The effects of the McCarthy hearings that took place from 1950 to 1954 are still being felt today. 

Elia Kazan, the 1999 Honorary Oscar nominee, was a witness before the hearings in 1952.    At that time, as Thomas Oliphant states in his Boston Globe column of March 2, 1999, Elia Kazan, already a famous director, "preserved his prosperous career" by naming names.  In doing that, according to Oliphant, Kazan   protected his artistic career at the expense of "other great artists [who] never got the chance to develop because of the system his [actions] helped legitimize."

Now Hollywood is about to honor Elia Kazan's work as a film director. Kazan directed such memorable films as Gentlemen's Agreement, On the Waterfront, and East of Eden.

Discussion Question:  Read this article by Jami Bernard from The New York Daily News.  In it, Bernard seems to be saying that we cannot judge people simply on the basis of their art, but rather we must look at the entire person.  In other words, the sees the Oscar as an award not only for being a good director but for being a moral person.

Do you agree with this opinion? Should  the Academy reward Elia Kazan with an honorary Oscar?  Why, Why not?  What risks do we accept if we as a society do not demand character from our artists?

Respond to these questions in a carefully planned essay in which you discuss this moral dilemma.

Learning Standard 2, History Strand

Learning Standard 5, History Strand