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intimate friend of Miss 'Bunsen' Burner and a collaborator of the famous scenarist Gilbert Gripes, is being held for mental tests."
The Committee will note that even in this shockingly distorted account the reporter failed to get my name correctly.
Later in the day I managed to secure copies of the trade papers. The punching incident was lavishly reported in both Variety and The Hollywood Reporter, with full credit going, of course, to Mr. Gilbert Gripes. There was no reference to me, not even to my arrest. Sedatives were administered to me and I spent a very bad night.
The following day information of an even more crushing nature reached me. Mrs. Zilch, visiting me in my cell, brought me two clippings which I am attaching to this report and
which I submit as Exhibit "A" and Exhibit "B."
I sincerely trust that the Committee, with all this information at its disposal, will lose no time in hearing my grievance against Mr. Gilbert Gripes. I accuse Mr. Gripes of unethical conduct, betraying professional confidence, and of flagrant plagiarism.
Very truly yours, Walter P. Zilch Exhibit "A" from Variety, dated
April 12, 1948:
STUDIOS SCRAMBLE FOR GRIPES YARN
Frantic bidding among the majors is reported for Man Hits Blonde, comedy yarn by Gilbert Gripes. It is rumored that Gripes, who is resting in Palm Springs, has already turned down $300,000 and is holding out for five hundred G's. Yarn is alleg
edly based upon the recent incident in which Gripes gave a shiner to 'Bunsen' Burner at a Sunset Strip cafe.
Gripes, on a loan-out to Imperial but under contract to Paramount, has just had his option hiked at a very substantial increase.
Exhibit "B" from "The Hollywood
Reporter," April 12, 1948: IMPERIAL DROPS COMMIES Axe fell yesterday on "B" unit at Imperial. Among those dropped is Walter P. Zilch, contract scrivener. Zilch is currently under arrest on assorted charges, and is rumored to be very left-wing. A checkup at Imperial-failed to elicit any information from the office of J. K. Hoffheimer, Vice-President In Charge of Production other than a terse "No comment."
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The Screen Writer, April, 1948