1947

1947 - High - The Hollywood Ten

The subpoenas went out in September, just two years after the end of World War II. The House Un-American Activities Committee was interested in finding out if communists were a problem in Hollywood.

Forty-three of the subpoenas were sent to various representatives of the movie industry, from writers to actors to studio heads. Nineteen were received by people who were not supportive of the committee's aims, and intended not to respond to questions about their own politics. Eleven of those were called to testify. One was Bertolt Brecht, who had fled Nazi Germany for the United States. He would eventually answer their questions, insisting he was not a communist despite having written "revolutionary" plays, collaborated with other communists, and visited Soviet consulates.  (He would leave the United States to return to Europe the next day.) The remainder - unfriendly, unrepentant - were the Hollywood Ten.

While the Soviet Union has been an ally in the recent wars, concern for their long-term goals had become endemic even as Berlin fell. There were suspicions that they had been spying on U.S interests such as the atomic bomb projects - all but confirmed when they set off their own Fat Man-type bomb two years later.  Concerns about communism had existed at least since the October Revolution 30 years earlier. Whether moneyed classes fearing revolution, religious concerned about an atheist ideology, or regular people still in the habit of seeing an enemy plot behind every casual comment, there was plenty of reasons why communists might be feared. 

The ten unfriendly witnesses had their own fears of the situation. As educated members of society, they had been exposed to communism as a solution to many evils. The dangers of untrammeled capitalism had been clear in everything about the Great Depression. At that same time, supported by communist dogma and central planning, the Soviet Union was thriving. Several of those called were still communists, including one of the first to testify, Dalton Trumbo. He gave his name, address, place of birth (Montrose, Colorado), date of birth (December 5, 1905) and then attempted to defend his character rather than answer further questions. A written statement was brought forth, but refused by the committee as "not pertinent." Eventually, he was asked "Are you now, or have you ever been, a member of the Communist Party?"

Trumbo did not refuse to answer, but neither did he actually answer. He protested the question,  attempting to ask questions or make statements of his own, until the committee tired of the game and had him removed. These tactics were followed by the other nine called.

All of the Hollywood Ten would be cited for contempt of Congress for refusing to answer questions posed to them. They would be given jail sentences of up to twelve months, and afterwards were unable to work in Hollywood - blacklisted. They were the first, but not the last.