Henry Blankfort

Biography

Henry Blankfort, 90, a screenwriter who became a publicist after he was blacklisted during the McCarthy era. A native of New York, Blankfort moved to Los Angeles in 1936 and three years later became director of the Hollywood Theater Alliance, where he co-wrote its "Meet the People." He wrote or co-wrote 25 screenplays, including "Tales of Manhattan" and "Double Exposure." During World War II, Blankfort made military films for the Signal Corps. His show business career ended after he refused in 1951 to testify before the House Committee on Un-American Activities, which was seeking information on Communists in Hollywood. Blankfort became vice president for public relations at Revell Toy Co. In 1963, he founded a public relations firm, Blankfort Group, specializing in education. From 1979 to 1989, he served as an unpaid consultant to the Los Angeles Unified School District.