, starring in such classics as THE POSTMAN ALWAYS RINGS TWICE, FORCE OF EVIL and Kazan's own GENTLEMAN'S AGREEMENT. HUAC couldn't find sufficient evidence to accuse Garfield of being a Communist but managed to taint him just enough to get him blacklisted. His being blacklisted brought an end to his days as a top ranked star. Garfield died of a heart attack just one year later.

Elia Kazan has never apologized or shown regret for his actions.

Hear Blacklisted writer/director Abraham Polonsky's interview on the subject.

Elia Kazan

Elia Kazan - Postage Paid

Film.com - The controversy continues

Filmmaker and informer

BBC Director how named names

TIME An Oscar for Elia

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