Comments on: Patsy Ruth Miller and F. Scott Fitzgerald: Politically Incorrect in Hollywood

By: Emma

Emma — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 19:15:04 +0000

I'm doing a project for English on F. Scott Fitzgerald… and there's a question thats asks me if he was ever interested in politics… was he? Please email me at emmagirl1995@yahoo.com
~thanks

By: Emma

Emma — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 19:12:39 +0000

was f. scott fitzgeral ever interested in politics?

By: RMC

RMC — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 02:38:22 +0000

(cont.)…Fitz had the ability to see further and hear deeper of the substance of the human condition, cliche' as that term is. However, his exceptional-ness, so to speak, was in the talent not merely to coalesce all of the raw material of his observation into some conglomeration of words, but to give each snapshot its own voice. Strunk&White's Rule #17 says omit needless words; another way of saying brevity = clarity. But the broader importance of brevity providing clarity is accessibility, by which a novel's story can be comprehended. It's at that point the "A-ha…" moment becomes possible and a novelest gives his reader new understanding—and Fitz had that entire process down cold; as dependable as a Michael Jordan twelve-footer; as replicable as a Tiger Woods sand wedge.

And so, the very idea that a man as wonderfully gifted as Fitz would ever find himself in a state to question or even dismiss the work produced from his talent is gutwrenching and heartbreaking.

By: RMC

RMC — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 18:38:22 +0000

And so, the very idea that a man as wonderfully gifted as Fitz would ever find himself in a state to question or even dismiss the work produced from his talent is gutwrenching and heartbreaking.

By: RMC

RMC — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 18:37:57 +0000

Excellent piece. And horrifying, too. By a whole armload of different and various yardsticks, Fitz is at least one of the supreme, 1% of the 1%, best writers ever, certainly among American authors. And I know it's fashionable and en vogue to dismiss all but a few from the past one hundred or so years simply because their work is too new to count, but really. Fitz's craft was utterly superb. If he was a basketball player (forgive my pedestrian example), he would be said to have the whole package. But quite well beyond that,…(cont.)

By: Marilena

Marilena — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 07:08:12 +0000

Interesting essay. I knew that Fitzgerald, outside of all his other problems, was troubled late in life by the feeling that his work was somehow out-of-style and old-fashioned, but the political angle didn't occur to me.
Now that you mention it, it makes all the sense in the world.

By: California_Girl

California_Girl — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 05:01:22 +0000

I always love reading what you post; your writing style is intriguing and captivating while also being informative. Thank you for your contributions to Big Hollywood.

By: Robert J. Avrech

Robert J. Avrech — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:25:34 +0000

Thanks everyone for your kind comments.

Mark S:

I appreciate your point of view, but as I said, I have trouble viewing Fitzgerald's disintegration entirely to the obnoxious political correctness—meaning pro-Communist—that was spreading among the Hollywood elite. And the reason is very simple: Fitzgerald was a classically self-destructive character. In fact, more than a few FSF scholars diagnose a bi-polar personality disorder. In any case, let me repeat: I do believe that the hyper political juggernaut of the time contributed to his professional and personal demise.

By: John_McClain

John_McClain — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:25:55 +0000

Fascinating story as always.

By: BigJohn

BigJohn — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:04:01 +0000

What an interesting, interesting piece! Some things are timeless it seems.