Remember Hede Massing’s Role in Alger Hiss Conviction

Why do conservatives remember Whittaker Chambers but not Hede Massing? What the latter lacked in pumpkin patches and prothonotary warblers she made up for in courageous, dramatic stare-downs of the last century’s evilest forces.

Hede Massing launched an acting career at Vienna’s famed Burgtheater after the First World War. She soon turned her back on it in favor of a life of communist zealotry and intrigue. After the Second World War, her turning her back on communism did no favors for her Hollywood hopes.

About the Author

Daniel J. Flynn

Daniel J. Flynn, the author of The Man Who Invented Conservatism: The Unlikely Life of Frank S. Meyer, is an American Spectator senior editor, visiting fellow at the Hoover Institution, and YouTuber @RightWingWilderness.

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Why do conservatives remember Whittaker Chambers but not Hede Massing? What the latter lacked in pumpkin patches and prothonotary warblers she made up for in courageous, dramatic stare-downs of the last century’s evilest forces.

Hede Massing launched an acting career at Vienna’s famed Burgtheater after the First World War. She soon turned her back on it in favor of a life of communist zealotry and intrigue. After the Second World War, her turning her back on communism did no favors for her Hollywood hopes.