The Hollywood Reporter (THR) is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the

Hollywood film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade
paper, and in 2010 switched to a weekly large-format print magazine with a revamped website. As of
2020, the day-to-day operations of the company are handled by Penske Media Corporation through a
joint venture with Eldridge Industries.

History

Early years; 1930–1987

The Hollywood Reporter was founded in 1930 by William R. "Billy" Wilkerson (1890–1962) as
Hollywood's first daily entertainment trade newspaper.[1] The first edition appeared on September
3, 1930, and featured Wilkerson's front-page "Tradeviews" column, which became influential. The
newspaper appeared Monday-to-Saturday for the first 10 years, except for a brief period, then
Monday-to-Friday from 1940. Wilkerson used caustic articles and gossip to generate publicity and got
noticed by the studio bosses in New York and some studio lots tried to ban the paper.[2]

In 1932, Variety sued The Hollywood Reporter, alleging that THR was plagiarizing information from
Variety following its publication in New York on Tuesdays, by way of phoning or wiring the
information back to Hollywood, so that THR could publish the information before Variety reached
Hollywood three days later on Friday.[3] Then, in 1933, Variety started its own daily Hollywood
edition, Daily Variety, to cover the film industry.[4]

Wilkerson became friends with Howard Hughes and the paper wrote many favorable stories about
him and his film plans. In return, Hughes, in addition to advertising revenue, also provided financial
assistance to the paper when necessary.[2]

Wilkerson ran The Hollywood Reporter until his death in September 1962, although his final column
appeared 18 months prior.[5] Wilkerson's wife, Tichi Wilkerson Kassel, took over as publisher and
editor-in-chief when her husband died.[6]

Hollywood blacklist

Further information: Hollywood blacklist

From the late 1930s, Wilkerson used The Hollywood Reporter to push the view that the industry was
a communist stronghold. In particular, he opposed the screenplay writers' trade union, the Screen
Writers Guild, which he called the "Red Beachhead".[7][8] In 1946 the Guild considered creating an
American Authors' Authority to hold copyright for writers, instead of ownership passing to the
studios. Wilkerson devoted his "Tradeviews" column to the issue on July 29, 1946, headlined "A Vote
for Joe Stalin." He went to confession before publishing it, knowing the damage it would cause, but
was apparently encouraged by the priest to go ahead with it.[7][9]
The column contained the first industry names, including Dalton Trumbo and Howard Koch, on what
became the Hollywood blacklist, known as "Billy's list". Eight of the 11 people Wilkerson named were
among the "Hollywood Ten" who were blacklisted after hearings in 1947 by the House Un-American
Activities Committee.[7][10] When Wilkerson died in 1962, his THR obituary said that he had "named
names, pseudonyms and card numbers and was widely credited with being chiefly responsible for
preventing communists from becoming entrenched in Hollywood production."[7]

In 1997 THR reporter David Robb wrote a story about the newspaper's involvement, but the editor,
Robert J. Dowling, declined to run it. For the blacklist's 65th anniversary in 2012, the THR published a
lengthy investigative piece about Wilkerson's role, by reporters Gary Baum and Daniel Miller.[7] The
same edition carried an apology from Wilkerson's son W. R. Wilkerson III. He wrote that his father
had been motivated by revenge for his thwarted ambition to own a studio.[11]