October 20 - The Red Scare Begins in Hollywood

This Day in History: 20 October 2020

 

20 October 1947

 

73 years ago, today, Congress began to investigate communists in Hollywood, initiating the Red Scare. After World War II ended, the Cold War intensified matters between the world's two superpowers, the capitalist United States and the communist Soviet Union. In Washington, conservatives worked to expose communists in the government before focusing on alleged 'reds' in the liberal film industry. The House Un-American Activities Committee was tasked to lead the investigation. They grilled many prominent witnesses, asking bluntly if they had ever been a member of the Communist Party. Some witnesses, including director Elia Kazan and studio managers like Walt Disney and Jack Warner, gave the committee names of colleagues they suspected of being communists. Whether this was out of patriotism or fear is unknown.

 

When interrogated, a small group known as the 'Hollywood Ten' resisted, complaining the hearings were illegal and violated their First Amendment rights. They were all convicted of obstructing the investigation and were given jail terms. Due to Congress' pressure, Hollywood began a blacklist policy, banning works by people who had not been cleared by the committee. This list included playwright Arthur Miller and actor Orson Welles. Some of these blacklisted writers used pseudonyms to stay writing, while others wrote scripts that were credited to other writers. In 1997, the Writers' Guild of America changed the writing credits of 23 films made during this period, reversing some of the Red Scare's damage.

 

Want to find out more about the Red Scare? Click here for more information, or here for more about the House Un-American Activities Committee.