Albert Hackett who, with his wife adapted the “Diary of Anne Frank” for the stage, has clarified statements attributed to him in an interview in Variety, organ of the entertainment world, as to why the play has not been produced in the Soviet Union.
Mr. and Mrs. Hackett had been quoted, on their return from a visit to Moscow, as reporting that “if it contained any anti-Semitism, it couldn’t be put on” and that, according to the play’s Russian translator, the Soviet Government didn’t believe in ‘passive resistance’ such as is demonstrated by Anne and her family.”
Mr. Hackett, In his explanation, said that they asked the Russian translator If the play had not been produced because there was anti-Semitism in Russia. He noted that they had just read in Paris newspapers an article quoting Khrushchev on the question of Jews in Russia. “The translator replied to our question,” Mr. Hackett reported, “if there were anti-Semitism in Russia, they would not allow your play to be published.’ And of course it is being published.”
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