I assume McLaglen was referring more to the United States, since Britain and France were no longer great powers by the 1930s.
Posts from MichaelHarrison in thread „Victor McLaglen“
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In a 1936 interview here
https://digitalcollections.osc…ion/p15759coll11/id/9747/
Victor McLaglen shares his views, which were certainly conservative but absolutely NOT fascist:
“ … Every intelligent person resents anddislikes the possibility of war," said Mr.McLaglen, "but there is no denying thefact that those same intelligent peoplemust realize the necessity for defensepreparations so that in the event of foreign attack, peace will be much moresurely and quickly established becauseof that very preparedness."This, remember, is the opinion of asoldier. The future is precarious; dictatorships are instituted, over-ruled andoverthrown. In the general political turmoil and the unrest that is felt throughout the entire world due to the deplorablepoliitical situation, it is preparedness that will prevent many a too impulsive entrance into hostile action. Bignations can prevent bloodshed and thebullying of weaker peoples only byarmed watchfulness and the drastic enforcement of law and order …
Was he referring to war with the Soviet Union?
In 1936 Hitler wanted an alliance with the British Empire against the Soviet threat.
Ribbentrop however was always an Anglophobe.
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A very interesting article here:
https://frontiersmenhistorian.…inary-family-of-brothers/
concerning Victor and his brother Leopold.
“ … By 1937, Leopold was in America and apparently living in Los Angeles on duty as a Royal Naval Reserve officer with the rank of Lieutenant, although the truth about that is somewhat unclear. In October 1937, he found himself in gaol being prosecuted for “subornation of perjury and soliciting a commission of a crime.” Released on bond he was arrested again in March 1938 and charged with attempted extortion. He was charged with demanding $20,000 from Philip Chancellor, a millionaire sportsman. His defence was that he had been employed as a secret agent to spread anti-semitic propaganda and to spy on communists. He said that both British and German consular authorities knew of his espionage and approved. Although War Office files show him as Lieutenant McLaglen, he was charged as Captain Leopold McLaglen, a British army officer, and was sentenced to five years in prison. On the intervention of his brother Victor, by then well-known as a Hollywood actor and much respected, this was suspended on the condition that he left America immediately and did not return for at least five years. It appears that Victor was hoping to see the last of his brother. In 1946, Leopold asked the War Office to re-open the case with the Americans and get the conviction reversed. Leopold sent them a long document attempting to prove that he was carrying out espionage on the Japanese on behalf of Britain and that Chancellor had been a German spy. The War Office did not believe him and the Americans said that he had been involved with the American Fascists, the Silver Shirts, and had his headquarters at the Bund, where he frequently spoke for the Bund. This could, of course, have been a cloak for espionage activities but the Americans could find no evidence … “
Thanks for the interesting article!
I sent it by email to my father.
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I can't speak for McLaglen but Cooper, Bond and Brennan were each politically conservative and vocal about it...and in Liberal Hollywood...even back then...that was reason to paint them as pro-Fascist. Today it's even worse...to be conservative in Hollywood merits blacklisting. John Wayne was very conservative as well but got along great with Liberals for the most part...even those who disagreed with him liked him personally and admired his professionalism.
So sad...the Leftists don't even know Fascism is a Left-wing form of politics and government. Hitler himself declared himself a Socialist. That makes Liberal heads explode when they hear the facts.
On February 20, 1920, the German Workers' Party changed its name to the National Socialist German Workers' Party. Hitler did not like the addition of the word "socialist" because he loathed socialism and communism, but acquiesced because the executive committee thought it might be helpful in attracting workers from the left. Some of the first people to be arrested and sent to concentration camps upon Hitler's seizure of power in 1933 were prominent German socialists and communists.
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I don't think McLaglen was 6'3". He didn't look it in "Sea Fury" with Stanley Baker.
Was it ever confirmed that McLaglen was pro-fascist? I know Ward Bond, Gary Cooper and Walter Brennan had the same charge levelled at them.
