Baa Baa Blacklist
They first came to light in the year 1938, however The House Committee on Un-American Activities (HUAC) would get a whole new lease on life, come the end of the second World War. It would be the time when the Soviet Union and the spread of global communism were seen as a colossal threat to America's way of life. In 1947, a sub-committee of the HUAC was formed and descended it's heavy hands onto Hollywood, and they proceeded to investigate the so-called Communist infiltration of the contemporaneous motion-picture industry.
In Washington, they would hold the consequential hearings . By the time October 1947 commenced,
they would have seen testimony from scores of witness, having different remits, some out of anxiety, decided to appease the committee, while others would have no compunctions about offering their full cooperation. However, a new committee was in the works, their only ammunition was the first amendment, which was their gospel truth, although it made little impact during this highly chaotic time. The daring and defiant Hollywood Ten, were demonstratively adamant about their disapproval of the HUAC. These such individuals would be known as "The Hollywood Ten," a cause which included members that held the manifesto that
under no circumstances would they testify. This group was well aware of the ramifications of their movement, and willingly proceeded, even though several would be imprisoned as a result, for their contempt.
Most members of the group were at one time bona fide supporters of the American Communist Party - many figures were notable names of noir; primarily controversial director Edward Dmytryk, writer Adrian Scott and scripters Albert Maltz and Dalton Trumbo. Edward Dmytryk would soon be released when he would finally abide and agree to show evidence against his colleagues, thirty pieces of silver, Judas style - he would betray Trumbo and Scott naming them as Communists.
The industry was on the verge of a nervous collapse, the studio heads agreed to refuse employment to anyone who had the slightest association to any such left wing causes. The Hollywood Ten were immediately summoned and fined and this would be where the blacklist was born. The blacklist was originated as an admonishment against undesirable employees. Most of the victims of this unjust list were initially named in Red Channels, a political pamphlet that was published by a right-wing magazine in June of 1950. The hearings would be extended to 1951, which proved detrimental as even more artists would find themselves on the big bad blacklist. Among them, were Directors Joseph Losey, Abraham Polonsky and Robert Rossen.
And now would come the notorious "witch-hunts" of the period, and these would incite an overwhelming climate of fear of persecution in a postwar America and sabotaged the careers of many significant artists. A few auteurs - like Orson Welles, Joseph Losey and Jules Dassin, took measures by the simple act of working abroad, there were several writers including Dalton Trumbo himself, who would contribute their respective screenplays under pseudonyms. 1976's The Front, in which Woody Allen starred,albeit did not direct, was based on this psuedonym practice during the age of McCarthy. In fact almost everyone involved in the project of this film was at one point blacklisted including it's honcho at the helm, Martin Ritt. Sadly, as a result of the grim list, these talented writers would often go without any righteous credit for their works. To some this would only be a small price to pay. The intense duress of these very hearings,would take such a powerful emotional toll, that they were the very reason behind then blacklisted actor John Garfield's fatal heart attack suffered during these trials. He was all of 39 years of age.
It would be in 1960 that the blacklisting would officially come to an end, when Dalton Trumbo's name would finally appear as the credited writer for the epic Spartacus.
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