Author: Gerald Horne File Type: pdf As World War II wound down in 1945 and the cold war heated up, the skilled trades that made up the Conference of Studio Unions (CSU) began a tumultuous strike at the major Hollywood studios. This turmoil escalated further when the studios retaliated by locking out CSU in 1946. This labor unrest unleashed a fury of Red-baiting that allowed studio moguls to crush the union and seize control of the production process, with far-reaching consequences.This engrossing book probes the motives and actions of all the players to reveal the full story of the CSU strike and the resulting lockout of 1946. Gerald Horne draws extensively on primary materials and oral histories to document how limited a threat the Communist party actually posed in Hollywood, even as studio moguls successfully used the Red scare to undermine union clout, prevent film stars from supporting labor, and prove the moguls own patriotism.Horne also discloses that, unnoticed amid the turmoil, organized crime entrenched itself in management and labor, gaining considerable control over both the product and the profits of Hollywood. This research demonstrates that the CSU strike and lockout were a pivotal moment in Hollywood history, with consequences for everything from production values, to the kinds of stories told in films, to permanent shifts in the centers of power. From Publishers WeeklyWalt Disney was famous in Hollywood for creating Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and Communists Mr. Disney created more communists [than any other studio] with his substandard wage scales and the way he handled his people, claimed the leader of the Conference of Studio Unions, Herb Sorrell. But Disneys policies--which Horne contends were racist, anti-Semitic and sexist as well--were not unique in Hollywood. Tensions between workers and management had long roots attempts at unionization began as early as 1918 and had ended up in a union lockout in 1921. In 1927, the industry attempted to sidestep the unions power by forming the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which was designed to give the appearance of a surrogate union. In the 1930s, attempts at organizing studio workers by the CSU or other unions were labeled red. In this maelstrom of political, social and legal bitterness, noted historian Horne (Fire This Time The Watts Uprising of the 1960s) focuses on the great postwar CSU strike of 1945, which after a studio lockout escalated into a full fledged Cold War culture war, with rabid red-baiting, anti-Semitism and, eventually, violence between striking union workers and scabs, and extensive police brutality. Crafting a taut narrative in elegant prose, Horne is sympathetic with the unions struggles, though his historical overview and blow-by-blow retelling of the strike and lockout never feels biased. Relying on a wealth of primary documents and with an eye for salient details, Horne has unearthed a vitally important and mostly forgotten aspect of Hollywood and labor history. 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.ReviewThis book is destined to be a bombshell in the field and perhaps far beyond the field. Paul Buhle, coauthor of Tender Comrades A Backstory of the Hollywood Blacklist - As Hollywood approaches deadline time on the strike front, a book has been published about the extraordinary history of the film world and the often incestuous relationship between studios, unions, and mobsters. It spotlights bloody union battles of the past, when pickets set cars on fire and reds were seen under every studio bed. The strikes in the film industry of the 1940s had a resonance that echoes today. At stake was nothing less than control over an industry that was essential in forging peoples consciousness, writes Gerald Horne in Class Struggle in Hollywood 1930-1950.--The Observer 29 April 2001

Author: Mohamed A. F. Noor File Type: pdf An engaging journey into the biological principles underpinning a beloved science-fiction franchise In Star Trek, crew members travel to unusual planets, meet diverse beings, and encounter unique civilizations. Throughout these remarkable space adventures, does Star Trek reflect biology and evolution as we know it? What can the science in the science fiction of Star Trek teach us? In Live Long and Evolve, biologist and die-hard Trekkie Mohamed Noor takes readers on a fun, fact-filled scientific journey. Noor offers Trekkies, science-fiction fans, and anyone curious about how life works a cosmic gateway into introductory biology, including the definitions and origins of life, DNA, reproduction, and evolutionary processes, such as natural selection and genetic drift. For instance, he shows how the rapid change in a population of nanite robots follows basic principles of natural selection that apply to species on Earth. He explains how certain creatures depicted in the series are bisexual, not asexual, and what evolutionary advantage that difference provides. And he considers factors that affect successful interspecies mating and delves into what keeps species distinct. Noor discusses the importance of research and how Star Trek has influenced scientists to engage in cutting-edge work. Giving readers irresistible and entertaining insights, Live Long and Evolve looks at some of the powerful science behind one of the most popular and longest-running science-fiction series. **Review If youre like me, youve watched a lot of Star Trek. If youre even more like me, youll read the new book Live Long and Evolve.---Steve Mirsky, *Scientific American* I played Ensign Harry Kim on Star Trek Voyager and started out in college as a biology major, so this book resonates with me in a unique way. In Live Long and Evolve, Mohamed Noor draws upon his extensive knowledge of Star Trek to help explain the nuances of evolutionary biology with a style that is both informative and entertaining.Garrett Wang In Live Long and Evolve, Mohamed Noor uses Star Trek, a show that probed the deepest questions of biology, as a springboard into some of the most exciting fields of science.Carl Zimmer, author of *She Has Her Mothers Laugh The Power, Perversions, and Potential of Heredity* Calling all Trekkies! The answers to questions about evolution may not be found in Star Trek, but they just might be in this wry and wonderful new book. Live Long and Evolve turns what sounds like meaningless biobabble from the shows into thoughtful explanations of everything from mutations and sexual reproduction to what life really is.Marlene Zuk, author of *Paleofantasy What Evolution Really Tells Us about Sex, Diet, and How We Live* A world-class geneticist and lifelong Trekkie, Mohamed Noor combines his two passions in this wonderful new book. To read it is the only logical course of action.Lee Alan Dugatkin, coauthor of *How to Tame a Fox (and Build a Dog) Visionary Scientists and a Siberian Tale of Jump-Started Evolution* Live Long and Evolve leverages the huge amount of interest in Star Trek to examine basic concepts of biology, genetics, and evolution. Exploring where the show gets it right and gets it wrong, Mohamed Noor does a lovely job tying an incredibly popular and enduring set of characters and stories to real science. This engaging, clear book isnt afraid of having fun.Maria E. Orive, University of Kansas This effectively organized and well-written book uses examples from various Star Trek shows and movies to illustrate the fundamentals of biology, notably evolution and genetics. Arguing for the importance of basic science, it will be useful and of interest to many audiences teachers, scientists, and Star Trek fans of all ages.Norman A. Johnson, author of *Darwinian Detectives Revealing the Natural History of Genes and Genomes* About the Author Mohamed A. F. Noor, besides being a Trekkie, is a professor in the Biology Department at Duke University. He is the editor in chief of the journal Evolution and author of Youre Hired! Now What? A Guide for New Science Faculty. He lives in Durham, North Carolina.