2024-05-2701:02 Status:Complete Tags: Censorship Propaganda & Cult of Personality
The House of Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) was created to ferret out subversives in the United States. In the late 40s, early 50s, HUAC became focused on the entertainment industry. The sentiment follows: is the great medium of cinema being used to subvert our youth and subvert our country? HUAC subpoenaed actors, writers, Hollywood filmmakers to testify about their communist association. One could cooperate they were friendly, but if they were absent, silent or took the 5th Amendment against self-incrimination then they were considered unfriendly.
Those who were deemed unfriendly, were blacklisted which meant no work in television, nor film - essentially guaranteeing unemployment.