Hollywood's Spies: Jewish Infiltration of Nazi and Pro-Nazi Groups in Los Angeles, 1933-1941

421 Pages·2013·26.56 MB·English

UC Santa Cruz
UC Santa Cruz Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Title
Hollywood's Spies: Jewish Infiltration of Nazi and Pro-Nazi Groups in Los Angeles, 1933-1941
Permalink
https://escholarship.org/uc/item/2sm4c6gn
Author
Rosenzweig, Laura
Publication Date
2013

Peer reviewed|Thesis/dissertation
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University of California
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
SANTA CRUZ

HOLLYWOOD’S SPIES: JEWISH INFILTRATION OF NAZI
AND PRO-NAZI GROUPS IN LOS ANGELES, 1933-1941

A dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction
of the requirements for the degree of

DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY

in

HISTORY

by

Laura Rosenzweig

June 2013

The Dissertation of Laura Rosenzweig is approved:

_______________________________________
Professor Alice Yang, chair

_______________________________________
Professor Barbara Epstein

_______________________________________
Professor Marc Dollinger

____________________________________________
Tyrus Miller
Vice Provost and Dean of Graduate Studies
Copyright © by
Laura Rosenzweig
2013
TABLE OF CONTENTS

Abstract iv
Dedication vi
Acknowledgements vii

Introduction 1

1 “White Spot of the Nation:” Los Angeles at 1933 31

2 Nazis in Los Angeles: Not Just a Jewish Problem 70

3 Becoming Hollywood’s Spies 113

4 The LAJCC and the McCormack-Dickstein Committee, 1934 150

5 The Proclamation, 1935 186

6 Exposing the Berlin Connection, 1936-1941 231

7 Exposing the Nazi Fifth Column, 1936-1941 269

8 The Politics of Resistance:
The LAJCC and the Dies Committee, 1938-1940 318

Conclusion 356

Appendices 369

Bibliography 387

i ii
ABSTRACT

Hollywood’s Spies: Jewish Infiltration of Nazi and Pro-Nazi Groups
in Los Angeles, 1933-1941
by Laura Rosenzweig

In the 1930s, Los Angeles was a hotbed of Nazi-influenced political activity.
Between 1933-1941, hundreds of far right-wing political groups led by the local
chapter of the German-American Bund, emerged in the city. Intent on launching a
Nazi-style political movement, these groups fomented a hostile political climate that
threatened the city’s Jews. In response to the threat, the Jewish executives of the
motion picture industry joined with other Jewish leaders in the city to form the Los
Angeles Jewish Community Committee (LAJCC.) Publicly, the LAJCC combatted
prejudice and religious intolerance by joining in civic group coalitions. Privately,
however, the LAJCC paid private investigators to infiltrate these Nazi-influenced
groups to monitor their political activities. The information collected by Hollywood’s
spies was passed onto local, federal and military officials during the decade,
informing both the McCormack-Dickstein Committee investigation of Nazi
propaganda activity in 1934, and the Dies Committee investigation on un-American
activity between 1938-1940. The role that American Jews played in these
congressional investigations, let alone the Jews of Hollywood, was not understood by
the public at the time, nor by historians since.
Drawing on archival collections in Los Angeles, New York, Cincinnati and
Washington, this dissertation recovers the story of the LAJCC and Hollywood’s spies
to revise the consensus on American Jewish political agency and influence in the
i v
1930s. It demonstrates that American Jews were not quite as paralyzed by
antisemitism in the 1930s as the consensus contends. The political relationships the
LAJCC established and the defense strategies it adopted to combat domestic Nazism
reveal a new dimension of American Jewish political influence in the United States in
the 1930s. This dissertation also marks the emergence of Los Angeles as a new site
of American Jewish political power. As a result of the financial and political backing
of the Jews of Hollywood, the LAJCC distinguished itself from other American
Jewish defense organizations of the era, rising to political influence in Washington at
a time when Jewish leaders in New York and Chicago faltered in the fight against
domestic Nazism in the United States.

v
DEDICATION

This dissertation is dedicated to the memory of Leon Lewis, the Jewish leaders
of the motion picture industry, and the men and women who worked with them to
fight the rise of Nazism in Los Angeles between 1933-1941. Their willingness to step
outside the boundaries of their personal lives to combat a political problem far greater
than themselves is an inspiration.
They remind all of us that democracy is not a spectator sport.

v i
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The completion of this dissertation marks a personal life goal. History has
always been my passion, and since graduating from college I have wanted to pursue a
doctoral degree. Thirty years later, that goal has been realized. What a rare privilege
it has been to return to school at mid-life. I loved every minute of the journey, and in
particular, the writing of this dissertation; but, I could not have realized this personal
milestone were it not for the encouragement of my family and friends, the counsel of
my teachers, and the generous support of the library professionals and philanthropic
organizations who helped me along the way.
I must begin by thanking my husband, Cary, whose selfless support of my
aspiration made this endeavor possible. For twelve years he shared in the thrill of
new ideas and discoveries, and he buoyed my confidence during periods of self-doubt
and fatigue. For twelve years, his wife was preoccupied with academic theories,
historiographic analyses and stories of Hollywood’s spies. Through it all, Cary was
my study-buddy, sounding board and cheerleader. My name occupies the space
below the title of this dissertation, but this was a shared accomplishment. Without
his clarity, wisdom and devotion, this dissertation would never have been completed.
If my husband enabled my graduate career, it was the faculty at UCSC that
showed me the way. While other area graduate schools balked at the idea of a part-
time doctoral student, the faculty at UC Santa Cruz could not have been more
welcoming and encouraging. UCSC’s culture of acceptance proved to be precisely
the right place for me to realize my academic aspirations. Lynn Westerkamp was
v ii
particularly understanding of the contingencies confronting an older graduate student.
I am indebted to her for her support. During my years of coursework, Lynn, along
with Alice Yang, Beth Haas, Pedro Castillo, Shelley Stamp, Murray Baumgarten and
Bruce Thompson all supported my progress, challenged my thinking, and helped me
to develop the skills needed to succeed. It was a privilege to have the opportunity to
learn from each of them.
This dissertation is the product of eight years of research guided by my
dissertation committee. Each of my advisors brought unique expertise and
perspective to this project. I wish to thank my wonderful advisor, Alice Yang, for her
commitment to my graduate studies. When I entered this program, I was often unsure
of my ability and direction, but Alice’s encouragement gave me the confidence to
persevere. Twelve years later (a little longer than we expected!) I am no longer that
tentative graduate student. Ever flexible and patient, Alice gave me the time I needed
to complete this journey. The journey taken with Alice was, for me, the greatest
reward.
This dissertation owes much to the scholarship of Barbara Epstein, who gave
so generously of her time and thought to this project. Barbara poured over unwieldy
rough drafts and provided me with lengthy, thoughtful written comments. Her
knowledge of Jewish social movements elevated my work to a level of scholarship
that I could not have realized without her. Our discussions on Jewish history and the
American Jewish experience and her critical perspective helped to streamline the
content of this dissertation. I was so fortunate to be among the last of her doctoral
v iii
students before she retired. Her reputation for excellence as a mentor and advisor is
well known at UCSC, and she leaves behind a space that will be tough to fill.
Widely respected in the Bay Area Jewish community as a scholar, teacher and
a mensch, Marc Dollinger has been a valued advisor. Marc graciously, and without
hesitation, agreed to serve on my committee. Marc’s thoughtful comments helped
make this a more compelling scholarly work by helping to shape the argument of this
dissertation. More than that, however, was the mentoring he provided as a dynamic
lecturer and teacher. I am indebted to both Marc and Fred Astren for extending the
opportunity to me to teach at San Francisco State University over the years.
This dissertation is the product of eight years of extensive research in several
archives and libraries across the country. That research was made possible by the
philanthropic organizations that sponsor and support doctoral research. This
dissertation was made possible by a generous three-year grant from the Memorial
Foundation for Jewish Culture and a dissertation fellowship grant from the Institute
for Humanities Research at UCSC. Research and travel grants were also provided by
the American Jewish Archives, Center for American Jewish History, the Historical
Society of Southern California, the History department of the University of California
at Santa Cruz, and by the Annenberg Foundation.
The substantial financial support that I received over the years allowed me to
conduct research from southern California to Washington, D.C. I am thankful to the
professional librarians and archivists who assisted me during the years. In particular,
I am forever indebted to the staff of the Urban Archives and Special Collections of
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