THE YEAR WAS 1964--CONSERVATIVE HOLLYWOOD STARS SPEAK OUT FOR PRAYER IN SCHOOLS

various sources listed at web site ^ | 2/23/13

[Liz]

In 1964, the handsome, virile star, Anthony Eisley, emceed a "Project Prayer" rally attended by 2,500 at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California.

Eisley played Tracey Steele on the "Hawaiian Eye" series, and appeared 17 times on the eight-year run of ABC's The F.B.I., with Efrem Zimbalist, Jr (another Hollywood conservative).

Eisley was later replaced on Hawaiian Eye by Hollywood icon Troy Donahue (a conservative---and practicing Catholic). Eisley also appeared three times on CBS's Perry Mason during its final three seasons.

The Hollywood gathering sought to flood the United State Congress with letters in support of school prayer, following two decisions in 1962 and 1963 of the United States Supreme Court which struck down the practice as in conflict with the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.

Eisley declared that the nation was facing in 1964 "an ideological crisis. Movie stars and the stars of the entertainment world will tell you what you can do about it. Everything will be from the heart."

Eisley was joined at the event by Walter Brennan, on whose series The Real McCoys he had once been a guest star, Rhonda Fleming, Lloyd Nolan, Dale Evans, Pat Boone, and Gloria Swanson.

Eisely added that John Wayne, Ronald W. Reagan, Roy Rogers, Mary Pickford, Jane Russell, Ginger Rogers, and Pat Buttram would also have attended the rally had their schedules not been in conflict.

Syndicated columnist Drew Pearson claimed in his "Washington Merry-Go-Round" column that Project Prayer had "backstage ties" to the anti-Communist John Birch Society. Pearson noted that the principal author of the prayer decisions, Chief Justice Earl Warren, was a Republican former governor of California and that most mainline denominations endorsed the court's restrictive rulings.

[greene66]

Both Bud Abbott and Lou Costello were Republicans.

ZaSu Pitts was a staunch Republican, back in the day.

Not a rarity at all back then, unlike the massive unbalance of the industry now, where it has basically devolved into a left-wing “closed shop.”

[Liz]

Charlene Tilton (Dallas) once spoke at a pro-life rally.
Frazier star, Kelsey Grammer, is also on record as being pro-life

Checkout beliefnet.com for a list of 12 Hollywood conservative/Christians——includes megastar Denzel Washington, Tyler Perry, Angela Bassett and pro-life Patricia Heaton (Everybody Loves Raymond).