Boris Morros
Encyclopedia
Boris Morros was an American Communist Party
member, Paramount Studios producer
, Soviet agent, and FBI double agent
.
Morros was born in Saint Petersburg
, Russia, and emigrated with his family to America in 1922. He was recruited as a Soviet spy in 1934, and Vasily Zarubin
first became his contact in 1936.
The mysterious "Mr Guver" letter, sent to FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover
in 1943 from an anonymous source now widely believed to be KGB Officer Vassili Mironov, named Morros as an agent working with Soviet intelligence
and identified Elizabeth Zarubina as Morros' contact.
In December 1943, Zarubin drove with Morros to Connecticut
, where they met with Alfred Stern and his wife Martha Dodd Stern. Soviet intelligence wanted to use an investment from the Sterns in Morros' sheet music company to serve as cover for espionage
. The Sterns invested $130,000 in the Boris Morros Music Company.
In 1947, Morros became a counterspy for the FBI. He then reported on Jack Soble
and members of the Soble spy ring, while also passing low-level secrets and misinformation back to Moscow
. Morros' codename in Soviet intelligence and the Venona files is "FROST."
In 1960,Man on a String a feature film loosely based on Morros' adventures as a counterspy, was released. Ernest Borgnine
played Morros, who co-wrote the screenplay.
Morris' movie production credits include The Flying Deuces
(1939) with Laurel and Hardy
and Second Chorus
(1940) with Paulette Goddard
and Fred Astaire
. Morros also worked with Bing Crosby
, Ginger Rogers
, Martha Raye
, and Rudy Vallee
.
He died in New York City
on January 8, 1963.
Communist party
A political party described as a Communist party includes those that advocate the application of the social principles of communism through a communist form of government...
member, Paramount Studios producer
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
, Soviet agent, and FBI double agent
Double agent
A double agent, commonly abbreviated referral of double secret agent, is a counterintelligence term used to designate an employee of a secret service or organization, whose primary aim is to spy on the target organization, but who in fact is a member of that same target organization oneself. They...
.
Morros was born in Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
, Russia, and emigrated with his family to America in 1922. He was recruited as a Soviet spy in 1934, and Vasily Zarubin
Vasily Zarubin
Vasily Mikhailovich Zarubin Василий Михайлович Зарубин was a Soviet intelligence officer. In the United States, he used the cover name Vasily Zubilin and served as Soviet intelligence Rezident from 1941 to 1944. Zarubin's wife, Elizabeth Zubilin, served with him.Zarubin was born in Moscow...
first became his contact in 1936.
The mysterious "Mr Guver" letter, sent to FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover
J. Edgar Hoover
John Edgar Hoover was the first Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation of the United States. Appointed director of the Bureau of Investigation—predecessor to the FBI—in 1924, he was instrumental in founding the FBI in 1935, where he remained director until his death in 1972...
in 1943 from an anonymous source now widely believed to be KGB Officer Vassili Mironov, named Morros as an agent working with Soviet intelligence
NKVD
The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs was the public and secret police organization of the Soviet Union that directly executed the rule of power of the Soviets, including political repression, during the era of Joseph Stalin....
and identified Elizabeth Zarubina as Morros' contact.
In December 1943, Zarubin drove with Morros to Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
, where they met with Alfred Stern and his wife Martha Dodd Stern. Soviet intelligence wanted to use an investment from the Sterns in Morros' sheet music company to serve as cover for espionage
Espionage
Espionage or spying involves an individual obtaining information that is considered secret or confidential without the permission of the holder of the information. Espionage is inherently clandestine, lest the legitimate holder of the information change plans or take other countermeasures once it...
. The Sterns invested $130,000 in the Boris Morros Music Company.
In 1947, Morros became a counterspy for the FBI. He then reported on Jack Soble
Jack Soble
Jack Soble Jack Soble (birth name:Abromas Sobolevicius, sometimes used Abraham Sobolevicius or Adolph Senin) Jack Soble (birth name:Abromas Sobolevicius, sometimes used Abraham Sobolevicius or Adolph Senin) (born May 15, 1903 in Vilkaviskis, Lithuania - ?, but possibly (1897-1974) was a Jewish...
and members of the Soble spy ring, while also passing low-level secrets and misinformation back to Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
. Morros' codename in Soviet intelligence and the Venona files is "FROST."
In 1960,Man on a String a feature film loosely based on Morros' adventures as a counterspy, was released. Ernest Borgnine
Ernest Borgnine
Ernest Borgnine is an American actor of television and film. His career has spanned more than six decades. He was an unconventional lead in many films of the 1950s, including his Academy Award-winning turn in the 1955 film Marty...
played Morros, who co-wrote the screenplay.
Morris' movie production credits include The Flying Deuces
The Flying Deuces
The Flying Deuces, also known as Flying Aces, is a 1939 comedy film starring Laurel and Hardy, in which the duo join the French Foreign Legion. It is a partial remake of their 1931 short film Beau Hunks.- Plot :...
(1939) with Laurel and Hardy
Laurel and Hardy
Laurel and Hardy were one of the most popular and critically acclaimed comedy double acts of the early Classical Hollywood era of American cinema...
and Second Chorus
Second Chorus
Second Chorus is a Hollywood musical comedy film starring Fred Astaire, Burgess Meredith, Paulette Goddard, Artie Shaw, and Charles Butterworth, with music by Artie Shaw, Bernie Hanighen, Hal Borne and lyrics by Johnny Mercer. The film was directed by H. C...
(1940) with Paulette Goddard
Paulette Goddard
Paulette Goddard was an American film and theatre actress. A former child fashion model and in several Broadway productions as Ziegfeld Girl, she was a major star of the Paramount Studio in the 1940s. She was married to several notable men, including Charlie Chaplin, Burgess Meredith, and Erich...
and Fred Astaire
Fred Astaire
Fred Astaire was an American film and Broadway stage dancer, choreographer, singer and actor. His stage and subsequent film career spanned a total of 76 years, during which he made 31 musical films. He was named the fifth Greatest Male Star of All Time by the American Film Institute...
. Morros also worked with Bing Crosby
Bing Crosby
Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby was an American singer and actor. Crosby's trademark bass-baritone voice made him one of the best-selling recording artists of the 20th century, with over half a billion records in circulation....
, Ginger Rogers
Ginger Rogers
Ginger Rogers was an American actress, dancer, and singer who appeared in film, and on stage, radio, and television throughout much of the 20th century....
, Martha Raye
Martha Raye
Martha Raye was an American comic actress and standards singer who performed in movies, and later on television....
, and Rudy Vallee
Rudy Vallée
Rudy Vallée was an American singer, actor, bandleader, and entertainer.-Early life:Born Hubert Prior Vallée in Island Pond, Vermont, the son of Charles Alphonse and Catherine Lynch Vallée...
.
He died in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
on January 8, 1963.
External links
- The Cold War International History Project (CWIHP) has the full text of former KGB agent Alexander Vassiliev's Notebooks containing new evidence on Morros' cooperation with the Soviet Union