The Stolen Legacy of Anne Frank
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Meyer Levin, Lillian Hellman, and the Staging of the Diary
Ralph Melnick
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Format: PaperPrice: $32.00
Melnick unravels the story step by step, establishing the bias of the opposition to Levin. He also describes the wider cultural struggle of the 1950s of which this episode was only a small part. Documenting the conspiracy against Levin and, therefore, ultimately against Anne Frank’s work, he shows that something meaningful was at stake in this struggle over the "Jewishness" of the destruction of the Jews.
"I read this book with avid interest. Meyer Levin's conviction that his dramatization of Anne Frank's story was de-Judaized for the American stage through the efforts of Lillian Hellman and her associates has been examined and debunked recently in a book by Lawrence Graver. But Melnick's book—which verifies Levin's claims—is a much more thorough and careful study of what transpired among those opposed to Levin."—Ruth R. Wisse
"Melnick's impressively documented work is a resounding refutation of Lawrence Graver's 1995 anti-Levin An Obsession With Anne Frank."—Kirkus Reviews
"Fascinating insights into how Hollywood and Broadway combine to shape the cultural values they wish us to live by."—Lawrence L. Langer
"For those who never questioned the completeness or accuracy of Anne Frank’s Diary, the resulting arguments and revelations are enlightening."—Kay Meredith
Publication Date: September 1, 1997
17 b/w illus.
