Ottawa

OTT

Hollywood Exiles
with Oona Chaplin
Episode 5: Billy’s List
29 mins
Feb. 19, 2024

Rumours of communist infiltration in the movie business had circulated for years. Movie biz insider Billy Wilkerson iis the first to publicly name alleged tinseltown ‘communists’ – including Dalton Trumbo – in his paper, the Hollywood Reporter. William R. Wilkerson III speaks about his father’s friendship with billionaire producer Howard Hughes — a rabid anti-communist. He describes how his mostly apolitical father’s anti-communist stance was shaped by a visit to the Soviet Union. Wilkerson III recalls how his father’s close connections with stars like Jimmy Cagney gave him political influence in Hollywood. Oona Chaplin learns how future president Ronald Reagan operated as an FBI informant.

Share Podcast 

CBC Listen Media Player

0:00
0:00