FEAR OF COMMUNISM

Fear of communism was strong in America and many

other western societies in the late 1940s and early
1950s.

The idea that a neighbour or colleague could be a

communist was terrifying to people.

Previous affiliations with communism (political parties,

university groups, etc.) Were detrimental to peoples
social status and work lives.

SENATOR JOSEPH MCCARTHY

U.S. Senator for Wisconsin from 1947 to 1957.
Best known for his claims that there were communist
sympathisers within the government and other federal
agencies.

Claimed he had a list of communists working in the

government.

Attacked many politicians and people of power with these claims

as well as other slander.

MCCARTHYISM
Term coined to describe the fear and hysteria caused by
the fear of communism that was at its peak in the mid
1950s thanks to senator McCarthy and his investigation
of apparent communists

Historians criticise this time in history.

Often paralleled with witch hunts and scape-goating.

McCarthys Red Herring
Washington Post (1954)

HUAC
The House Un-American Activities Committee.
Established in 1938 to investigate alleged disloyalty and subversive activities on the part of
private citizens, public employees, and those organizations suspected of having communist
ties.

Became really prevalent in American society after WWII when the USSR were no longer allies.

HUAC
The questioning techniques and style of the
investigations were the model that McCarthy
based his investigations on.

Pressure to confess or to name names.

HOLLYWOOD TEN
In 1947 HUAC held 9 days of investigations into communist ties in Hollywood.
Many members of the industry used to be members of communist parties or societies in
their days of university/college.

Some refused to comment, answer questions, or name other communists and were
deemed to be in contempt of congress and were blacklisted. These men were labelled the
Hollywood Ten.

HOLLYWOOD TEN
Alvah Bessie (screenwriter)
Herbert Biberman (screenwriter and director)
Lester Cole (screenwriter)
Edward Dmytryk (director)
Ring Lardner Jr. (Screenwriter)

John Howard Lawson (screenwriter)

Albert Maltz (screenwriter)
Samuel Ornitz (screenwriter)
Adrian Scott (producer and screenwriter)
Dalton Trumbo (screenwriter).

HOLLYWOOD TEN
Eventually, more than 300 artistsincluding directors, radio commentators, actors and
particularly screenwriterswere boycotted by the studios.

Some, like Charlie Chaplin & Orson Welles, left the U.S or went underground to find work.
Others wrote under pseudonyms or the names of colleagues.
Only about ten percent succeeded in rebuilding careers within the entertainment industry.

BLACKLISTING
THE TERM BLACKLIST REFERS TO THE ACT OF

REFUSING SOMEONE PRIVILEGES OR RIGHTS BASED ON

BEHAVIOUR, ACTIONS, AFFILIATIONS, ETC.

IN 1950S AMERICA, WHEN SOMEONE WAS LABELLED A

COMMUNIST, THEY WERE BLACKLISTED.

MANY PEOPLE LOST THEIR JOBS, FRIENDS, ETC. DUE TO

BEING BLACKLISTED.

MANY MORE SUFFERED THE SAME CONSEQUENCES DUE

TO BEING INVESTIGATED, EVEN IF THEY WERE FOUND
INNOCENT.

FALLOUT
MCCARTHYISM AND THE ERA OF SCAPEGOATING
STARTED TO FIZZLE OUT IN 1954 WHEN
MCCARTHY ANNOUNCED HE PLANNED TO
INVESTIGATE THE MILITARY

EISENHOWER AND THE GOVERNMENT RETALIATED,

DEFENDING THE MILITARY AND LEAKING EVIDENCE OF
MCCARTHY'S INAPPROPRIATE BEHAVIOUR SUCH AS
DRINKING, WOMANISING, ETC.

FALLOUT
IT WAS ALSO DEEMED UNCONSTITUTIONAL TO BLACKLIST, CHARGE OR IMPRISON PEOPLE BASED ON
THEIR CHOSEN POLITICAL PARTY OR AFFILIATIONS. IT WENT AGAINST FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND
EXPRESSION.

AS THE 50S ENDED AND THE 1960S BEGAN, HUAC AND THE MCCARTHYISM ERA RAPIDLY DECLINED DUE
TO FREEDOM MOVEMENTS AND THE IMPORTANCE PLACED ON FREEDOM OF SPEECH & ACTIONS AT THE
TIME.