On October 20, 1947, the notorious Red Scare kicks into high gear in
Washington, as a Congressional committee begins investigating
Communist influence in one of the world’s richest and most
glamorous communities: Hollywood.
After World War II, the Cold War began to heat up between the world’s
two superpowers—the United States and the communist-controlled
Soviet Union. In Washington, conservative watchdogs worked to out
communists in government before setting their sights on alleged
“Reds” in the famously liberal movie industry. In an investigation that
began in October 1947, the House Un-American Activities Committee
grilled a number of prominent witnesses, asking bluntly “Are you or
have you ever been a member of the Communist Party?” Whether out
of patriotism or fear, some witnesses—including director Elia Kazan,
actors Gary Cooper and Robert Taylor and studio honchos Walt Disney
and Jack Warner—gave the committee names of colleagues they
suspected of being communists.
A small group known as the “Hollywood Ten” resisted, complaining
that the hearings were illegal and violated their First Amendment
rights.
