![]() A few years later, in 1953, the FBI went on the offensive by making allegations about Bernstein’s sympathies via an anti-communist newsletter. Nevertheless, the FBI’s ongoing concern about Bernstein was enough to put President Truman off attending a concert at which Bernstein was performing. Bernstein knew a number of people who were called to testify at HUAC, but he was never called himself. The FBI’s file grew accordingly and at a feverish time, with the House of Representatives' House UnAmerican Activities Committee focusing its attention on communists and their sympathisers. I’m guessing he was not inspecting all too carefully, he was just that kind of a guy.” His daughter Nina said: “My dad would just give his name to anybody. The New York Times was tipped off about Bernstein’s debut and it became front page news.Īs Bernstein’s profile grew, so inevitably did the number of people and organisations interested in him. He became assistant conductor at the New York Philharmonic and was thrust into the limelight in November 1943 when he had to fill in for guest conductor Bruno Walter, who had fallen ill. ![]() I never got the sense that he was anything more than a sentimental left-leaning liberal.” Profile and profilingīernstein’s career flourished quickly after leaving Harvard. “If he was an active communist, I never knew anything about it and we were very, very close – we remained friends all his life. However, Shirley Pearl, a friend of Bernstein’s at Harvard, saw nothing of the insurrectionist in him. He also attended a dinner organised by American Youth for Democracy, the youth wing of the Communist Party USA, and was rumoured to be a leading light in the John Reed society, a group founded in memory of the journalist and author of Ten Days That Shook The World, an account of the 1917 October Revolution.Īnother flag for the FBI was Bernstein’s staging of pro-union opera The Cradle Will Rock by left-wing composer, lyricist and librettist Marc Blitzstein. While there, he briefly associated with various organisations such as the American Soviet Music Society. It was raw musical talent that allowed the young Bernstein to progress from his humble family background to Harvard to study music. They spied on Bernstein for over 30 years, believing him to be a communist and a threat to national security.īut what exactly was it about classical music’s poster boy that had them so rattled? Alma matters However, as recently released files show, J Edgar Hoover’s FBI thought very differently. For more information please refer to our Terms of Use.Committed though he was, those that knew him would never have considered Bernstein an enemy of the state. Songs are hosted on Youtube and the copyright for music and lyrics is retained by its original creators and/or rightsholders. Get that Communist Joe (Get that Shmo, Joe)Ĭontent on these pages is © Alpha History 2019. Give him what he deserves, jailhouse lodging Little is known of The Kavaliers, the group that recorded this song in 1954.ĭriving that car with the bright red fendersĭon’t want to take a chance that he’ll land her In this case, the singer encourages McCarthy to “get that communist” who is “fillin’ girl with propaganda”. It is one of several songs of its era that parodied Wisconsin senator Joseph McCarthy and his crusade against suspected communists in the government and military. Written by Weinman and Dorney, Get that Communist Joe is a light-hearted novelty song.
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