Frankel going on tour in Montana

Press release

Glenn Frankel, a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist who has turned his lens toward Hollywood legends, announced he is holding a Montana tour.

His last book, “The Searchers” earned great praise for his profile of John Ford, John Wayne and the real-life 19th century kidnapping that inspired the film.

Frankel’s new book is “High Noon: The Hollywood Blacklist and the Making of an American Classic” (Bloomsbury; Feb. 21).

“High Noon” explores the making of the western classic during the toxic political climate of the late 1940s and 1950s — the film “High Noon” was released in 1952. The film is known for the memorable performances by Gary Cooper and Grace Kelly, but what many people don’t know is the film was written by Carl Foreman, a former Communist who intended the film to be a parable about the Hollywood blacklist. During filming, Foreman was forced to testify before the House Committee on Un-American Activities about his former membership in the Communist Party.

Frankel weaves together the stories of some of Hollywood’s most talented writers and producers — Carl Foreman, Stanley Kramer, Fred Zinneman and Cooper himself — as they navigated the era of Hollywood’s Red Scare.

Frankel will be in Montana Tuesday, March 28, through Friday, March 31. His schedule is:

Tuesday, March 28 — C.M. Russell Museum, Great Falls, 6 to 8:30 p.m.

Wednesday, March 29 — Montana Historical Society, Helena, 6 to 8:30 p.m.

Thursday, March 30 — Montana State University, Bozeman 6 to 8:30 p.m.

Friday, March 31 — Montana Heritage Center, Billings, 6 to 7:45 p.m.