Author: Daniel J. Leab

Publisher: Penn State Press

Published: 2000

Total Pages: 198

ISBN-13: 9780271020532

The man who loosely provided the inspiration for the B-grade cult movie I Was a Communist for the FBI had a life that was marred by alcoholism, damaged expectations, and greed. Leab juxtaposes Cvetic's real life with his reel life. He chronicles his fall from grace, yet admits that Cvetic's life offers fascinating and useful insights into the creation, merchandising, and distribution of a reckless professional witness. Leab also writes about Cvetic's life prior to his involvement with the FBI, his glory days, and shows that there is much to be learned from the story of an "anti-Communist icon."