John Henry Faulk
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John Henry Faulk (August 21, 1913 – April 9, 1990) was an American storyteller and radio show host. His successful
lawsuit - A lawsuit is a proceeding by a party or parties against another in the civil court of law. The archaic term "suit in law" is found in only a small number of laws still in effect today. The term "lawsuit" is used in reference to a civil actio ...
against the entertainment industry helped to bring an end to the
Hollywood blacklist The Hollywood blacklist was an entertainment industry blacklist, broader than just Hollywood, put in effect in the mid-20th century in the United States during the early years of the Cold War. The blacklist involved the practice of denying emplo ...
.


Early life

John Henry Faulk was born in
Austin, Texas Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the county seat, seat and largest city of Travis County, Texas, Travis County, with portions extending into Hays County, Texas, Hays and Williamson County, Texas, Williamson co ...
to
Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's b ...
parents Henry Faulk and his wife Martha Miner Faulk. John Henry had four siblings. Faulk spent his childhood years in Austin in the noted Victorian house Green Pastures. A journalist acquaintance from Austin has written that the two of them came from "extremely similar family backgrounds – the old Southern wealth with rich heritage and families dedicated to
civil rights Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from infringement by governments, social organizations, and private individuals. They ensure one's entitlement to participate in the civil and political life of ...
long before it was hip to fight racism."


Education and military service

Faulk enrolled at the
University of Texas The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public research university in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 1883 and is the oldest institution in the University of Texas System. With 40,916 undergraduate students, 11,075 ...
in Austin in 1932. He became a
protégé Mentorship is the influence, guidance, or direction given by a mentor. A mentor is someone who teaches or gives help and advice to a less experienced and often younger person. In an organizational setting, a mentor influences the personal and p ...
of
J. Frank Dobie James Frank Dobie (September 26, 1888 – September 18, 1964) was an American folklorist, writer, and newspaper columnist best known for his many books depicting the richness and traditions of life in rural Texas during the days of the open rang ...
,
Walter Prescott Webb Walter Prescott Webb (April 3, 1888 in Panola County, Texas – March 8, 1963 near Austin, Texas) was an American historian noted for his groundbreaking work on the American West. As president of the Texas State Historical Association, he laun ...
, Roy Bedichek, and Mody C. Boatright, enabling Faulk to hone his skills as a folklorist. He earned a master's degree in folklore with his thesis "Ten Negro Sermons". He further began to craft his oratory style as a part-time English teacher at the university 1940–1942, relating Texas folk tales peppered with his gift of character impersonations.Lief, Caldwell (2004) p.122 He was initially unfit for service with the
United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
because of an eye problem. Instead Faulk joined the Merchant Marine in 1942 for a one-year stint, spending 1943 in
Cairo Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the largest urban agglomeration in Africa, the Arab world and the Middle East: The Greater Cairo metro ...
,
Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...
, serving the
American Red Cross The American Red Cross (ARC), also known as the American National Red Cross, is a non-profit humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief, and disaster preparedness education in the United States. It is the desi ...
.
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
had caused the United States Army to relax its enlistment standards, and Faulk finally enlisted in 1944. He served as a medic at Camp Swift, Texas. It was during this period Faulk also joined the
American Civil Liberties Union The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is a nonprofit organization founded in 1920 "to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every person in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States". T ...
.


Career

While a soldier at Camp Swift, Faulk began writing his own radio scripts. An acquaintance facilitated an interview for him at WCBS in New York City. The network executives were sufficiently impressed to offer him his own radio show. Upon his 1946 discharge from the Army, Faulk began his ''Johnny's Front Porch'' radio show for WCBS. The show featured Faulk's characterizations that he had been developing since his university years. Faulk eventually went to another radio station, but returned to WCBS for a four-hour morning talk show. ''The John Henry Faulk Show'' ran for six years.Lief, Caldwell (2004) p.123 His radio successes provided opportunity for him to appear as himself on television, in shows like the 1951
Mark Goodson Mark Leo Goodson (January 14, 1915 – December 18, 1992) was an American television producer who specialized in game shows, most frequently with his business partner Bill Todman, with whom he created Goodson-Todman Productions. Early life and ea ...
and William Todman game show ''
It's News to Me ''It's News to Me'' is an American panel game show produced by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman for CBS Television. It was a derivative of Goodson-Todman's own panel show ''What's My Line?''. Originally aired as a one-time special on May 11, 1951; I ...
'', hosted by
John Charles Daly John Charles Patrick Croghan Daly (February 20, 1914 – February 24, 1991) was an American journalist, host, radio and television personality, ABC News executive, TV anchor, and game show, game show host, best known for his work on the CBS panel ...
. He also appeared on ''
Leave It to the Girls ''Leave It to the Girls'' is an American radio and television talk show, created by Martha Rountree, and broadcast, in various forms, from the 1940s through the 1980s. Broadcast details Radio version The series was originally a radio program ...
'' in 1953 and ''
The Name's the Same ''The Name's the Same'' is an American game show produced by Goodson- Todman for the ABC television network from December 5, 1951 to August 31, 1954, followed by a run from October 25, 1954 to October 7, 1955. The premise was for contestants ...
'' in 1955.
Cactus Pryor Richard "Cactus" Pryor (January 7, 1923 – August 30, 2011) was an American broadcaster and humorist. He received his nickname after the old Cactus Theater on Congress Avenue in Austin, Texas, which was run by his father, "Skinny" Pryor. Pry ...
met Faulk in the studios of KLBJ (then KTBC) where Faulk stopped by to thank Pryor for letting his mother hear his New York show. Pryor had been "accidentally" broadcasting Faulk's radio show in Texas where Faulk was not otherwise heard. Although the broadcast happened repeatedly, Pryor always claimed he just hit the wrong button in the studio. Pryor visited Faulk at a
Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...
apartment he shared with
Alan Lomax Alan Lomax (; January 31, 1915 – July 19, 2002) was an American ethnomusicologist, best known for his numerous field recordings of folk music of the 20th century. He was also a musician himself, as well as a folklorist, archivist, writer, sch ...
and became introduced to the movers and shakers of the east coast celebrity scene of that era. When Pryor stood by Faulk during the blacklisting and tried to find him work, Pryor's children were harassed, a prominent Austin physician circulated a letter questioning Pryor's patriotism, and an Austin attorney tried to convince
Lyndon B. Johnson Lyndon Baines Johnson (; August 27, 1908January 22, 1973), often referred to by his initials LBJ, was an American politician who served as the 36th president of the United States from 1963 to 1969. He had previously served as the 37th vice ...
to discharge Pryor from the airwaves. The Pryor family and the Faulk family remained close and supportive of each other for the rest of Faulk's life. In December 1955, Faulk was elected second vice president of the
American Federation of Television and Radio Artists The American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) was a performers' union that represented a wide variety of talent, including actors in radio and television, radio and television announcers and newspersons, singers and recording ar ...
.
Orson Bean Orson Bean (born Dallas Frederick Burrows; July 22, 1928 – February 7, 2020) was an American film, television, and stage actor, comedian, writer, and producer. He was a game show and talk show host and a "mainstay of Los Angeles’ small ...
was the first vice president and Charles Collingwood was the president of the union. Collingwood, Bean and Faulk were part of a middle-of-the-road slate of non-communist, anti-AWARE organization candidates that Faulk had helped draft. Twenty-seven of thirty-five vacant seats on the board went to the middle-of-the-road slate. Faulk's public position during the campaign had been that the union should be focused on jobs and security, not blacklisting of members.Smith, Ostroff, Wright (1998) p.60 In the 1970s in Austin, he was also befriended by the young co-editor of the ''
Texas Observer ''The Texas Observer'' (also known as the ''Observer'') is an American magazine with a liberal political outlook. The ''Observer'' is published bimonthly by a 501(c)(3)Molly Ivins Mary Tyler "Molly" Ivins (August 30, 1944 – January 31, 2007) was an American newspaper columnist, author, political commentator, and humorist. Born in California and raised in Texas, Ivins attended Smith College and the Columbia Univers ...
, and became an early supporter of hers.


Blacklist controversy

Faulk's radio career at
CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...
ended in 1957, a victim of the
Cold War The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because the ...
and the blacklisting of the 1950s. AWARE, Inc., a for-profit corporation inspired by
Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...
Senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
Joseph McCarthy Joseph Raymond McCarthy (November 14, 1908 – May 2, 1957) was an American politician who served as a Republican U.S. Senator from the state of Wisconsin from 1947 until his death in 1957. Beginning in 1950, McCarthy became the most visi ...
, offered a "clearance" service to major media advertisers and radio and television networks; for a fee, AWARE would investigate the backgrounds of entertainers for signs of Communist sympathy or affiliation. In 1955, Faulk earned the ill will of the blacklisting organization when he and other members wrested control of their
union Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Un ...
, the
American Federation of Television and Radio Artists The American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) was a performers' union that represented a wide variety of talent, including actors in radio and television, radio and television announcers and newspersons, singers and recording ar ...
from officers backed by AWARE. In reprisal, AWARE labeled Faulk a Communist. When he discovered that AWARE was actively keeping radio stations from offering him employment, Faulk sought compensation. Several prominent radio personalities along with
CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...
News vice president
Edward R. Murrow Edward Roscoe Murrow (born Egbert Roscoe Murrow; April 25, 1908 – April 27, 1965) was an American broadcast journalist and war correspondent. He first gained prominence during World War II with a series of live radio broadcasts from Europe f ...
supported Faulk's attempt to put an end to blacklisting. With financial backing from Murrow, Faulk engaged New York attorney
Louis Nizer Louis Nizer (February 6, 1902 – November 10, 1994) was a Jewish-American trial lawyer based in New York City. He was the senior partner of the law firm Phillips, Nizer, Benjamin, Krim & Ballon. In addition to his legal work, Louis Nizer was ...
. Attorneys for AWARE, including McCarthy-committee counsel Roy Cohn, managed to stall the suit, originally filed in 1957, for five years. When the trial finally concluded in a New York courtroom, the jury had determined that Faulk should receive more compensation than he sought in his original petition. On June 28, 1962, the jury awarded him the largest
libel Defamation is the act of communicating to a third party false statements about a person, place or thing that results in damage to its reputation. It can be spoken (slander) or written (libel). It constitutes a tort or a crime. The legal defini ...
judgment in history to that date — $3.5 million. An appeals court lowered the amount to $500,000. Legal fees and accumulated debts erased most of the balance of the award. He netted some $75,000. Faulk's book, ''Fear on Trial'', published in 1963, tells the story of the experience. The book was remade into an Emmy award-winning TV movie in 1975 by CBS Television with
William Devane William Joseph Devane (born September 5, 1939) is an American actor. He is known for his role as Greg Sumner on the primetime soap opera '' Knots Landing'' (1983–1993) and as James Heller on the Fox serial dramas '' 24'' (2001–2010) and '' ...
portraying Faulk and
George C. Scott George Campbell Scott (October 18, 1927 – September 22, 1999) was an American actor, director, and producer who had a celebrated career on both stage and screen. With a gruff demeanor and commanding presence, Scott became known for his port ...
playing Faulk's lawyer, Louis Nizer. Other supporters in the blacklist struggle included radio pioneer and
Wimberley, Texas Wimberley is a village in Hays County, Texas, United States. It is still predominantly a ranching area outside of town. The population was 2,839 at the 2020 census. History Wimberley started as a trading post settlement near Cypress Creek in ...
, native Parks Johnson, and reporter and CBS television news anchor
Walter Cronkite Walter Leland Cronkite Jr. (November 4, 1916 – July 17, 2009) was an American broadcast journalist who served as anchorman for the ''CBS Evening News'' for 19 years (1962–1981). During the 1960s and 1970s, he was often cited as "the mo ...
."As Faulk learned, Cronkite was giving behind the scenes"
by Charles McClure, ''Lake Travis XView'', July 29, 2009. Retrieved December 26, 2009. McClure writes that his own father shared the same professors with Faulk at UT.


Personal life and death

In 1940 John Henry Faulk and Harriet Elizabeth ("Hally") Wood, a music student of the University of Texas Fine Arts School, were married, six weeks after they met. The marriage ended in divorce in 1947; the couple had one daughter, Cynthia Tannehill. In 1948, Faulk and New Yorker Lynne Smith were married some six weeks after they met. That marriage also ended in divorce because of fallout from the blacklisting upheaval. Faulk and Smith had two daughters, Johanna and Evelyn, and one son, Frank Dobie Faulk. In 1965, Faulk and Elizabeth Peake were married; they had one son, John Henry Faulk III. John Henry Faulk died in Austin of cancer on April 9, 1990, and is interred there at Oakwood Cemetery. The Austin restaurateur Mary Faulk Koock (1910–1996) was Faulk's sister.


Awards and tributes

* (1980) "The Ballad of John Henry Faulk", artist
Phil Ochs Philip David Ochs (; December 19, 1940 – April 9, 1976) was an American songwriter and protest singer (or, as he preferred, a topical singer). Ochs was known for his sharp wit, sardonic humor, political activism, often alliterative lyrics, and ...
, album ''
The Broadside Tapes 1 ''The Broadside Tapes 1'', alternatively known as ''Broadside Ballads, Vol. 14'', was a compilation of demo recordings done by Phil Ochs for '' Broadside'' magazine in the early-to-late 1960s. Of the sixteen songs that appeared, ranging from t ...
'',
Folkways Records Folkways Records was a record label founded by Moses Asch that documented folk, world, and children's music. It was acquired by the Smithsonian Institution in 1987 and is now part of Smithsonian Folkways. History The Folkways Records & Service ...
. * (1983) Recipient of
Paul Robeson Award An award bestowed by the Paul Robeson Citation Award Committee of the Actors' Equity Association. Recipients * 1974: Paul Robeson * 1975: Ossie Davis & Ruby Dee * 1976: Lillian Hellman * 1977: Pete Seeger * 1978: Sam Jaffe * 1979: Harry Belafon ...
. Award recognizes exemplification of principles by which Paul Robeson lived his life. * (1995) John Henry Faulk Public Library, main branch of the Austin Public Library. Originally named Central Library when constructed in 1979, renamed to honor Faulk. * John Henry Faulk Award, Tejas Storytelling Association, presented annually in
Denton, Texas Denton is a city in and the county seat of Denton County, Texas, United States. With a population of 139,869 as of 2020, it is the 27th-most populous city in Texas, the 197th-most populous city in the United States, and the 12th-most populous ...
to the individual who has made a significant contribution to the art of storytelling in the Southwest.


Film and television credits


Film

* '' All the Way Home'' (1963) – Walter Starr * '' The Best Man'' (1964) – Governor T.T. Claypoole * ''
Lovin' Molly ''Lovin' Molly'' is a 1974 American drama film directed by Sidney Lumet and starring Anthony Perkins, Beau Bridges, Blythe Danner in the title role, Ed Binns, and Susan Sarandon. The film is based on one of Larry McMurtry's first novels, '' L ...
'' (1974) – Mr. Grinsom * ''
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre ''The Texas Chain Saw Massacre'' is a 1974 American horror film produced and directed by Tobe Hooper from a story and screenplay by Hooper and Kim Henkel. It stars Marilyn Burns, Paul A. Partain, Edwin Neal, Jim Siedow and Gunnar Hansen, w ...
'' (1974) – Storyteller * ''
Leadbelly Huddie William Ledbetter (; January 20, 1888 – December 6, 1949), better known by the stage name Lead Belly, was an American folk music, folk and blues singer notable for his strong vocals, Virtuoso, virtuosity on the twelve-string guita ...
'' (1976) – Governor Neff * ''Trespasses'' (1986) – Doctor Silver (final film role)


Television

* ''
It's News to Me ''It's News to Me'' is an American panel game show produced by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman for CBS Television. It was a derivative of Goodson-Todman's own panel show ''What's My Line?''. Originally aired as a one-time special on May 11, 1951; I ...
'' (1951–1954) – Self * ''
Leave It to the Girls ''Leave It to the Girls'' is an American radio and television talk show, created by Martha Rountree, and broadcast, in various forms, from the 1940s through the 1980s. Broadcast details Radio version The series was originally a radio program ...
'' (Oct 3, 1953) – Self * ''
The Name's the Same ''The Name's the Same'' is an American game show produced by Goodson- Todman for the ABC television network from December 5, 1951 to August 31, 1954, followed by a run from October 25, 1954 to October 7, 1955. The premise was for contestants ...
'' (Feb 21, 1955) – Self * ''For the People'' (1965) – Reynolds * ''
Fear on Trial ''Fear on Trial'' is a 1975 American television film about the blacklisting of 1950s broadcast personality John Henry Faulk, based on Faulk's 1964 memoir of the same title.Article 11 o TitleSmith, Cecil. ''Los Angeles Times''. September 28, 19 ...
'' (1975) – Writer, biographical film of John Henry Faulk * ''
Hee Haw ''Hee Haw'' is an American television variety show featuring country music and humor with the fictional rural "Kornfield Kounty" as the backdrop. It aired first-run on CBS from 1969 to 1971, in syndication from 1971 to 1993, and on TNN from 199 ...
'' (1975–1982) – Self * ''
Adam Adam; el, Ἀδάμ, Adám; la, Adam is the name given in Genesis 1-5 to the first human. Beyond its use as the name of the first man, ''adam'' is also used in the Bible as a pronoun, individually as "a human" and in a collective sense as " ...
'' (1983) –
Strom Thurmond James Strom Thurmond Sr. (December 5, 1902June 26, 2003) was an American politician who represented South Carolina in the United States Senate from 1954 to 2003. Prior to his 48 years as a senator, he served as the 103rd governor of South Caro ...
* ''Cronkite Remembers'' (1997) – Uncredited archive footage


Discography

* ''John Henry Faulk, recordings of Negro religious services. Part 1'' ound recording(July 1941) 47 sound discs : analog, 33 1/3 and 78 rpm; 12 in. * ''John Henry Faulk recordings of Negro religious services. Part 2'' ound recording(Aug–Sept 1941) 42 sound discs : analog, 33 1/3 rpm; 12 in. * ''John Henry Faulk Texas recordings collection'' ound recording(Oct–Nov 1941) 33 sound discs : analog, 33 1/3 rpm; 12 in. * ''John Henry Faulk collection of Texas prison songs'' ound recording(1942) 10 sound discs : analog, 78 rpm; 12 in. + documentation. * ''John Henry Faulk and others, "Man-on-the-Street" interviews collection'' ound recording(1941) 6 sound discs : analog; 16 in.; 15 sound discs : analog; 12 in. * ''American people speak on the war'' ound recording(1941) 1 sound disc (ca. 15 min.) : analog, 33 1/3 rpm; 16 in. * ''The people speak to the president, or, Dear, Mr. President'' ound recording(1942) 1 sound disc : analog, 33 1/3 rpm; 16 in. * ''CBS news with Stuart Metz''. ound recording (May 13, 1957) 1 sound tape reel (5 min.) : analog, 7 1/2 ips, full track, mono.; 7 in * ''John Henry Faulk show'' (May 13, 1957) 1 sound tape reel (25 min.) : analog, 7 1/2 ips, full track, mono.; 7 in * ''Blacklist: a failure in political imagination'' ound recording(1960) reel. 7 in. 3 3/4 ips. 1/2 track. cassette. 2 1/2 × 4 in * ''Help unsell the war. American report'' ound recording(1972) 1 sound disc : analog, 33 1/3 rpm; 12 in * ''Selected radio programs from The Larry King show'' ound recording(1982–1985) 116 sound cassettes : analog * ''African-American Slave Audio Recordings'' (2008)


Radio appearances and speeches

* Faulk recorded his "Christmas Story" in 1974 for the NPR program "Voices in the Wind". * Faulk made speeches on the
First Amendment First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1). First or 1st may also refer to: *World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement Arts and media Music * 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and rec ...
and
civil rights Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from infringement by governments, social organizations, and private individuals. They ensure one's entitlement to participate in the civil and political life of ...
for many colleges and universities.


Bibliography

* * * *


Plays

* "Deep in the Heart" (one-man play) * "Pear Orchard, Texas" (one-man play)


Further reading

* * * * Burton, Michael C. ''John Henry Faulk: The Making of a Liberated Mind: A Biography''. Austin: Eakin Press, 1993. * *


References


Additional sourcing

* * * * * * *


External links


John Henry Faulk: The Making of a Liberated Mind, Eakin Press


*

– lyrics by Phil Ochs

{{DEFAULTSORT:Faulk, John Henry 1913 births 1990 deaths 20th-century American male actors Free speech activists Hollywood blacklist Writers from Austin, Texas Burials at Oakwood Cemetery (Austin, Texas)