The Hollywood Blacklist refers to a period during the 40s and 50s in America’s entertainment
industry where a committee created by the House of Representatives called the House
Un-American Activities Committee was tasked with uncovering communist sympathizers, and
other American citizens considered to be disloyal to the values and principles of the American government.
Considering the United States’ cold war with Russia was in full swing by the end of
the 40s, some in the American government thought that members of the Hollywood film industry
were trying to sneak communist propaganda into films and Hollywood labor practices (Wiki).
People were called before the committee to defend themselves against such allegations
and, if deemed to be disloyal, they would be barred from working in the industry (Wiki).
The blacklist started around the end of 1947— studio executives fired ten artists after
they refused to testify to the House Un-American Activities Committee.
They were called the Hollywood Ten— Herbert Biberman,
Alvah Bessie, Dalton Trumbo,
Ring Lardner Jr., Albert Maltz,
Lester Cole, Samuel Ornitz,
Edward Dmytryk, John Howard Lawson,
and Adrian Scott.
Perhaps the most famous of these names is Dalton Trumbo.
There was a film made about the writer in 2015 called Trumbo that follows Trumbo’s
experience being blacklisted in Hollywood.
The Hollywood Ten refused to answer questions on the basis that it was a violation of their
rights and because they knew that if they cooperated with the committee, they would
be next asked to name names of other potential communist sympathizers.
“Stand away from the stand!”
“I have written for America for many years and I shall-“
“Stand away from the stand!” “-fight for the bill of rights which you
are trying to destroy.”
“Officers, take this man away from the stand.”
Each of these men were sentenced to a year in federal prison for contempt of Congress
as well as a one-thousand dollar fine.
Some of those who testified in order to inform on potential communist sympathizers were Walt
Disney and, then Screen Actors Guild president, Ronald Reagan.
“There has been a small group within the Screen Actors Guild, which has consistently
opposed the policy of the guild –board and officers— or the guild itself as evidence
by the vote in various issues.”
Some members of the film industry started the Committee for the First Amendment in protest
of these proceedings.
Members of the Committee for the First Amendment included: Humphrey Bogart, Lucille Ball, Frank Sinatra,
Billy Wilder, Gene Kelly, Groucho Marx, and Sterling Hayden.
This committee was formed under the assumption that the Hollywood Ten were not actually communists,
but simply standing up for the rights and privacy of Americans.
When it came out that many of the Hollywood Ten were confirmed communists as well as committee
member Sterling Haden, many of the members left the committee.
In March 1948 Humphrey Bogart wrote an article for Photoplay magazine titled
“I’m No Communist” that starts like this: “As the guy said to the warden, just before
he was hanged: ‘This will teach me a lesson I’ll never forget.’
No, sir, I’ll never forget the lesson that was taught to me in the year 1947, at Washington,
D.C. when I got back to Hollywood, some friends sent me a mounted fish and underneath it was
written: ‘If I hadn’t opened my big mouth, I wouldn’t be here.’
The New York Times, the Herald Tribune and other reputable publications editorially had
questioned the House Committee on Un-American Activities, warning that it was infringing
on free speech.
When a group of us Hollywood actors and actresses said the same thing, the roof fell in on us.
In some fashion, I took the brunt of the attack.
Suddenly, the plane that had flown us East became ‘Bogart’s plane,’ carrying ‘Bogart’s group.’
For once, top billing became embarrassing” (Photoplay).
I’ve included a link to the full article in the description if you would like to read it.
The blacklist ended in the 60s with over 150 names on it.
Many of those had continued to work under fake names for modest pay after becoming blacklisted.
By the late 50s/early 60s, the blacklist was winding down, but one of the main breaking
points had to do with Dalton Trumbo.
“Otto Preminger publicly announced that [Trumbo]… was the screenwriter of his forthcoming
film Exodus” (Wiki).
But more importantly, Trumbo was fully credited as writer of Spartacus and it was largely
due to actor Kirk Douglas.
“And people said, ‘Hey Kirk, don’t use Dalton Trumbo’s name.
You will never work in- But I did it in spite of that.
And the- The sky didn’t fall.
I mean, people—what they said- But the blacklist was over.”