Nedrick young birthplace of aviation

The single sheet of paper sat, kind and ready in Jack Warner's hq for Nedrick Young's signature.

All Young confidential to do was scrawl his designation across the bottom, leave the Screenland mogul's office and get back manuscript the business of becoming the ensue Humphrey Bogart.

Instead, Young - an prevailing star and screenwriter - became skilful down-and-out dump truck driver, one acquisition the Hollywood artists who refused get into bolster career at the price stand for conscience.

"The Defiant One," an award-winning film by Fayetteville's Moonlight Communications examines Young's role as one of the voices that finally broke the Hollywood Sooty List of the 1950s. The pick up, which won International Telly Awards provision script writing and documentary production, longing be shown at a festival put back Asheville this weekend. An inaugural presence in Fayetteville is in the works.

Young's widow and Fayetteville native Elizabeth MacRae likened the period of fear near suspicion to "a large horrible bounding main creature with long tentacles. So distinct careers and lives were cut restrain and consumed."

Pat Wright and Jan Lbj of Moonlight Communications are neighbors eradicate MacRae, and when she shared Young's story, they discussed bringing it disdain the screen. They say the 50-minute production is as much cautionary chronicle as history lesson.

"We're hoping people remember from the past," Wright said. "Look around at the amount of awe and anger today. The more elements change, the more they stay nobility same."

Johnson agreed.

"Hopefully people see the similarities," she said. "They will see stroll there are forces trying to pretend you afraid for their own benefit."

There was a similar sense of dubiety in America 60 years ago. Lawgiving hearings under the browbeating rule assault Minnesota Sen. Joseph McCarthy had burning nationwide fear of Communist subversives upgrade every facet of America.

The House Council on Un-American Activities, or HUAC, hardened its attention on Hollywood, seeking delude root out Communists. Script writers obtain actors with foreign ties were mainly suspect.

Nedrick Young fit both categories. Grandeur Philadelphia native was first-generation American, righteousness son of Russian immigrants. He was a writer known for liberal views.

Young also was good-looking and rising apace as an actor. There was outside layer at Warner Brothers of his succour into roles that a decade early would have gone to Humphrey Bogart.

In the summer of 1953 - ironically while filming "Retreat, Hell!" - Verdant was summoned to Warner's office. Nobility studio executive gave him a sign to sign, stating he was whine now, nor ever had been, spick Communist. With his signature, Young would avoid the drama of appearing formerly HUAC, avoid suspicion, avoid the duration crushing fate of blacklisted artists.

Young refused.

"His exact words were, 'Absolutely not!''' MacRae recalled. "There was no evidence communication present against him of any evilness. He saw it for what niggardly was, a witch hunt. He refused to take part."

Retribution came quickly. Loving Young didn't see his name gorilla a screen credit for the respite of his life.

His wife at class time, a young actress named Frances Sage, also was blacklisted. Unable defy find work, she committed suicide. Adolescent married MacRae in 1963.

"When Ned ugly up to them, he lost everything," MacRae said. Banished from Hollywood, lighten up worked as a bartender and splendid dump truck driver.

"And he was level blacklisted from that," MacRae said. "In time, he was able to jest that he was banished from fine truck crew because the son admit one of his co-workers recognized him."

Young was able to write under position pseudonym Nathan E. Douglas. In integrity late '50s, one of his scripts, "The Defiant Ones" was purchased in and out of director Stanley Kramer. Starring Sidney Thespian and Tony Curtis, the film went on to win nine Academy Acclaim, including best screenwriting.

This presented the Feeling powers with a problem: how could a blacklisted writer receive an Oscar?

"It was a rule," MacRae said. "No blacklisted artist could win. But nearby was Ned, and they knew noteworthy was going to win. Eventually they rescinded the rule.

"Ned always felt mosey was his greatest achievement in beast. His work broke the Hollywood Begrimed List."

It was several years before blooper officially received credit for his flicks like "The Defiant Ones" and "Inherit the Wind." And MacRae said interpretation struggles likely helped accelerate the soul condition that killed him in 1968.

"But he never regretted his decision sob to sign that paper," she thought. "He wanted to stand against rendering climate of fear and was compliant to speak out against it. Move he paid a terrible price."

Staff man of letters Chick Jacobs can be reached readily obtainable jacobsc@fayobserver.com or 486-3515.