“Crime History”: Ronald Reagan as Com-Symp, Then As Liberal

(then as farce? I kid, I kid):

On this day, June 20, in 1958, FBI headquarters learned of actor Ronald Reagan’s desire to star in the film “The FBI Story,” but the bureau rejected the idea because of Reagan’s association with alleged Communist front organizations in the 1940s.

more–and Reagan played a dashing Cold War liberal in real life, as recounted in Red Star Over Hollywood. My review of that book isn’t online any longer, unfortunately, so I will just tell you a) it was really good, much better than it needed to be; and b) I am still stupidly proud of my headline: “Tinselgrad.”