Hollywood’s Cold War Dissidents in Ireland

Interesting to read about the hysteria in the US at the time. I find it interesting how largely forgotten this period seemingly is and also how utterly bizarre it was. It seems reminiscent of current times and the hysteria/conspiracies many politicians try to openly sow. Also interesting to see the strength the Catholic Church had to influence the Irish state and how relatively quickly that power has disappeared almost entirely.

I recently watched Beat the Devil. I thought it was pretty dreadful. I had no idea it had a cult following and I can't imagine why. The film really runs out of steam about halfway through and most of the actors seemed to be going through the motions. It is certainly not among the Huston films that I would recommend. Watch The Maltese Falcon or The Misfits first.

That said, Ebert put it on his "Great Movies" list:

https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-beat-the-devi...

It's also possibly interesting for having had a 28-year old Truman Capote as screen writer. Except that I really think Capote wasn't a good fit for Hollywood. Breakfast at Tiffany's did not translate well to screen.

On the other hand, Roman Holiday is among my favorite films. It's the quintessential romcom.

For a terrific and unusual red-scare inspired film, let me recommend Johny Guitar. Now that's a film that deserves a cult following.