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The John Batchelor Show

S8 Ep617: 7. Guest Author: James Shapiro James Shapiro reveals the origins of the House Un-American Activities Committee, involving Samuel Dickstein, a congressman later identified as a Soviet spy. The committee’s attack on the Federal Theater was fueled by Hazel

The John Batchelor Show

John Batchelor

News, Society & Culture, Books, Arts

4.52.8K Ratings

🗓️ 22 March 2026

⏱️ 12 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

  7. Guest Author: James Shapiro James Shapiro reveals the origins of the House Un-American Activities Committee, involving Samuel Dickstein, a congressman later identified as a Soviet spy. The committee’s attack on the Federal Theater was fueled by Hazel Huffman, a disgruntled WPA worker. Huffman provided misleading testimony to Congressman Martin Dies, falsely labeling various plays as communist propaganda. Although Hallie Flanagan was a mainstream FDR supporter, she was smeared without a chance to cross-examine her accusers. Dies successfully exploited emerging media like radio to turn public opinion against the project and its leadership. (7)
1923

Transcript

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0:00.0

This is CBSI on the world. I'm John Batchel. I'm with Scott Eamman. The book is Charlie Chaplin versus America.

0:06.8

When art, sex, and politics collide. I recommend the book. I picked it up. I didn't know anything.

0:12.7

Now I don't know anything. Plus, I know what Scott has guided me to learn more about, which is early Hollywood.

0:20.3

When men and women invented an art form that

0:23.3

dominates the solar system and will forever, the idea of telling a magical story on a stage

0:29.5

that moves. We're going now to a success of limelight and Charlie Chaplin's decision with his

0:36.6

growing family and his devoted wife, Una,

0:41.9

they're going to travel to London and Europe in order to enjoy the opening of limelight in London

0:49.7

and then tour some with his young family, including Geraldine Chaplin,

0:55.2

who will become a movie star on her own once in the future.

0:59.5

We're looking at, though, days when you needed a visa to come back to the country after leaving it.

1:08.1

And in order to get that, you had to apply for the Immigration and Naturalization

1:12.9

Service, the INS. It's important now to establish that this wouldn't have been the first occasion

1:18.5

that Charlie rushed up against the INS. Remember, the FBI's been tracking him since 22 with nothing.

1:26.1

Hedahopper and Ed Sullivan, whom I will never celebrate again, have been hectoring him

1:32.2

for decades, for unknown reasons of their own, perhaps their own personalities, but for no

1:39.1

evidence whatsoever that Charlie Chaplin did anything wrong.

1:42.6

However, at one point, I believe it's April of 48.

1:46.6

A man named Boyd at the INS interviews Charlie Chaplin, and the INS is now part of the decision-making.

1:53.9

The idea is, if Charlie Chaplin leaves, we won't let him come back.

1:58.3

Whose idea was it, Scott? Who came up with this genius smear?

2:02.9

It appears to have been James McGrinerie.

...

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