Harvey Weinstein had a book about director Elia Kazan when he turned himself in. This is why that matters.

(Image credit: Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

published 25 May 2018

Disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, who entered a not guilty plea on Friday to first- and third-degree rape and a first-degree criminal sex act, was seen carrying a biography of director Elia Kazan when he surrendered himself to New York police, The Hollywood Reporter tweeted.

Kazan, the director of classic films like On the Waterfront and East of Eden, was famously an informant during the Red Scare, supplying the names of some 11 former colleagues to the blacklist. "Kazan's reputation as a formidable Hollywood artist weathered political and personal scandals," The Guardian writes, although journalist Yashar Ali tweeted that the more threatening symbolism did not go unnoticed:

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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.

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