Some of Hollywood’s ranking stars are among the supporters of the rally tomorrow night. They are John Wayne, James Stewart, Rock Hudson and Pat Boone.
Ronald Reagan and Family at the 1961 Hollywood Bowl rally.
New York Times – October 16th, 1961
A rally that will almost certainly touch off bitter arguments between Hollywood liberals and conservatives will be held at Hollywood Bowl tomorrow night.
The purposes of this gathering, according to advertisements in local papers, are to hear “Hollywood’s answer to Communism” and to “learn the truth about Communism.”
The attitudes of liberals here towards this meeting range from suspicion to hostility.
The antipathy of liberals is prompted by two reasons that have attracted conservatives to this cause:
1. There is a strong feeling here among liberals that the leaders of this rally failed to recognize what liberals regard as similarity between Communists and extreme right-wing groups such as the John Birch Society.
2. The meeting is certain to arouse the antagonism of many persons here who would like to see the end of the blacklist, which denies employment to those deemed either Communist or Communist sympathizers.
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In addition, some of the nations top movie executives have pledged their support to this rally. They include Jack L. Warner, head of Warner Brothers, and Walt Disney, boss of the Disney Studios.
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