Evening star., 1951-08-23
Larry Parks Tells of IdIeness
Since Disclosing He Was Red
Film Actor Declares
He Hasn't Received
Any Studio Offers
BY Bob Thomas
Asseciafed Press Stun Writer

has happened to Larry Parks?
So many people have asked this
question that I called at his house
to find out the answer. Little or
nothing has been heard about Mr..
Parks since he testified before the
House Un-American Activities
Committee last March that he
had joined the Communist Party
in 1914 or 1945 and dropped out
in 1946.
record his replies verbatim:
@. Have you done any work
since you testified?
A. No.
@. Why not?
A. Because there have been no
offers for my services. You know
how Hollywood is.
@. Why have Sterling Hayden
and Edward Dmytryk, who also
testified they were Communists.
been able to get work in movies
and you have not?
A. Perhaps it is because I was
the first to testify. The first one
always reaps the biggest head
lines
Studio Disputes Issue.
Q. What were the circum-
stances of your breach with
Columbia Studios?
A. With a corps of lawyers, they
could find loopholeS in my con-
tract. They found enough loop
holes to avoid paying my salary.
There was no alternative but to
end the contract.
"a Columbia spokesman said
Columbia did not look for or find
q lbophole. A direct breach was
committed by Mr.. Parks which
was called to his attention by
Columbia. Mr.. Parks refused to
cure the breach and the contract
was terminated by mutual con-
sent"
asked what the breach was,
the spokesman said: "Mr. Parks
contract permitted him to accept
outside engagements on two con-
ditionS: l. That he render his
services to Columbia for one pic
ture year. 2. That he account
to Columbia for a percentage Of
his earnings on his outside pic
lures. The breach in question was
Mr.. Parks failure to make what
Columbia considered to be al
proper accounting.")
Puts OF Production Plans.
Q. What about your plans to
produce a picture with your own
company? Did you have the back
ing?
A. Yes, we had backing. But i'll
you can't get work for any other
producer, it's pretty risky to make
q picture on your own.
@. What about the play you were
rehearsing with your wife, Betty
Garrett?
A. I think the same situation ex-
lists for me in the theater and
other mediums Of entertainment
as in pictures.
@. Have you heard anything
about the release Of the picture
you made at MGM with Elizabeth
Taylor?
A. No.
(Note: I asked Dore Schary
about the film. The MGM boss
said that it has been put in final
shape and shipped to the distribu-
tor, which is waiting for the right
moment to release It," Mr.. Schary
added that he hopes the film is |
"Sensational.")
Reading American Plays.
Q. What have you been doing
to occupy your time in the last
six months?
A. With two young children,
that's no problem. Also, we had
been fixing up the house and I do
q lot Of reading. I read q book
by Ward Morehouse on the his
tory Of the American theater and
noted about 500 plays mentioned
In the book. So far I have been
able to get and read about 400 Of
them.
Q. What do you plan for the
future?
A. I don't know. I have thought
about other lines of work. but thel
movies have been my chief occu-
patton for the last 10 years. II
suppose I will have to decide about
the future soon. I've never wor-