Hellman v. McCarthy - 2014 - 7/10
“Every word she writes is a lie, including ‘and’ and ‘the’.”
Oh, how wrong the joke, cute or snide, can backfire.
Mary McCarthy, chatting on the Dick Cavett Show, comments on Lillian Hellman.
And Hellman, who happens to be watching, immediately phones her attorney.
Dishy, bitchy play tracks the feud between two literary heavyweights, both past their prime.
Ugly viewing, acidly funny, desperately sad.
The legal battle, which went on for years, bankrupted McCarthy, damaged Hellman’s legacy.