TSOTM Jan 2025: Red SOB

It commemorates rebellious US actor Lionel Stander, who was born on 11 January 1908. While being most famous for playing the chauffeur in 1980s hit TV show “Hart-to-Hart”, Stander was also a popular Hollywood actor, and active in supporting strikes and anti-racist and anti-fascist campaigns. He was denied working during the anti-communist hysteria of the 1940s and 50s. In 1938, Columbia Pictures head Harry Cohn allegedly called Stander "a Red son of a b*tch" and threatened a US$100,000 fine against any studio that renewed his contract. We incorporated Cohn’s cursing into this month’s design by using the abbreviated form “RED SOB” thus offering everyone feeling aligned with Standers anti-racist and anti-fascist stance to wear it with pride.

Early in his career Stander helped organise actors in the Screen Actors Guild, raised money for anti-fascists in Spain during the civil war of 1936-1939 and campaigned against racist miscarriages of justice like the Scottsboro boys case. Stander later became one of the most defiant actors pulled in front of the anti-communist House Un-American Activities Committee. Not only did he refuse to inform on any of his colleagues, he exasperated the committee by speaking over senators and lawyers, ignoring their questions and instead testifying about the anti-democratic nature of the committee itself.

Design by Berlin based artist and illustrator Chris W. Jany.