History Repeating Itself?

Back in the early 1930's there was a movement abroad in the land started by a few in Washington, in particular Murray W. Garsson, Special Assistant Secretary of Labor, to kick out all of "Hollywood's aliens." According to Mr. Garsson:

"I would not even venture a guess as to the number of foreign players illegally in Hollywood--there are so many of them. These people will have to get out and go back where they belong. We are doing this to protect American actors and actresses. We do not object to the bringing of a player like Chevalier here to do a part no one else can do. But we do object to hordes of players coming here and settling, many of them illegally and, while claiming allegiance to another flag, taking the work that is so badly needed by our own players."

The people who Mr. Garsson was targeting were not only actors, but also writers, directors and technicians. Among the "hordes" who were asked to make a hasty retreat back to "where they belong" were: George Arliss, Charles Chaplin, Elissa Landi, Marlene Dietrich, Lupe Velez, Maurice Chevalier, Greta Garbo, Gregory Ratoff, Maureen O'Sullivan, George Brent, Ronald Colman, Benita Hume, Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi and, of course, Leslie Howard, along with many others. And then there were those Americans who were married to "one of those" people who had to get out or be arrested and deported, such as Constance Bennett. And don't forget about those dangerous Canadians like Norma Shearer. Oh, right, she doesn't count. She had become naturalized. Sorry.

If Rudolph Valentino had still been alive at that time, I think it is safe to say that the women of America would have run Mr. Murray W. Garsson out of town on a rail.

More tomorrow...

[Leslie Howard on one of his many crossings]

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