Gordon Kahn facts for kids

Gordon Kahn (1902–1962) was an American writer and screenwriter. He wrote many movies. During a time called the McCarthy era, he was prevented from working in Hollywood because of his political beliefs. This was known as being blacklisted. He was the father of broadcaster and author Tony Kahn.

Early Life and Education

Gordon Jacques Kahn was born on May 11, 1901, in Szigetvár, Hungary. When he was six years old, his family moved to the Lower East Side of Manhattan, USA.

He finished high school in New York City in 1918. He then studied at Yale University for a year. After that, he continued his studies at Columbia University.

Career as a Writer

While at Yale, Gordon Kahn started his career as a reporter. He wrote for the Bridgeport Star newspaper.

Working in New York

In New York City, Kahn worked for the New York Herald newspaper. He also wrote for Zitt's Theatrical Weekly, where he had a Broadway column.

In 1922, he wrote a book called Manhattan Oases. This book was about speakeasies, which were secret bars during a time when alcohol was illegal. His roommate, Al Hirschfeld, drew the pictures for the book. For much of the 1920s, Kahn wrote for the New York Daily Mirror newspaper.

Moving to Hollywood

In 1930, a former colleague from the Mirror, Samuel Marx, invited Kahn to Hollywood. Marx was later a head of scenery at MGM. Kahn moved to Hollywood to become a screenwriter.

He wrote more than one movie script each year. In less than twenty years, he wrote over two dozen scripts. Some of his writing credits include The Death Kiss (1932), Newsboys' Home (1938), and Buy Me That Town (1941).

Kahn also joined groups that supported workers' rights and liberal ideas. He helped start the Screen Writers Guild, which is now the Writers Guild of America. He was also the first managing editor of The Screen Writer magazine.

The Hollywood Blacklist

In 1947, a government committee called the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) began looking into people's political beliefs in Hollywood. They were concerned about certain political ideas. Kahn was one of 19 people called to answer questions.

He was not asked to testify, so he was not part of the famous Hollywood Ten. However, in December 1947, the movie studios announced they were firing the Hollywood Ten. Soon after, Kahn lost his job at Warner Bros. Studios. In 1948, he published a book about this time called Hollywood on Trial.

Kahn sold his large home in Beverly Hills. He and his family moved to a smaller house in Studio City. In 1950, he moved to Cuernavaca, Mexico, because he was worried about being arrested. His wife and sons, Jim and Tony, joined him six months later.

The Kahn family lived in Mexico until 1956, when they ran low on money. They then returned to the United States and lived in Manchester, New Hampshire. Kahn used a different name, "Hugh G. Foster," to write articles for magazines like Holiday and Atlantic Monthly. However, he never wrote movie scripts for Hollywood again.

Personal Life and Legacy

Gordon Kahn married Barbara Brodie. They had two sons.

Kahn was known for having a beard and wearing a monocle (a single eyeglass).

Gordon Kahn died at age 61 on December 31, 1962. He had a heart attack during a snowstorm in Manchester.

Works

Film Screenplays:

• 1931: X Marks the Spot
• 1932: The Death Kiss
• 1934: The Crosby Case, Mama Runs Wild, The People's Enemy
• 1935: Gigolette
• 1937: Navy Blues (1937 film), The Sheik Steps Out
• 1938: I Stand Accused, Newsboys' Home, Tenth Avenue Kid
• 1939: Ex-Champ, Mickey the Kid, S.O.S. Tidal Wave, Ex-Champ
• 1940: Wolf of New York
• 1941: Buy Me That Town, World Premiere
• 1942: Northwest Rangers, A Yank on the Burma Road
• 1944: Cowboy and the Senorita, Lights of Old Santa Fe, Song of Nevada
• 1945: Two O'Clock Courage
• 1946: Blonde Alibi, Her Kind of Man
• 1948: Whiplash (1948 film), Ruthless (film)
• 1949: Streets of San Francisco (film)

Television:

• 1956: The Adventures of Robin Hood - screenplay for 1 episode (written under the name "Norman Best")

Books:

• Manhattan Oases illustrated by Al Hirschfeld (1922)
• Recent American History (1933)
• Hollywood on Trial (1948)

Remembering Gordon Kahn

Gordon Kahn's son, Tony Kahn, made a short documentary about his father in 1987. It was called The Day the Cold War Came Home.

Tony Kahn also created a radio series called Blacklisted. This series had six half-hour episodes and first aired in 1997. It tells the story of the last fifteen years of Gordon Kahn's life. It also shares the fears and difficulties his family faced. All the words spoken by Gordon and his wife Barbara in the series came from their own writings, diaries, and letters.

See also

• Tony Kahn
• Hollywood blacklist