Echoes Of Laurel Canyon - Part One - CIA In Hollywood

From First Days Of CIA And HUAC, It Was All About Compromise In LaLa Land

In this series, we have been chronicling how Washington, D.C., took over Hollywood with the formation of the CIA after World War II in something I call Operation Hollywood. I recently changed this series from a Paid Series to a free-for-all series.

Summary

The article discusses the intertwined history of Hollywood and U.S. intelligence agencies, particularly the CIA, highlighting how post-World War II strategies influenced the film industry.

It emphasizes the role of the CIA and its predecessors in shaping Hollywood narratives, especially during the Cold War era. Key events include the blacklisting of the Hollywood Ten and the establishment of military film units like the First Motion Picture Unit.

The piece also touches on facilities like Lookout Mountain Air Force Station and their roles in producing classified content.​Clui+4Nevada National Security Site+4PBS: Public Broadcasting Service+4

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🧾 Summary of Individuals and Organizations Mentioned

Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)

The CIA, established in 1947, succeeded the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) and became the primary U.S. agency for foreign intelligence and covert operations. In the context of Hollywood, the CIA is portrayed as having influenced film content to promote anti-Communist sentiments during the Cold War. This included covert collaborations with filmmakers and studios to shape public perception.​

Hollywood Ten

The Hollywood Ten were a group of screenwriters and directors who, in 1947, refused to testify before the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) regarding alleged Communist affiliations. Their refusal led to contempt of Congress charges and subsequent blacklisting from the industry. This event marked a significant moment in the intersection of politics and Hollywood, illustrating the impact of governmental pressure on artistic expression. ​Fiveable+1Encyclopedia Britannica+1Encyclopedia Britannica

Office of Strategic Services (OSS)

The OSS was the U.S. intelligence agency during World War II, responsible for espionage and covert operations. It laid the groundwork for the CIA and developed techniques in psychological warfare and propaganda. The article suggests that methods developed by the OSS were later applied in Hollywood to influence film narratives.​Wikipedia+1The National WWII Museum | New Orleans+1

Special Operations Executive (SOE)

The SOE was a British World War II organization tasked with conducting espionage and sabotage in occupied Europe. It collaborated closely with the OSS, sharing techniques and strategies. The article implies that the OSS adopted SOE methods, which later influenced CIA operations in Hollywood.​SOC+4Wikipedia+4Imperial War Museums+4

Lookout Mountain Air Force Station

Located in Laurel Canyon, Los Angeles, this facility operated from 1947 to 1969 as a secret film studio for the U.S. military. It produced classified films, including documentation of nuclear tests. The article highlights its role in controlling and producing content that aligned with governmental objectives. ​CluiClui+3lookoutamerica.org+3Nevada National Security Site+3

First Motion Picture Unit

This was the U.S. Army Air Forces' film production unit during World War II, composed of film industry professionals. It produced training and propaganda films to support the war effort. The unit exemplifies the collaboration between the military and Hollywood, setting a precedent for future interactions. ​YouTube+4Wikipedia+4Wikipedia+4TogetherWeServed Blog+1IMDb+1

Scott Air Force Base

Located in Illinois, Scott Air Force Base is the headquarters of the Air Mobility Command. The article mentions it in the context of military operations and its connection to the Lookout Mountain facility. It underscores the military's logistical capabilities in supporting operations that may influence media production.​AMC Museum+4Wikipedia+4Air Mobility Command+4

Introduction

Historians who try to piece together the history of Hollywood with all its murders, drug overdoses, suicides, cults, Satanic rituals, and other sordid intrigues always seem to leave out the witch that stirs the brew, the Central Intelligence Agency.

Leaving the CIA out of Hollywood's story is like leaving the witch out of the story of witchcraft. From the first days of the CIA and the House Unamerican Activities Committee in Hollywood, the CIA and Hollywood have been intertwined like DNA.

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Hollywood-Ten

Most people don’t remember the Hollywood Ten or why they were indicted. Still, the newly formed CIA wanted to send a shot over the bow of Hollywood for writers to write anti-Communist scripts, casting World World II ally, the Soviet Union, as the new enemy.

Any script which had “Communist undertones” was banned, and studio heads and writers were threatened with blacklisting. Of course, the CIA was not simply content with rounding up ten leaders and publicly indicting and blacklisting them for all to see with the Hollywood Ten.

But Central Intelligence also went underground with covert recruiting, compromise, and infiltration operations, techniques they had learned from the OSS training by the British SOE, the Special Operations Executive, in World War II. And the Eagle’s Nest of the OSS in World War II was Lookout Mountain Air Force Base in Laurel Canyon in Los Angeles.

The first motion picture unit of Lookout Mountain, with the authority to shut down all other motion picture units in Hollywood during World War II, was actually called the First Motion Picture Unit. The First Motion Picture Unit ruled the roost in Hollywood and had the right to censor all Hollywood giant studios if the studios’ films did not fit the “War Effort.” Also, the First Motion Picture Unit doled out the money for World War II propaganda movies. The Hollywood Ten was 1947’s reminder by the CIA of who still ruled the roost of Hollywood during the new Cold War.

In Part Two of this series, we will show how this same CIA Eagle from Lookout Mountain AFB, ruling the roost of Hollywood in the Cold War, would go on to fashion the first Hollywood Union President as the President of the United States, Ronald Reagan. I will also discuss how every counterculture band you knew in the 1960s came from this same Lookout Mountain CIA Eagle perch.

The Lookout Mountain Air Force Base is under the Military Airlift Command (MAJCOM) based at Scott Air Force Base in Illinois. We feature a Scott AFB contractor in the middle of the CoronaVirus live exercise in 2020.