The Hollywood Ten

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The “Hollywood Ten,” often confused as “Hollywood Seven,” were a group of prominent industry professionals cited for contempt of Congress in 1947 after refusing to testify about their alleged Communist Party ties before the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC). They were subsequently blacklisted from working in the entertainment industry. [1, 2]

The Hollywood Blacklist and the Red Scare

In October 1947, HUAC launched hearings into alleged communist influence in the American film industry. When 10 prominent writers and directors (Alvah Bessie, Herbert Biberman, Lester Cole, Edward Dmytryk, Ring Lardner Jr., John Howard Lawson, Albert Maltz, Samuel Ornitz, Adrian Scott, and Dalton Trumbo) refused to answer the committee’s questions about their political affiliations, they were sentenced to prison and effectively blacklisted by studio executives. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

This purge was a cornerstone of the broader Red Scare and McCarthyism era, which terrorized the entertainment industry through the 1950s. Studio bosses surrendered to pressure, and individuals were often denied employment based on vague accusations or for having exercised their First Amendment rights. The blacklist was actively enforced by private publications like Red Channels, which targeted actors and writers for suspected progressive political sympathies. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

The blacklist’s chokehold on Hollywood only began to crumble in 1960 when prominent figures like Kirk Douglas and Otto Preminger openly credited blacklisted writers like Dalton Trumbo. [1]

For a deep dive into the historical exhibits and the lasting legacy of the Hollywood blacklist:

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