Is it true that Richard Widmark had got anti-Hungarian sentiments and how did he show them?

sportsherald

Nothing I've found on the internet supports this. In fact, "Politically, Widmark was a liberal, poles apart from John Wayne, who directed him in The Alamo (1960)." -from http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2008/mar/27/obituaries.usa The main connection between Widmark and Hungary that does show up is that "Widmark starred in one film frequently cited as a neglected classic of the era, The Secret Ways (1961). Based on an Alistair Maclean novel, set in Vienna and Budapest in 1956, Widmark played Mike Reynolds, a cocky, cynical soldier-of-fortune hired against his better judgment to help a Hungarian freedom fighter escape from behind the Iron Curtain." -from http://thespyreport.livejournal.com/152117.html This does not seem consistent with someone having anti-Hungarian sentiments, unless playing someone who was anti-Communist-regime-in-Hungary counts. Dec 17 12, 7:11 PM

urbankheki

To "sportsherald": Thanks for the enlightening answer! In today's Hungary, Widmark's "anti-Hungarianism" is an old gossip of an obscure origin. But now it's getting cleared: yeah, during the Kádár era, his role in "The Secret Ways" was more than enough to stigmatize him as "anti-Hungarian"! I suspected that he must have had a conflict with the Hungarian lobby in Hollywood. I'm glad it's proved wrong. Dec 18 12, 7:31 AM